How hard is it to get a summer job/internship for public defender?

[moonchigger]

Be sure you want to do defense work before you intern with the PD's office.  It's pretty typical that if you've done work with either the PD or DA's office, the other one won't touch you.  So if you want to end up being a prosecutor, but don't think you have the grades to get an internship, do not turn to the PD's office.  It may end up killing you in the long run.

Absolutely NOT true for PDs.  The nature of PD work means that qualified attorneys are hard to come by.  If you're willing and able, and you can show some kind of commitment to the job, having prosecutorial experience will not hurt you at all.  In fact, knowing how the other side "works" first hand can be seen as an asset.

It is more true on the prosecution side of things.  Prosecutors tend to be a special breed of lawyer, and may be more likely to question your commitment coming from the PD's office.  Having said that, I highly doubt one internship over the summer is going to kill your chances.  Everyone needs some leeway to figure out what they want to do with their degree.

The head of the Colorado PD's office actually told us at an informational meeting that they view working for the DA as a huge black mark.  While he didn't say it would be an automatic disqualification, he did state that there was no PD he knew that could even consider being a prosecutor.

[jacy85]

Well, that's not how the PD Office in GA works.

[John Galt]

Be sure you want to do defense work before you intern with the PD's office.  It's pretty typical that if you've done work with either the PD or DA's office, the other one won't touch you.  So if you want to end up being a prosecutor, but don't think you have the grades to get an internship, do not turn to the PD's office.  It may end up killing you in the long run.

Absolutely NOT true for PDs.  The nature of PD work means that qualified attorneys are hard to come by.  If you're willing and able, and you can show some kind of commitment to the job, having prosecutorial experience will not hurt you at all.  In fact, knowing how the other side "works" first hand can be seen as an asset.

It is more true on the prosecution side of things.  Prosecutors tend to be a special breed of lawyer, and may be more likely to question your commitment coming from the PD's office.  Having said that, I highly doubt one internship over the summer is going to kill your chances.  Everyone needs some leeway to figure out what they want to do with their degree.

The head of the Colorado PD's office actually told us at an informational meeting that they view working for the DA as a huge black mark.  While he didn't say it would be an automatic disqualification, he did state that there was no PD he knew that could even consider being a prosecutor.

Thats pretty lame. An office as important as the PD should probably just focus on hiring the best attorney available. 

[up_late]

I'd expect them to be looking for character and personality more than grades--i.e. dedication, ethics, and ability to take on responsibility quickly.

[antwan]

I was just hired for the summer with a prosecutor's office. I did an intership last break with the PD, and it actually helped me get the job. I live in NJ so I cant speak as to policies in other states, but I think its pretty dumb that a PD or DA wouldnt hire you cause you worked for the other side. If anything that should be an asset not a liability, its important to be able to see things from either sides perspective. As for grades, mine were luckily very good, but the DA who hired me said that grades are not important at all to them, they hire based on personality.

[littlebrowngirl]

how do you find a list of public defenders / prosecutors to even apply to?? where do you get their names/contact info??

[jacy85]

Your career services office.

[gibbsale]

I do not know how competitive the state internships are.  It is more difficult for 1Ls (at least in California),  because many students have not taken criminal procedure or evidence.

 In addition to the list provided by your career development office, a lot of public defenders maintain websites with their clerk hiring information.