Externships! I Shadowed a Judge

Carleton has a long winter break.

In fact, winter break is almost 7 weeks long: there are no classes between late November and early January! Personally, I’ve found this time lovely because it gives me a chance to relax and reconnect with family. And, most recently, it provided me the opportunity to shadow a Minneapolis judge!

Classes stop, but learning doesn’t.

There are a variety of things Carls do over our winter break, ranging from off-campus study trips to participating in Carleton-sponsored externships, like me (side note: externship = experiential + internship). I spent three weeks of my break last December shadowing a Minneapolis judge in juvenile court through one of those Carleton externships.

My shadowing experience informed my perspective on applying to law schools. In addition to a number of other judges, I met with law clerks, prosecutors, and public defenders in my brief time at the Minneapolis Juvenile Justice Center. All of this was made possible through Carleton’s Career Center.

What is an externship?

Externships are 1-3 week shadow experiences hosted by alumni, parents, and friends of Carleton. Externships span a wide range of fields: medicine, law, the arts, the media, and in pretty much any other field where Carls work.

How do Carleton students get externships?

You need to apply to an externship. Don’t worry — the process isn’t scary! The Career Center is home to trained student career assistants and full-time career coaches who are happy to help.

You will need to submit a resume and a cover letter for each externship but that’s it. The Career Center’s student assistants and coaches are outstanding in this field. In addition to offering online meetings, they provide these helpful resources. Check out their guide to crafting a resume!

Students live on their own, with family/friends, or with alumni.

I was fortunate to live with two Carleton alumni for the duration of my externship last December. While I learned a lot during work hours at the Juvenile Justice Center in Minneapolis, I continued that learning through conversations I shared with the alumni in their home over dinner. I am grateful to the generosity of these alumni, the judge, and the Carleton Career Center for making these experiences a possibility.

Joey balances his work for the American Studies major with his interests in Educational Studies, club soccer, ultimate frisbee, and club cross-country skiing at Carleton. He learned to juggle while growing up in Papillion, Nebraska, and has taught Carleton and middle school students how to juggle through his involvement with the Carleton Juggling F.I.S.H. and a CCCE/TORCH after-school program that teaches juggling and magic at the Northfield Middle School. When not writing satire for the Carleton Salt or dancing with the social dance club, you’ll find Joey playing foosball in Sayles, burrowing into the Libe, or watching Avatar: the Last Airbender in a dorm lounge. Meet the other bloggers!