Political Science

  • Banner is made up of three images representing our three branches of government. They include the Capitol building, the White House, and the Supreme Court building

    Department of Political Science

  • President Harrison and CSUN DC Interns, 2013
  • A Conversation with Gov. Michael Dukakis and Gov. Linda Lingle

Overview of the Program


The Judicial Internship Program began at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in 1990. Since that time, almost 1,000 students have participated in the internship. This internship is designed to provide university juniors and seniors with exposure to the inner workings of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Each intern is assigned to a mentor judge in a civil, criminal, or family law court in the Van Nuys courthouse.

Interns have the opportunity to observe proceedings and trials in criminal, civil, and family law courtrooms and to develop practical insights and understanding of the law and the court system. The internship provides opportunities to observe courtroom activities that are not part of the regular law school curriculum. The judges who participate in the Program are very generous with their time and are committed to seeing that the interns have a productive experience.

It is also a significant time commitment for the intern, so you should be sure, before you apply, that you are able to make the time commitment required (See the "Requirements" tab for more information). This includes considering how many other units you will be taking, your work schedule, and whether you are taking the LSAT that semester.

At the end of the internship, we hope that students will have a much better understanding of how the justice system works and whether pursuing a career in law is the correct choice for their future.