Intern, Clerkship & Volunteer Opportunities

The San Diego County Office of the Public Defender provides law students and other students an unparalleled learning experience through a variety of nationally recognized internship opportunities.  Interns and Post Bars assist skilled attorneys in all aspects of case preparation and courtroom advocacy in a supportive environment with a true mentor system.  We pair novices with knowledgeable practitioners to give interns and Post Bars real world experience while ensuring our clients receive the best representation possible.

Applicants should possess a passion for representing those whose civil liberties are at risk, an impeccable work ethic, an aptitude for oral advocacy, and strong research and writing skills.

Our office affirmatively seeks interns and attorneys of varied cultural and ethnic backgrounds, as well as those with bilingual skills. In our continuing effort to improve the quality of services we provide to a diverse client base, we actively encourage applications from members of groups, including racial and ethnic minorities, who are under-represented in the legal profession.

Click HERE for information on the Public Defender Internship/Post-Bar Clerkship Application Cover Sheet.

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Legal Internships are for students currently enrolled in law school.  By the end of the internship, you will have interacted with scores of clients, participated in a variety of court hearings, and researched and written legal arguments for the benefit of actual clients.
For information on Legal Internships, click HERE

For graduating law school students who are taking the California Bar Exam, we offer an intense, full time Post Bar Clerkship. The number of Post Bar positions is limited.  The select few who are offered this distinctive opportunity assist attorneys in every aspect of case preparation and advocate on behalf of misdemeanor clients at all stages of the court proceedings.  Post Bars also participate in our “Trial Skills Academy”, a comprehensive courtroom advocacy program taught by experienced trial attorneys.  
For information on Post Bar Clerkships, click HERE

If you are not a law student and have interest in volunteering with our Investigations Unit, click HERE

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Legal Internships

Practice Area & Minimum Requirements

Interns may work in either the Adult Criminal Divisions or in the Juvenile Delinquency Divisions.

Adult Criminal Divisions

The Adult Criminal Divisions provide quality legal representation to adults accused of felony and misdemeanor offenses.  As San Diego’s largest criminal defense firm, we annually serve over 120,000 indigent clients throughout the county with a staff of over 200 lawyers.  

The Adult Criminal Divisions programs provide exposure to all types of criminal cases as well as 'real-life' experience on how to defend people facing prosecution.  Interns experience hands-on work with attorneys and investigators, interact with scores of clients, assist with case organization and research, prepare motions and other written documents for the benefit of actual clients, and attend a variety of court hearings.  Students who are PTLS certified by the State Bar may be able to appear in court and represent clients under the supervision of an attorney.  In short, certified interns gain practical litigation experience, interact with judges and the local bar, and learn skills that will set them far above their peers.

The Adult Criminal Divisions are:

-  The Primary Public Defender (PPD): PPD is the primary agency appointed to represent adults charged with misdemeanor and felony cases.

-  The Alternate Public Defender (APD): APD represents clients accused of felonies with whom the Primary Public Defender has a conflict of interest.

-  Multiple Conflicts Office-Major Cases (MCO): MCO accepts court appointment on cases the PPD and APD cannot accept due to a conflict of interest. Located in downtown San Diego, MCO is a small office with five attorneys and three investigators who specialize in only the most complicated and serious homicide and special circumstances cases.

-  Office of Assigned Counsel (OAC): If the court finds that the PPD and APD have a conflict of interest, then OAC will provide the indigent defendant with a qualified private practitioner who has been pre-screened and placed on a panel managed by the OAC. Legal interns assist the Pro Per Coordinator in the active management of the Pro Per caseload.

Students applying for the Adult Criminal Divisions internships may be placed with any of these four agencies.

Adult Criminal Divisions Office Locations

Central Offices are located in downtown San Diego with branch offices in Chula Vista, El Cajon, and Vista.

Adult Criminal Divisions Internship Requirements

•  2L and 3L students are preferred, but there are a limited number of positions for 1Ls in the Summer Intern Program.
•  Students PTLS certified by the California State Bar are preferred.
•  Interns must commit a minimum of 16 hours per week during school semesters and a minimum of 32 hours per week during the summer.  Given court schedules, students should have blocks of time available (i.e. 8 am-12 pm or 1 pm– 5 pm).  
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Juvenile Delinquency Divisions

These offices are responsible for defending juveniles accused of committing crimes in the County of San Diego.  Juvenile Court is located in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego.  The offices are located approximately 2 miles from the courthouse, so interns must have their own transportation.

