SARATOGA TOWN COURT
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
This
ten week internship program is designed to familiarize the student interns with
the daily operation of a justice court.
Town courts have primary jurisdiction over traffic cases, non-felony
criminal matters, small claims, and several other matters that are not normally
handled in the county courts, family courts, or other specialized courts. This court also has a Youth Court which
usually convenes once a month.
The
Saratoga Town Court strongly supports the team concept. All officials of the court which includes
the judges, clerks, community service director, and the uniform court officer,
operate as a team to efficiently and fairly administer justice within our town.
Each team member has specific duties and responsibilities. The intern is expected to perform as a
member of this team rather than as an observer. The duties assigned to the intern are dependent on the program
week and the intern’s level of proficiency.
Each
intern will have rotating assignments with each of the court personnel. As the intern becomes more proficient at
his/her assigned duties, additional duties and areas of responsibilities will
be assigned.
Since
the intern will be working with actual case files and be in contact with
defendants in civil and criminal cases, the intern must understand that strict
confidentiality is the policy of the court and no matters before the court may
be discussed with anyone other than officials of the court. Any violation of this policy is grounds for
immediate dismissal from the internship program.
The
work schedule for each intern will be agreed upon by the intern, the school,
and the court. The intern is expected
to report promptly as scheduled and adhere to the court dress code.
The intern’s performance will be evaluated on a regular basis by each court official as appropriate depending on the tasks learned. At the end of the internship a written evaluation will be issued by a judge. The designated representative of the intern’s school will notified at approximately mid semester and at the end of the semester, as to the performance of the intern.