Summer Diversity Extern Program
Purpose
The Summer Diversity Extern Program ("Program") is designed to create opportunities in bankruptcy practice for diverse law students.
Available Externships
The Bankruptcy Court may fill one externship, per year, through this program in each Court location (Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton). The Bankruptcy Judges may fill additional externships through other programs or outreach.
Scope of Externship
A student selected for the Program serves as a summer extern for the United States Bankruptcy Judges in the court location for which the extern is selected. Opportunities may include, among other things, attending hearings, reviewing briefs and filings, research and writing projects, and interaction with the Bankruptcy Judges and chambers staff.
Stipend or Law School Credit
Each Program extern may receive a $5,000.00 stipend or law school credit. An extern cannot receive both.
Extern Requirements
- Externs must extern for the Bankruptcy Judges of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
- Externs must work at least 320 hours during the externship.
- Externs may not engage in another externship during the externship at the Bankruptcy Court.
- Externs may not concurrently work for a law firm, government agency, or any other entity involved in a pending matter before the Court.
- Externs will not receive a stipend if receiving law school credit for the externship.
- In the event law school credit is to be obtained and not the stipend, the extern shall be responsible for making all necessary arrangements with the law school in order to obtain such credit.
- Each extern shall complete any necessary documentation provided by the Human Resources Specialist of the Court and shall submit to any background investigation as may be determined necessary by the Human Resources Specialist.
Program Funding and Stipend Payment
Stipends for the Program are funded from the Attorney Admission Fund of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The District Court provides the funding to the local chapters of the Federal Bar Association (Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton). The local chapters of the Federal Bar Association pay the stipend to eligible externs when directed by the respective committee appointed by the Bankruptcy Court.
Program Administration
The Program is administered by a committee, appointed by the Bankruptcy Court, for each Court location ("Committee" and "Committees"). Each Committee shall be comprised of at least three individuals, including at least one Bankruptcy Judge(s) from the particular seat of Court and at least one attorney member of the local Federal Bar Association Chapter.
The Committees determine the means of promoting the Program, attracting diverse law students, and soliciting applications. The Committees may consult and coordinate with each other to avoid duplication of effort and to promote the effective and efficient administration of the Program.
The Committees administer the payment of stipends, directing the local chapter of the Federal Bar Association to pay the stipend to each eligible extern from the funds provided to the respective chapter by the Clerk of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Attorney Admissions Fund, for such purpose.
Extern Selection
Unless otherwise determined by the Committees, applications for placement in the Program shall be sent to Margaret Bowling, Human Resources Specialist, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio, 221 East Fourth St., Atrium Two, Ste. 800, Cincinnati, OH 45202 by mail or email (Email: OHSB_HR@ohsb.uscourts.gov) so that they are received no later than February 15th of the year for which the externship is sought. Applications may be presented to the Committees through the Court’s Human Resources Specialist by any individual or entity, including: a) individual applicants; b) law schools; and c) third-party sources such as the Greater Dayton Legal Roundtable/Summer Diversity Externship Program. The Committees shall endeavor to solicit and receive resumes from diverse students at the law schools located in the state of Ohio (University of Dayton School of Law; University of Cincinnati College of Law; Claude W. Pettit College of Law, Ohio Northern University; University of Toledo College of Law; Case Western Reserve University College of Law; Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University; Capital University Law School; Moritz College of Law, Ohio State University; and the University of Akron School of Law) and from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University. The respective Committee for Court location shall make the selection of the extern from the resumes provided to it on an annual basis.
How to Apply (Law Students)
Law students may submit complete externship applications (application, statement of interest, resume, and law school transcript) to Margaret Bowling at OHSB_HR@ohsb.uscourts.gov between January 1 and February 15 of each year. You may download the application through the following link: Application.
