Traineeship

The School of Criminal Justice is soliciting applications for the following traineeships. These traineeships are semi-structured PhD programs in which students focus on specific issues within criminal justice and criminology. Interested students should contact the traineeship point-of-contact to discuss their interest and the application process.

• State Courts and Society

  The contemporary crisis of trust in the criminal justice system has brought the relationship between the courts and the communities they serve into sharp focus. It has therefore become increasingly important that courts attend to constructs like trust, confidence, and legitimacy.

  Rigorous Training

  The trainee will complete a PhD in Criminal Justice at Michigan State University under my supervision. Although there is some flexibility, the trainee will also be expected to complete courses in advanced statistical methods and other courts relevant coursework in departments across campus. The trainee will also receive hands-on training by working closely with the National Center for State Courts, an industry leader in courts research, evaluation, and technical assistance.

  Research-Focused

  The trainee will work closely with Dr. Joe Hamm, faculty at Michigan State University, and researchers at the National Center for State Courts to identify and answer publishable research question at the nexus of the state courts and society. Pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding in place between MSU and NCSC, the trainee will have access to data collected by the National Center which will be the focus of this traineeship. Example efforts currently in progress or recently completed that the trainee may join include the Community Engagement in the State Courts Initiative and the State of the State Courts Survey. The traineeship will also include the opportunity to propose new data collection efforts. Throughout these experiences, the trainee will be expected to lead and coauthor research papers and present to academic and practitioner audiences.

  Career Preparation

  Upon the successful completion of the traineeship, the student will be ideally positioned to conduct research at the nexus of the state courts and society in academic positions at research intensive universities; in policy organizations like the National Center, Center for Court Innovation, and the Urban Institute; and within the courts themselves.

  How to Apply

  Interested applicants are encouraged to first contact Dr. Joe Hamm (jhamm@msu.edu) to assess fit. Applicants with articulable interest in working with the courts in particular or the legal system generally, experience in research (especially in quantitative data analysis), and a background in the social sciences are especially encouraged to apply. Acceptance into the traineeship is contingent upon acceptance into MSU's PhD in Criminal Justice (application instructions are here).