Externship Programs

Tennessee offers three externship programs — the Judicial Externship, the Prosecutorial Externship and the Public Defender Externship. In the Prosecutorial Externship, students are placed in the Office of the Knox County District Attorney General. Working under the supervision of experienced Assistant Attorneys General, students prosecute real cases on behalf of the state handling all phases of the criminal process, including case development and investigation, preliminary hearings, plea negotiations, and trial.

In the Public Defender Externship, students are placed in the Knox County Public Defender’s Office. Students work under experienced Public Defenders, regularly appearing in court and representing clients in all aspects of their cases, including trials.

In the Judicial Externship, law students work as clerks for state and federal judges assisting in all aspects of the judge’s work. Students brief upcoming cases, help draft opinions, and watch court proceedings.

Each externship also includes a classroom component with supervising law faculty. Professor Gary Anderson teaches the Prosecutorial and Public Defender Externships, and Professor Penny White teaches the Judicial Externship.