Government Externships

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.  

Select Placements

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).  

Select Placements

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.