Legal interns are assigned to actual cases and are supervised by the attorney working on those cases.  The program stresses working directly with clients and their families, as well as close contact with the attorney of record and their assigned investigator.  Interns begin each day with a variety of court appearances which may include arguing motions and potentially participating in bench trials.  They then return to the office to complete research and writing assignments, meet with clients, and prepare for future court hearings.  

 The Juvenile Delinquency Divisions are:
- The Primary Public Defender (PPD): PPD is the primary agency appointed to represent juveniles charged with misdemeanor and felony petitions.

- The Alternate Public Defender (APD): APD represents juveniles accused of felonies and misdemeanors with whom the PPD has a conflict of interest.

Juvenile Delinquency Divisions Office Location
The only location for the Juvenile Delinquency Divisions is in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego.

Juvenile Delinquency Divisions Internship Requirements

• 2L and 3L students only
• Interns must be PTLS Certified by the State Bar.  The program prefers that you complete Evidence before applying.
    (You can still apply if you are planning to take Evidence concurrently with the internship.)
• The minimum commitment is 20 hours per week during the school year, or 32 hours per week during the summer.
• Interns must be available starting at 8:00 a.m. on those days.
• Demonstrate an interest in juvenile delinquency law, or criminal law with a desire for working with children.
• Applicants must have their own transportation between the court and the office.

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Intern Program Dates and Deadlines

We offer Spring, Summer, and Fall Legal Internships.

Students applying through one of the Interview Programs or Career Fairs in which we participate, please follow the deadlines for that program.

For all other applicants, the application deadlines are:

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Funding for Legal Internships

Internships are, for the most part, un-paid positions; however, the experience volunteers receive is priceless.   There are many funding resources available for students interested in public interest internships including Federal Work Study, Public Interest Work Study, Public Interest Law Foundation Grants, and other grants or fellowships offered by law schools and private foundations.  We encourage you to consult your school’s Career Services or counselors to take advantage of the many grants and programs available.

Our office may offer a restricted number of summer internship fellowships for qualified candidates who would otherwise be unable to participate in the program.  The number of these fellowships is limited and will be awarded on a case by case basis. 

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Post Bar Clerkships

Practice Area & Minimum Requirements

All Post Bars are placed in the Adult Criminal Division of the Primary Public Defender (PPD) at the Main Office.

The Post Bar Clerkship affords a select group of students the opportunity to experience the demanding yet highly rewarding practice of a public defender.  Our nationally recognized program is designed to give students not just an understanding of the criminal justice system, but hands-on experience with trial advocacy and representing misdemeanor clients. 

In addition, all Post-Bar clerks will participate in our Trial Skills Academy, a comprehensive courtroom advocacy program taught by experienced trial attorneys.  The training staff is comprised of veteran trial attorneys, many of whom are instructors at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and the local law schools.  These professionals take pride in producing trial artists in the courtroom and in developing attorneys' natural abilities. 

Post Bar Clerkship Requirements

•  Post Bars must attend and graduate from an ABA approved law school.
•  Post Bars must be PTLS Certified.
•  Applicants should have prior work/volunteer experience in a public defender office or other criminal defense agency. 
•  The Post Bar clerkship is a full time, 40 hour per week, commitment.

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Post Bar Program Dates & Deadlines

We offer Fall and Spring Post-Bar Programs.  Both programs begin approximately two weeks after the completion of the February or July California Bar exams and end the Friday when Bar results are announced.

Student applying through one of the Interview Programs or Career Fairs in which we participate, please follow the application deadlines for that program.

For other applicants, the application deadlines are:

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Funding for Post-Bar Clerkships

Candidates selected for the Fall Post Bar Program will receive funding through our office to assist in defraying living expenses. 

While funding for the Spring Post Bar Program is unavailable at this time, we encourage you to consult your school’s Career Services or counselors to locate, and take advantage of, the many grants and public interest fellowships that may be available.

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Legal Internship & Post Bar Clerkship Application Process

Please review the above Legal Internship or Post Bar Clerkship requirements, including the time commitments, to confirm you are eligible for the program for which you are applying. The application process consists of submission of the required written materials and an interview.  

