Externship: Conviction Integrity Unit - Phila District Attorney's Office (Quaglia)
Additional Information
Experiential CourseYes
Skills Training
Oral Presentations
Drafting Legal Documents
Other Professional Skills:
Grading
100% Other (Fieldwork and grading is pass/fail.)
No
Class meets in person.
Course Continuity
Students are encouraged to stay home if you are ill or experience flu-like symptoms. If you miss a class for any reason, it is still your responsibility to make up the work missed.
I offer the following to students who miss class due to illness:
- If you are absent due to illness or some other unavoidable circumstance, email me and I can make PowerPoint slides or other class materials available to you.
Meeting Times/Location
TBA
TBA
Category
Clinics/Externships
Credits
7.0
PLEASE SEE IMPORTANT ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES FOR EXTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE ON THE REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS PAGE.
The Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) of the District Attorney’s Office (DAO) reviews and investigates claims of actual innocence, wrongful conviction, and cases with substantial disparities in sentencing. The CIU also develops and implements office-wide policies to prevent future wrongful convictions and ensure a higher level of integrity and fairness in the criminal justice system.
The Penn Law/CIU externship program is designed to immerse students in the Conviction Integrity Unit’s work and expose them to each critical stage of CIU case review. In this hands-on program, the students will receive their own case assignments and, in the course of their investigations, will review the Commonwealth’s trial files and police files, gather documentation and archival evidence, collaborate with investigators and attorneys, and assist in preparation for witness interviews. Apart from case assignments, students may also assist the CIU with research and policy development.
The externship program will allow for traditional lawyering skills development such as witness interviewing, fact gathering, legal research and analysis, and writing which are transferable to any lawyering context. However, this program is also uniquely designed to help develop investigative and case assessment skills and the student’s understanding of the workings of the criminal justice legal system as a whole.
Students must be in the second semester of 2L year or higher at the time of enrollment. Due to the nature of the externship, preference will be given to students with a demonstrated interest in criminal law and procedure, or criminal justice reform.To apply, please email your materials by 10 AM on October 11th to externships@law.upenn.edu. Please include “DAO CIU Application” in the subject line. The application should contain one pdf file that includes the following: i) a cover letter, and ii) a resume. In your application, please be sure to explain your interest in externing with the CIU and note any relevant coursework. Cover letters should be addressed to: Rebecca McDonald, Assistant District Attorney - Conviction Integrity Unit, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, 3 South Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
IN-PERSON BI-WEEKLY SEMINAR COURSE REQUIREMENT: Before the semester begins, students will receive an email to choose one of two seminar times and should plan their course and work schedules accordingly. Students may not switch the seminar day and time once they have committed to one of the options. The options are as follows:
Criminal Justice Externship Seminar The Criminal Justice Externship Seminar taught by Professor Kathryn Quaglia will meet beginning the week of January 22. Students will choose either Tuesday 12 to 1 p.m. or Wednesday 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Advanced Externship Seminar Students who have previously taken the Criminal Justice Externship Seminar with Professor Quaglia and who are registering for a second criminal law externship will take the Advanced Externship Seminar. The Advanced Externship Seminar will meet every other week beginning the week of January 16 and students will have the option to choose Tuesday 12-1 p.m. or Thursday 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Note that a student may only take the Advanced Seminar if the student has previously taken the Criminal Justice Externship Seminar with Professor Quaglia and is registering for a second criminal law externship or has previously taken the Civil Externship Seminar with Professor Quaglia and is registering for a second civil law externship.
Skills Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of the individual course skill; Demonstrate the ability to receive and implement feedback; Demonstrate an understanding of how and when the individual course skill is employed in practice.
Criminal Law and Procedure Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of criminal law and procedure; Perform legal analysis in the context of criminal law and procedure; Communicate effectively on topics related to criminal law and procedure; Demonstrate an understanding of the role criminal law and procedure play in society and their impact on other areas of law and society.
Public Interest Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of the varied legal aspects of public interest law; Perform legal analysis in the context of public interest law; Communicate effectively on topics related to public interest law; Demonstrate an understanding of how public interest law is connected to and affected by a wide variety of legal and regulatory structures and doctrines.