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Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism
Judicial Field Placement
In 2001, the Law School instituted its Judicial Field Placement
program, which has now become part of the Law School. The students in this course intern with a member of the
state or federal judiciary. Placements have included the United
States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, the
United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia,
the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Superior Courts of the Bibb,
Houston, Ocmulgee, and Chatahoochee Circuits, the State Courts
of Henry and Bibb Counties, the Probate Courts of Bibb and Houston
Counties, and the Juvenile Courts of Bibb, Laurens and Toombs
Counties. Although the students are expected to learn some techniques
of advocacy and to improve their research and writing skills,
the primary purpose of the program is professionalism, to put
the students in direct contact with Judges who exemplify and can
help to transmit the best traditions of the legal profession.
The students perform research and writing assignments
for their judges and attend hearings, trials, and other proceedings.
The students keep a contemporaneous journal of the activities
for his or her court and turn it in at the end of the internship.
The journal's contents are edited to maintain confidences and
otherwise to comply with the ethical and professional obligations
of the intern to the court. Each student completes a minimum of
120 hours of service for his or her judge (an average of ten hours
per week).
This course also includes a classroom component.
The class meets weekly and covers topics and readings related
to the judicial process. The topics include ethical issues for
law clerks, opinion writing, judicial ethics, judicial discipline,
judicial selection, judicial independence, case and trial management,
and special issues for appellate judges. For a list of class assignments
and readings, click
here.
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