To apply for a Legal Internship or Post Bar Clerkship applicants must submit:

1) the San Diego County Department of the Public Defender Internship/Post Bar Clerkship Application Cover Sheet. 
        See instructions below.

2) a Cover Letter identifying in which practice areas and which locations you are interested, and why.
        (Please also include any foreign language skills you may have if not included on your resume.)

3) a current Resume

4) a current Transcript
        (an unofficial transcript is acceptable)

5) (Post-Bars only) a Reference List of 3-5 people 

San Diego local law school applicants will be interviewed mainly at On-Campus Interviews (OCIs).  If necessary, because of the number of qualified applicants, we may conduct additional interviews at our offices downtown.

Most applicants who come from outside San Diego will be interviewed by phone.  We will contact those selected for an interview and set up an interview time.  We do conduct in-person interviews at selected events outside San Diego.  If you are able to participate in these events, it will allow you to meet attorneys from our office.  We also set up resume drops at numerous other events that we are unable to attend in person.  The upcoming events at which we plan to participate are listed HERE.

Students selected for an internship or clerkship must pass a background check (which includes fingerprinting) prior to participating in any of our programs. A medical screening may also be necessary.  Interns who return for a subsequent internship or clerkship within 6 months do not need to complete a new background screening.

Submit Applications by:

E-mail (as attachments) to:   Michael.Owens@sdcounty.ca.gov

Fax to: 619-338-4811, Attn: Michael Owens

Or Mail to:  
San Diego Office of the Public Defender
Attn: Michael Owens -- Recruitment Coordinator
450 B Street, Suite 900
San Diego, CA 92101

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Application Cover Sheet Instructions 

Our office currently consists of multiple agencies in offices located throughout the county.  In order to place as many applicants as possible, we ask applicants to complete the Application Cover Sheet.  

Fill out the top section in full.  Check whether you are applying for an Internship or a Post Bar Clerkship, and identify the season during which you wish to participate.  

In the "Practice Preference" section, rank the two practice areas that we offer in the order you prefer (See Practice Areas above for more information). If there is a practice area in which you would prefer not to work, do not rank it.  Leave it blank.  Post Bar positions are only in the Adult Criminal Division.  There are no Post Bar positions in Delinquency.

For Legal Internship applicants, please also rank your top three work location preferences in the “Work Location Preference” section (1,2,3).   Leave the other locations blank.  You can find the addresses and maps to the offices in the "Locations" tab on the Main Menu.  The more work locations for which you are willing to volunteer, the greater your chance of being interviewed and possibly selected for the program.  All Delinquency internships are in Kearny Mesa.  If you want a Delinquency position, Kearny Mesa should be your #1 work location.

Print out your completed Application Cover Sheet and submit it with your other materials.  See Application Process above.

If you only have the Adobe Reader, you may not be able to save your completed Application Cover Sheet.  You will need to print out the completed form for your records.  

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What does being “PTLS certified” mean?

The California State Bar permits law students to speak on behalf of clients in court as long as they qualify for “Practical Training of Legal Students” (PTLS) certification.  This is accomplished by applying to the California Bar.  A student must have completed one full year of law school (270 hours) at an American Bar Association (ABA) or State Bar of California accredited law school or passed the First Year Law Student’s Exam (FYLSE).  

The student must also be enrolled in, or have completed, Evidence and Civil Procedure courses.  If you are accepted into the program, our office will assist you in submitting the paperwork for PTLS certification to the California Bar

More information on the requirements and certification process can be found at www.calbar.ca.gov.

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Other Volunteer Opportunities

Winter Intern Program

Duration: This is a small, three to four week program unique to the Primary Public Defender Central Office that begins in mid December and runs through early January, depending on the applicant's schedule.

Goal: This program is designed to give 2L and 3L law students an initial exposure to the work environment in the Public Defender’s office, including possible court appearances and conducting legal research.

Certification: It is not required that winter interns be certified by the California State Bar. If desired, students may be certified by the Bar if they have completed their Civil Procedure and Evidence classes. More information can be found at the State Bar of California site at http://calbar.ca.gov.

Availability: All winter interns must work a minimum of three days each week. Many winter interns choose to work up to 40 hours a week. The one day orientation for this program is held on the first day of the program starting at 9:00 a.m. and must be attended by all winter interns.

