Limited Term District Attorney Intern

Job Description

About the Job: Limited Term District Attorney Intern

Salary: $18.00 Hourly

Location: Elkhorn, WI

Job Type: Limited Term

Job Number: 2026-00035

Department: District Attorney

Opening Date: 03/11/2026

Closing Date: 3/25/2026 11:59 PM Central

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Position Summary

Join the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office for a unique internship opportunity designed to provide direct exposure to the criminal justice system, its operations, and practical skill development relevant to careers within the court system or related fields.

The mission of the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office is to deliver effective and efficient prosecution services as mandated by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Wisconsin. This commitment aims to achieve justice for all people and to be responsive to the needs and concerns of those impacted by crime in our community. Internships are structured to offer valuable insights into the criminal justice system and to foster practical skills essential for professional work within the legal and court systems.

As an integral part of an overall learning plan, this position focuses on foundational administrative tasks critical to the office’s operations. Responsibilities include pulling files for court calendars, processing electronic documents, and general filing. Interns will have unparalleled opportunities to shadow various staff members, attend informative presentations and court proceedings, and meet a diverse array of personnel. This includes the District Attorney (DA), Assistant District Attorneys (ADA), bailiffs, law clerks, victim witness advocates, and other court staff. While the primary tasks for students may be clerical, this internship provides a comprehensive firsthand observation of the legal process in action.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

This job description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

• General filing, including locating files for incoming papers and routing documents in accordance with office policy.
• Processing electronic documents received, determining appropriate action, and forwarding them to the relevant prosecutor or support staff per office policy.
• Scanning, attaching, and electronically filing invoices for process service.
• Processing certified documents received from the Clerk of Courts.
• Undertaking other special projects and duties as assigned.
• Demonstrating a strong commitment to county safety and risk management efforts.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education And/or Experience

• Current high school or college student.
• Zero to six months of relevant prior administrative/office experience.
• Proven ability to collate information and organize files within an established system.
• Proven experience and ability to perform basic arithmetic operations (add, subtract, multiply, and divide) using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Ability to monitor and maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to balance the demands of varying workload responsibilities and deadlines.

Special Requirement

As a post-offer pre-employment condition, a criminal background check conducted by the State Department of Justice (DOJ), including FBI fingerprinting, must be successfully completed and passed. Walworth County may disqualify an applicant if the position’s responsibilities are substantially related to the applicant’s criminal history. While Wisconsin’s Fair Employment Law (s. 111.31-111.395, Wis. Stats.) prohibits discrimination because of an arrest or conviction record, Walworth County reserves the right to disqualify an applicant if the position’s responsibilities are substantially related to the applicant’s criminal history. Management reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check. The cost of the background check and fingerprinting will be covered by Walworth County.

Interactions & Communication

Responds to requests and initiates contacts to exchange basic or general information with others. Ability to communicate professionally, clearly, concisely, and tactfully. Must maintain a high level of confidentiality, discretion, and integrity.

Decision Making

This position has authority to make decisions that are within detailed procedures and protocols; supervision is available as required or requested. These decisions directly impact performance in the job and/or work unit within the department, and information is provided with additional research and observations which contributes to the decision-making process.

Thinking & Problem Solving

In relation to established procedures, protocols, and policies of the County, challenges of this position tend to be routine and primarily related to procedure and process issues.

Tools and Equipment Used

• Computer/Printer
• Scanner
• Copy Machine
• Shredder

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Nepotism or Conflict of Interest Compliance

A person may not be offered or hold this position if the employment would result in that person being a supervisor or subordinate to an immediate family member. “Immediate family” includes the employee’s spouse, brother, sister, parents, children, stepchildren, father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and any other member of the employee’s household.

A person may not be offered this position if employment would create either an actual conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Employees of the District Attorney’s Office are expected to respect the public’s privacy and provide confidentiality of all Protected Health Information (PHI). HIPAA, the first comprehensive Federal protection for the privacy of personal health information, was passed by Congress in 1996 and implemented in April 2003.

District Attorney employees will have access to all information that is needed to perform their job, but they shall not have, or seek to gain, access to PHI that is not necessary to perform their job.

Every District Attorney employee, even one who does not use protected health information in their work duties, is obligated under the provisions of HIPAA. All District Attorney employees must protect the public’s privacy and respond to situations that may put the public’s privacy in jeopardy.

Selection Process

The selection process for this position involves the following steps:

• Formal review of resume and cover letter.
• Oral department interview.
• Background check, including fingerprinting.
• Post-offer medical examination, including drug screen.

Walworth County Employee Benefit Summary: Casual, Limited Term, Student Workers

BARGAINING UNIT: Casual, Limited Term, Student Workers

DATE: April 25, 2017

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: All employees of Walworth County are at-will employees.

BASIS OF PAYMENT: Hourly.

Eligibility for Specific Benefits:

• VACATION: Not eligible.
• SICK LEAVE: Not eligible.
• HOLIDAYS: Not eligible.

Insurance:

• Health Insurance: Not eligible.
• Dental Insurance: Not eligible.
• Life Insurance: Not eligible.
• LTD Insurance: Not eligible.
• Vision Insurance: Not eligible.

Wisconsin Retirement:

Employees expected to work less than 1200 hours per year will not receive this benefit. If an employee works 1200 hours, is employed for at least one year, and is not under 20 attending high school full-time, the employee will be expected to pay the employee portion. Walworth County will pay employer-required contributions pursuant to state law.

Note: This Summary provides only a brief outline of your benefits. All benefit terms and conditions are subject to the specific provisions of plan documents, policies, and/or legal rules and regulations. These benefits are subject to change from time to time by action of the County Board and/or Human Resources Committee.

Employer Information

Employer: Walworth County

Address: P.O. Box 1001, 100 W. Walworth Street, Elkhorn, Wisconsin, 53121

Phone: 262-741-7950

Website: http://www.co.walworth.wi.us