Chief Judge Beth Phillips - Legal Intern - Summer 2026

This internship is part of the University’s Jeff Metcalf Internship Program. 

Internship Time Commitment: 40 hours/week for approximately 8 weeks

Internship Setup: In-person (Kansas City, Missouri)

Stipend Amount: $4,000

The United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri is the federal trial-level court for the western half of Missouri. The Court has locations in Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield and hears civil, criminal, and bankruptcy cases. 

Duties, Responsibilities, and Opportunities

The internship’s primary purpose is to provide the intern with an opportunity to observe court proceedings and the work done in a judge’s chambers to gain a better understanding of the judicial process. To aid in the intern’s understanding, the intern will also be strongly encouraged to ask questions of the judge, her staff, and other courthouse personnel. Interns will also be assigned projects, which may vary depending on the needs of the Court at the time and the intern’s prior experience and knowledge. Possible projects include:

• Legal research
• Drafting portions of orders
• Proofreading orders and other documents
• Gathering information about the practices and policies of other courts on particular subjects