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Who is eligible?
Applicants must be law school graduates or enrolled in an accredited law school to participate in the City Attorney’s Law Student Intern Program.
What are the minimum requirements?
Interns must be willing to work a minimum 20 hours per week. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Work schedules are flexible based on an intern’s class schedule as well as the operational needs of the Office. Once a schedule has been agreed upon, interns are expected to maintain the schedule on a consistent basis.
What types of internships does the City Attorney’s Office offer?
The City Attorney’s Office offers internship positions in our Litigation and Transactional Services Divisions. Description of these divisions can be found in the Office Overview.
Do interns get paid at the City Attorney’s Office?
No. These are voluntary positions and no compensation is offered by the City for services rendered by the interns (with the exception of reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses).
The Office participates in Externship Programs offered by Law Schools.
What kind of experience and training can an intern expect to receive?
Litigation interns have the opportunity to perform legal research; draft pleadings, motions and research memoranda; assist with discovery; participate in Office litigation meetings; and attend mediations, depositions, arbitrations and trials. Certified law students are provided with a variety of opportunities to appear with Attorneys at administrative hearings and in Court on pretrial calendars (San Jose Municipal Code violations), Pitchess hearings, criminal trials and various civil proceedings.
Transactional interns perform legal research on a wide variety of issues; draft ordinances, resolutions, and research memoranda; analyze pending State legislation; participate in meetings with client departments; and attend internal meetings to review the City Council agenda.
What type of supervision will an intern have?
Management Attorneys oversee the Internship Program and provide supervision to the interns. The interns work closely with individual Deputy City Attorneys on litigation cases or transactional matters. The Senior Legal Analyst assigned to each division coordinate intern assignments and assists the interns with managing their workloads. Deputy City Attorneys are encouraged to mentor interns and provide constructive feedback upon completion of assignments. Performance evaluations are also prepared by the Deputy City Attorneys for Management review and use when conducting exit interviews and completing Law School evaluation forms.
When do the internships start and end?
The 2008 Internship Program schedule is as follows:
2008 Summer Program
Applications Due: 02/15/08
Interviews: 02/25/08 – 03/14/08
Hiring Decisions Finalized: 03/21/08
Program Begins: 05/19/08
Program Ends: 08/29/08
2008 Fall Program
Applications Due: 07/13/08
Interviews: 07/14/08 – 08/01/08
Hiring Decisions Finalized: 08/15/08
Program Begins: 09/02/08
Program Ends: 12/19/08
How many internship positions are available at the City Attorney’s Office?
The Office tries to accommodate a total of four (4) internship positions at any given time. Two (2) interns will support the Litigation Division and two (2) interns will work with the Transactional Services Division. This number may vary based on operational needs.
How are applicants selected?
A management team reviews applicant resumes and selects individuals to invite for an interview. Educational background, work experience and availability are factors that are considered during the selection process. Candidates will meet with an interview panel that includes Management Attorneys, Deputy City Attorneys and Senior Legal Analysts.
If an applicant has a preference to work in a particular legal division, the applicant should specify this preference in the cover letter that accompanies their resume. For interns applying for a Litigation position, it is preferred that candidates are eligible for certification with the California State Bar under their “Practical Training of Law Students” program. Completion of constitutional law coursework is highly desirable for applicants applying for a Transactional position. Once an applicant is selected for a particular division, assignments are generally limited to that division.
How do I apply?
To apply please send a cover letter, resume and writing sample to:
City of San Jose – Office of the City Attorney, Attn: Ken Mower, 200 E. Santa Clara Street, 16th Floor, San Jose, CA 95113-1905.
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