Externships Provide Real-Law Experience
As the summer of 2025 ends, we present the next edition of the newsletter of the Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy Section. For this edition, we welcome Sylvia Tolczyk to the editorial staff as an Assistant Editor.
In my day job, I work as a judge in McHenry County where I currently handle a high-volume collection call. This past summer, my efforts were buoyed through the help of three externs who were on hiatus from their law school studies, including Aidan Seaver from McHenry County, Megan Kruse from DuPage County, and Sylvia Tolczyk from Cook County.
In August 2025, Aidan Seaver began his second year of studies at the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, Wisconsin. Previously, Aidan graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Minor in Political Science. Over the summer, Aidan attended courtroom proceedings through Zoom, engaged in research and writing, and participated in the work of the Law Related Education for the Public Committee of the ISBA. He also attended the Annual Meeting of the Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy Section Council. He is noteworthy in his use of artificial intelligence to facilitate his work. He continues to work with Judge Chmiel on revisions to the “Your Guide to Law-Related Careers” pamphlet of the ISBA and its webpage for civics education.
In August 2025, Megan Kruse began her second year of studies at Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Beforehand, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Over the summer, Megan attended courtroom proceedings through Zoom, engaged in research and writing, and assisted the Court in preparing various Orders through a review of proceedings. Megan also served as an assistant manager at a retail store in Milwaukee to help finance her studies.
In August 2025, Sylvia Tolczyk began her third year of studies at Chicago Kent College of Law in Chicago. Before then, she graduated from Loyola University Chicago, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Minors in Sociology and Polish Studies, Magna Cum Laude. Over the summer, Sylvia attended courtroom proceedings through Zoom and engaged in research and writing. She also attended the Annual Meeting of the Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy Section Council. Halfway through the summer, Sylvia continued her work as an extern from Poland, where she was able to work and meet with members of the Polish government. She also extended her externship through the Fall of 2025 to facilitate efforts in the Civil Division of the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit to train guardians ad litem in guardianship cases and work on local rules.
Since 2013, I have worked with ten externs from various law schools through weekly meetings and remote observation of courtroom proceedings by law students to not interfere with law school studies and other professional development. The externs have helped with research, writing, and discussion. The externs have been able to observe and learn about the practice of law in real time.
Externships should be encouraged in the judiciary and law practices, as circumstances allow. Through externships, we can impart good practices and get help when resources are scant. In our digital age, technology allows students to Zoom into a courtroom from miles away, access court files, and engage prompt communications through telephone, email, and text.
In our Circuit, we recently established forms to facilitate externships with the formalities of a law school structure or less, independent structure. Previously, we only allowed externships through a law school structure for fear of compliance with ethical rules, but with law schools typically charging students with tuition for this, allowances for independent externships have been successful and welcome.
In candor, the price is the time which the supervising judge or attorney needs to spend with the extern. After all, we want externships to be successful for both. Regular weekly meetings and written communications through email are encouraged and help in scheduling. In the end, dividends far exceed the price!
Judge Mike Chmiel serves as a Circuit Judge in the 22nd Judicial Circuit in the State of Illinois, which is in McHenry County, Illinois. He is a two-time Past Chair of the ISBA Standing Committee on the Law Related Education for the Public, and a former Chief Judge of his Circuit.