Broward high school students try mock trial at courthouse
Thirty-five Broward high school students closed a two-week internship with a mock trial at the Broward County Courthouse. The program drew more than 160 applicants for 35 spots.
Thirty-five Broward County high school students wrapped up the Summer Justice Internship Program with a mock trial at the Broward County Courthouse on June 26. The Broward County Public Defender’s Office created the abbreviated youth program because interest from students had become so strong.
The internship ran from June 15 through June 26, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students shadowed attorneys, observed court proceedings and took part in question-and-answer sessions with judges, attorneys, bailiffs and court reporters. They also heard specialized presentations from crime scene investigators and toured the Broward County Crime Lab and the Broward Sheriff’s Office Main Jail.
The program is meant to give teenagers a look inside criminal justice courts, law enforcement, the crime lab and the medical examiner’s office. The 17th Judicial Circuit is one of 20 judicial circuits in Florida, and the Public Defender’s Office represents people who cannot afford private counsel. For students, the program offered direct contact with careers that can be hard to see up close from a classroom in Broward County Public Schools.
More than 160 students applied for 35 spots, and applicants had to be ages 15 to 18, enrolled in a Broward County high school, rising 10th graders who had completed 9th grade by the start date, hold at least a 2.0 GPA and submit two letters of recommendation. Business casual attire was required during the internship, with business attire on the final day.
The Public Defender’s Office has offered this kind of career exposure to local students for more than 20 years.
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