14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office Externships
We have programs for aspiring prosecutors, as well as those interested in criminal justice and victim advocacy.
Career Prosecutor Program
Objective
This externship is designed for law school students who wish to devote themselves to public service in the field of criminal prosecution. Selected law students will gain valuable hands-on experience as they are fully integrated into the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, where they will work cases from arrest to disposition. They also have the opportunity to observe and assist with trials in General Sessions Court. At the conclusion of the program, students will have the practical, legal and theoretical foundations required to be successful at prosecutor’s offices throughout South Carolina and beyond.
Requirements
- Must be a rising third-year law student;
- Must be certified by the Dean as being of good character and competent legal ability;
- Must be familiar with the Rules of Professional Conduct;
- Must desire to become a career prosecutor.
Description of Externship/Career Prosecution Program
Intensive training session covering the following topics:
Ethics
“[The prosecutor] is in a peculiar and very definite sense the servant of the law, the twofold aim of which is that guilt shall not escape or innocence suffer.” Berger v. United States, 295 U.S. 78, 88, 55 S. Ct. 629, 633 (1935).
Preparation
- Attending bond court;
- Meeting with law enforcement and other witnesses;
- Determining the strength and weaknesses of a case;
- Preparing a formal case analysis.
Disposition
- Plea
- Trial
Hands-on prosecution
- Students will work cases from arrest to disposition;
- Students will be asked to research and prepare memorandums on pre-trial issues.
- These projects will be used to satisfy the writing requirement for the externship course;
- Sitting third chair during General Sessions Trial.
Hours and housing information:
Hours for the externship program are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, through the two-month program.
Housing will be made available through the University of South Carolina Beaufort Campus at a cost of $140 per week. Students in need of housing must state so in their cover letter.
Contact information and documents required:
Students should send the following items to the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Attention Mary Jordan Lempesis, P.O. Box 1880, Bluffton, SC, 29910, or via email to [email protected].
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Unofficial transcript
Certification from the Dean certifying student as being of good character and competent legal ability (as required by Rule 401(d)(3) of the South Carolina Appellate Court Rules).
Letter certifying in writing that the student is familiar with, and will be governed by the Rules of Professional Conduct adopted by the Supreme Court (as required by Rule 401(d)(5) of the South Carolina Appellate Court Rules).
For an information sheet about the externship program for aspiring attorneys, click here.
Criminal Justice and Victim Advocacy Program
Objective
This externship is designed for undergraduates interested in a career in law-enforcement intelligence or victim advocacy. Those selected will gain hands-on experience as they are fully integrated into the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office intelligence or victim adocacy units. As with our program for prosecutors, participants will receive initial training, then work cases from arrest to disposition. They also have the opportunity to observe and assist with trials in General Sessions Court. At the conclusion of the program, students will have the practical, legal and theoretical foundations required to be successful with prosecutorial and law-enforcement agencies throughout South Carolina and beyond.
Requirements
- Must be enrolled in a college undergraduate program. Students at two-year, four-year and technical colleges are eligible.
- Students majoring in criminal justice, human services or data analysis preferred.
Description of Criminal Justice and Victim Advocacy Program
Intensive training session covering the following topics:
Ethics
“[The prosecutor] is in a peculiar and very definite sense the servant of the law, the twofold aim of which is that guilt shall not escape or innocence suffer.” Berger v. United States, 295 U.S. 78, 88, 55 S. Ct. 629, 633 (1935). The ethical obligations of prosecutors extend to all Solicitor’s Office employees, volunteers and externs.
Preparation
- Attending bond court
- Introduction to office’s case-intake process, as well as its Career Criminal, Community Prosecution and Special Victims units
Hands-on participation
Students will work cases from arrest to disposition. For those interested in the intelligence track, this means working with our duly-sworn law enforcement officers to uncover online intelligence and prepare exhibits for jury trials. For those interested in the victims advocates track, this means helping crime victims find the assistance they need from nonprofit and public service-providers and keeping victims informed about the status of the case in which they are involved.
Hours and Housing Information:
- Hours for the externship program are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, through the two-month program.
- Housing will be made available through the University of South Carolina Beaufort Campus at a cost of $140 per week. Students in need of housing must state so in their cover letter.
Contact Information and Documents Required:
Students should send the following items to the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Attention Michelle Fraser, P.O. Box 1880, Bluffton, SC, 29910, or via email to [email protected].
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Unofficial transcript