Child Support Law Clerk Intern

Job Description

Child Support Law Clerk Internship | County of Sonoma

The Tone:
This is an internship at County of Sonoma, located in Santa Rosa, CA. The County’s Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) is a governmental organization dedicated to establishing and enforcing child support orders, thereby ensuring financial support for children in the community. This role offers law students a valuable opportunity to launch their legal careers by gaining direct, hands-on experience in family law litigation and deepening their understanding of child support statutes, regulations, and policies.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Temporary, limited hours (not to exceed 1560 hours in a twelve-month period)
• Location: In-person, Santa Rosa, CA

• Team: Working within the Department of Child Support Services, supporting staff attorneys.
• Mission: To gain experience in family law litigation and become familiar with child support statutes, regulations, and policies.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Legal Drafting: Prepare various motions and responsive pleadings, as well as negotiate and draft stipulations for child support cases.
• Courtroom Support: Provide direct courtroom assistance by meeting with parties to discuss income and time share, and make court appearances.
• Case Research: Research cases, gather necessary information, and prepare thoroughly for court hearings.
• Data Verification: Verify income, custody, and timeshare details, then run guideline support calculations to determine child support amounts.
• Documentation & Filing: Prepare official court orders and accurately file documents such as Notice of Motion, Levies, and Declarations.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Entry-Level. Satisfactory completion of an appropriate number of academic years in an accredited law school and currently enrolled, or graduated from an accredited school of law and eligibility to take the California State Bar examination; or awaiting the results of the Bar exam.
• Experience: Currently enrolled in the second through fourth year of law school, or recent law school graduate.
• Skills: Knowledge of legal principles and practices, including trial and hearing procedures and rules of evidence; Ability to research, analyze, and apply legal principles, facts, evidence, and precedents to legal problems; Ability to present statements of law and fact clearly, accurately, and logically in written and oral form; Ability to evaluate persons and effectively obtain information through interviewing.
• Bonus: Completed, or currently enrolled in, Civil Procedure and Evidence coursework.