These practica provide law-related academic and professional opportunities to Rice undergraduate students. Think of these opportunities as for-credit internships with an academic twist. Participants earn 3 credits for each semester-long practicum (Fall: PLST 401, Spring: PLST 402); both courses count toward the Politics, Law, and Social Thought minor.
Spring 2027 Judicial Practicum
The Spring 2027 Judicial Practicum application is now open. Please apply here. The application is due October 26, 2026. If interested and preparing for the application, please note the following details regarding the practicum and application.
The practicum's in-person practicum hours are Tuesday and Thursdays 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The associated practicum course, PLST 402, meets once a week for two hours, and for Spring 2027 the course runs Wednesday 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. The application components include: the application, a personal statement, resume, and unofficial transcript.
Fall Legal Practicum
For reference and planning your application, the Fall 2026 Legal Practicum applications were open from February 24 through March 20, 2026. Materials required for this Legal Practicum application are the application form, cover letter, resume, unofficial transcript, and essay responses.
Experiential Education
Participants spend 6-8 contact hours per week with a judge, lawyer, or other legal professional to observe law in action. Students will also gain understanding in the following areas through presentations by faculty and alumni experts:
- Basic legal research (WestLaw and LexisNexis, legal memos)
- Historical, theoretical and ethical legal issues
- Federal and Texas court structure
- Separation of powers
- Confidentiality
- Professional conduct
- Subfield specialties (criminal law, immigration law, etc.)
Eligibility
The Legal (fall term) Practicum and the Judicial (spring term) Practicum are open to all continuing Rice undergraduate students. Preference in the judicial practicum will be given to students in their third/fourth year of study who have declared the PLST minor.
To international students: Federal regulation prohibits the participation of international students in the judicial practicum.
In some cases, an internship that is off Rice campus and inside the United States may endanger student visa status. Consult with OISS and the fall practicum program administrator, Abbey Godley (agodley@rice.edu).
Selection
Once all application materials are reviewed and selections made, students will be contacted with the application decision. After participation has been confirmed, accepted students will be notified of their placement details. Notifications will be given in November for the Judicial Practicum and April for the Legal Practicum.
Additional details
The Judicial and Legal practica are offered through Politics, Law and Social Thought. This interdisciplinary program is a joint partnership between the School of Humanities and Arts and the School of Social Sciences.
Pre-Law
Interested in law professions? The Office of Academic Advising has resources for you. Visit their website here for more information and to view law school resources and a pre-law undergraduate timetable.
Contact Information
For spring judicial practicum questions:
Josh Peterson
For fall legal practicum questions:
Abbey Godley