The New Mexico Court’s Rural Justice Initiative has provided School of Law students with the opportunity to gain hands-on legal experience while helping address New Mexico’s shortage of legal professionals in rural communities. Through the Rural Justice Initiative Judicial Externship Program, 12 students are spending the summer serving as judicial externs under the supervision of state district court judges across seven judicial districts. During the 10-week externship, students conduct legal research and writing, observe court proceedings and work closely with mentor judges. The 2026 Rural Justice Initiative judicial externs are: Andres Grano, Fourth Judicial District; Jasmine Jaramillo, Fourth Judicial District; A. Rafael Romero-Salas, Sixth Judicial District; Liam Burnside, Seventh Judicial District; Glenna Leffler, Seventh Judicial District; Darren Malanik, Eighth Judicial District; Jeffrey “Buddy” Wren, Eighth Judicial District; Stephanie Zamora, Ninth Judicial District; Alyssa Cruz, Ninth Judicial District; Loren Vigil, Eleventh Judicial District; Andrew Kessel, Eleventh Judicial District; and Natalie Burk, Twelfth Judicial District. My district (the Seventh Judicial District) is the largest judicial district in the lower 48.