OXFORD, Miss. – Debra Michelle Giles of Greenville, a
third-year student at the University of Mississippi School
of Law, is the first participant in an externship program
with the state’s Court of Appeals.
The new Appellate Judicial Externship program, which began
this semester at the law school, is different from the
school’s other clinical programs because it allows interns
to work on pending appellate cases in a clinical setting
under the supervision of a central staff member of the
Court of Appeals, said Hans Sinha, director of the
Prosecution Externship Program and faculty supervisor for
the new program.
Offered through the law school’s National Center for
Justice and the Rule of Law, the semester-long course is
worth 12 academic credits. It is the third clinical program
offered by the NCJRL, in addition to the Prosecution
Externship and the Criminal Appeals programs.
“The programs give unmatched, hands-on opportunity that
supplements their classroom education,” Sinha said.
Although participating in a clinical program is not
required for law students, the NCJRL has made great headway
to make clinical programs available to all, he added.
Giles was selected based on her abilities, Sinha said. “We
were looking for someone who could not only handle the work
well but also could be an ambassador for the program and
lay the trail for other students to follow,” he said.
Giles said she considers it an honor to be the pioneering
intern and expects the experience will help prepare her for
her post-graduation position as a law clerk for Chief Judge
Leslie D. King of the Court of Appeals.
Sinha said the externship, which is intended to give
interns a comprehensive knowledge of the internal working
and mechanics of the appellate court system, involves
working closely with court judges, writing briefs, doing
legal research, understanding how cases are selected for
oral argument and observing the process of court voting.
Giles has previously worked as a prosecutorial intern for
the Fourth Circuit Court District Attorney’s Office and
participated in the other two NCJRL clinical programs. She
said this new externship opportunity will allow her to
become a better practitioner by broadening her knowledge of
the appellate system:
“This externship will definitely allow me to enjoy my
passions: legal research and writing, and help solidify my
professional judgment, analytical skills and oral
communication skills.”
NCJRL focuses on issues relating to the criminal justice
system by promoting equality, equity, and fairness and the
procedures that must be followed in each case to reach a
correct result. The center implements this mission through
projects, conferences, educational programs and
publications that examine important criminal law and
procedure issues.
For more information, visit
http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/law?school/ruleoflaw/.