Assignments: In addition to assisting in the arraignment courts, interns will be assigned to work directly with misdemeanor attorneys in our office. The more time the intern has to invest, the greater the experience he or she will receive. Interns may shadow the attorneys, research and write motions, assist in client interviews, prepare investigation requests, and participate in trial preparation and court appearances.

Tentative Dates:
Winter Intern Program dates: Between December 3, 2012 to January 4, 2013

Winter Internship Application Deadline:   September 14, 2012

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Investigative Internships

Undergraduate and graduate students may participate in our Investigations Internship Program.  Our teams of professional defense investigators are critical to the protection of civil liberties for those accused of crimes.  Interns may assist defense investigators in visiting crime scenes, interviewing witnesses, observing court hearings, taking crime scene photographs, and serving subpoenas. 

Investigative interns volunteer in both our Adult Criminal Divisions and our Juvenile Delinquency Divisions.  Information on our various divisions can be found above. The Adult Criminal Divisions have offices in Central San Diego, Vista, Chula Vista, and El Cajon.  The only location for the Juvenile Delinquency Division is in Kearny Mesa.  Addresses can be found on our “Locations” page.  Indicate the locations you can work at in your cover letter.

All Investigative Interns are volunteers who receive invaluable on-the-job training and experience.   Some students may receive academic credit for the internship program from their school.

Internship Requirements:

•         Applicants with a degree (or currently majoring) in Criminal Justice, Political Science, Sociology, or Pre-Law are preferred, but no specific experience is required other than a desire to aid those accused of criminal offenses.

•         Interns must volunteer a minimum of 12 hours per week for 6 (six) months.

•         Interns must pass a San Diego County security background check.

•         Interns must have a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance.

Application Process:

Applications are accepted at any time, but active recruitment happens twice a year.  Interviews for the Summer/Fall season occur in mid-May.  The Winter/Spring season interviews take place in mid-November. Applicants who miss the interview season are added to a wait list.  The numbers of positions available vary.

Submit a cover letter, resume, and current (unofficial) transcript to the Investigations Internship Program Coordinator, Dina Barron-Ramirez, at:  Dina.Barron@sdcounty.ca.gov .  Applications should be submitted by e-mail, when possible. Otherwise, mail it to Ms. Barron-Ramirez at 8525 Gibbs Dr. Suite 300, San Diego CA 92123.

Please indicate if you speak another language on your resume and/or cover letter.

If you are available to work at locations other than Downtown, please mention that in your cover letter.

For more information or questions about the Investigative Internship Program, please contact Dina Barron-Ramirez at her e-mail address or leave a voice-mail at  858-974-5782. 
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Other Non-Legal Volunteer Opportunities

At the present time, our office has a limited number of other non-legal intern positions for college undergraduates and high school students. These are positions with our paralegal and clerical departments.  Any students that are interested in the practice of criminal law may want to become a Job Shadow for a day.

Unpaid paralegal internships are available to students in a paralegal program or with a paralegal degree.  Positions are available infrequently.  Submit a resume and cover letter to Michael Owens at the e-mail address below.  Indicate in your cover letter the number of hours you are available each week and if you can volunteer Downtown or at one of our branch offices in Vista, El Cajon, Chula Vista, and Kearny Mesa.

High school students volunteer primarily as clerical interns.  Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to Michael Owens at the e-mail address below.  Indicate in your cover letter the number of hours you are available each week and if you can volunteer Downtown or at one of our branch offices in Vista, El Cajon, Chula Vista, and Kearny Mesa.

Job Shadows are students that have an interest in criminal law who wish to spend a day with one of our attorneys to see "a day in the life" of a Deputy Public Defender. Job shadow opportunities are available periodically during the school year. Send an e-mail to Michael Owens at the address below indicating your interest.  Please give an indication of your available dates giving us at least 3 weeks lead time.
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Need More Information?
If you wish further information regarding a Legal Internship or Post Bar Clerkship position you can e-mail our Recruitment & Volunteer Supervisor, Kate Braner, at: Katherine.Braner@sdcounty.ca.gov or Michael Owens, our Recruitment Coordinator at: Michael.Owens@sdcounty.ca.gov.   Thank you for your interest in our office.