Federal Government
In these programs, students work on-site with the lawyers of a federal agency. Externs work across almost every substantive area of law. Students often gain experience in litigation, investigation, public policy, researching and drafting.
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Army, Air Force, Navy JAG
Center for Disease Control
Department of Justice
Environmental Protection Agency
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Internal Revenue Service
Securities and Exchange Commission
State Government
Being in the capital city of a large state means externship opportunities in state government abound. Some externs develop civil litigation skills (AG, DCF, DOC, DOH, CHR). Others develop transactional or compliance skills (DEP, DOT).
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Attorney General - Consumer Protection
Attorney General - Antitrust
Attorney General - State Programs
Department of Children and Family Services - Dependency Litigation
Department of Corrections - Employment Litigation
Department of Environmental Protection - Permitting, Advising, Litigation
Department of Health - Prosecution Services
Department of Transportation - Government Contracting
Florida Commission on Human Relations - Employment Litigation
Florida Housing Finance Corporation - Government Contracting
NextEra/Florida Power & Light - Compliance, Contracting
Local Government
Local governments do many things: pave roads; operate parks, hospitals, utilities, airports, and ports; provide public safety and mass transportation; assess and collect taxes; conduct elections; take property by eminent domain; regulate land use; protect the environment; employ a large workforce; and enter many contracts. Consequently, this is a good choice for a student who wants to be exposed to a variety of practice areas. For a student seeking experience in a particular area (for example, land use or environmental regulation), the office may be willing to focus assignments in that area. In addition to the variety, many lawyers enjoy local government work because of how personally rewarding it feels; it directly affects the communities where their own families work and play.
Select Placements
City of Fort Lauderdale
City of Jacksonville
City of Miami
City of Orlando
City of Tallahassee
City of Tampa
City of West Palm Beach
Leon County
Pinellas County
Students, please visit the FSU College of Law Externships site on Canvas for the most current externships information and to apply.