Fredrikson Fellows Program: Applications Now Being Accepted for Spring 2025
The Fredrikson Fellows Program was established by the Fredrikson & Byron law firm to support Mitchell Hamline students completing externships with judges in communities around Minnesota.
A judicial externship provides a unique opportunity for a law student to see the inner workings of a court system, gain valuable experience in legal research and writing, observe courtroom proceedings and attorney advocacy, learn how judges make decisions, develop a deeper understanding of the law, and support the community in which the court and judicial officer is located.
Most judicial externships are uncompensated. The purpose of the Fredrikson Fellows Program is to support law students who seek out externships supporting judges in Minnesota communities by providing the selected law students with a $2,500 financial stipend awarded upon the successful completion of the judicial externship.
The stipend is intended to defray the day-to-day costs that may be incurred by a student taking part in an unpaid externship including, but not limited to, transportation costs or other administrative costs. Students are responsible for identifying and setting up their own judicial externships before applying.
Two Mitchell Hamline students will be selected as Fredrikson Fellows in each semester throughout the academic year (spring, summer, and fall) for a total of six students annually.
Applications are now being accepted for the Fredrikson Fellows Program in Spring 2025.
If you are a current Mitchell Hamline student planning to complete a Spring 2025 externship with a judge in any court throughout Minnesota, you may apply for the Fredrikson Fellows Program.
Eligibility Criteria
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- Students must be in good academic standing and registered to complete an externship with a Minnesota judge in Spring 2025 through any of Mitchell Hamline’s externship seminars or courses.
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- The student’s externship can be with a judge in any court in Minnesota, including, but not limited to, civil court, criminal court, administrative court, appellate court, tribal court, tax court, and more.
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- The student may only earn academic credit for the externship. They may not receive other compensation (financial or otherwise) for the externship.
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- The student’s externship can be an in-person, remote, or hybrid working arrangement, as allowed by the specific court and judicial officer.
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- Students must have confirmed their externship placement with their identified judge and registered for the externship before applying for the Fredrikson Fellows Program. Students are responsible for identifying and setting up their own judicial externships.
Application Requirements: To apply, please submit the following to Professor Leanne Fuith via email ([email protected]) by Friday, January 17, 2025:
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- A cover letter identifying the specific judge and court you have agreed to extern with during Spring 2025, the work you plan to complete for the judge, how your work will contribute to your learning as a law student, and how your work for the court will support the needs of the community in which the court is located. The cover letter should also explain how you meet the eligibility criteria above.
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- Your resume.
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- Your unofficial Mitchell Hamline transcript. The transcript does not need to have all your Fall 2024 grades finalized.
Two students will be selected to receive the Fredrikson Fellows stipend for Spring 2025. Selections will be made during the first week of the spring semester. Students should not cancel their commitment to extern with their judge if they are not selected to receive the Fredrikson Fellows Program stipend.
If you have questions, please contact Professor Fuith at [email protected].
Prof. Fuith