Rule 9 Internship – Criminal Prosecution

Job Description

Rule 9 Licensed Legal Intern | Criminal Division | City of Seattle

The Tone:
This is a full-time or part-time internship at the City of Seattle, located in Seattle, WA. The Seattle City Attorney’s Office is the largest municipal prosecutor’s office in the state, responsible for prosecuting all simple and gross misdemeanors and civil infractions within the city. This role is crucial for providing significant courtroom experience to aspiring legal professionals while supporting the office’s mission to address historical injustices and pursue justice with integrity, creativity, and fairness. The internship contributes to achieving outcomes that promote equity, accountability, and healing for a safe, healthy, empowered, and thriving community for everyone.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Full-time (Summer), Part-time (School Year)
• Location: Hybrid, Seattle, WA
• Pay: $32.47 hourly
• Team: SCAO Criminal Division (Trial Team Unit, Domestic Violence Unit, Specialty Courts Unit)
• Mission: Represent the City of Seattle in court, contributing to a safe, healthy, empowered, and thriving community.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Represent the City of Seattle in infraction, pretrial, and review calendars, often with limited supervision.
• Conduct direct and cross-examinations in contested infraction hearings.
• Negotiate with defense attorneys and pro se defendants to determine appropriate case dispositions.
• Research, file, and argue motions in criminal cases, including Assault and DUI.
• Support trial proceedings by assisting with evidence review and second-chairing jury and bench trials.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Completion of the second year of a full-time Juris Doctor program by the internship start date.
• Experience: Fulfillment of the Washington State Bar Association Rule 9 licensing requirements by the start date.
• Skills: Legal research, courtroom advocacy, negotiation, evidence evaluation.
• Bonus: Availability for court coverage three to four days weekly for at least one quarter or semester.