Summer Legal Intern Volunteer

Job Description

Legal Intern | Palm Beach County

The Tone:
This is an internship role at the Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office, located in West Palm Beach, FL. The Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office, 15th Judicial Circuit, operates as a client-centered advocacy organization dedicated to providing robust legal representation for individuals whose lives and liberty are at stake within the Florida judicial system. Serving the community with significant impact, the office manages close to 30,000 cases annually and maintains a substantial team of approximately 200 dedicated employees, encompassing lawyers, investigators, social workers, and essential support staff. This Legal Intern role is integral to the office’s operations, as interns directly contribute to the effectiveness and mission of both the County Court and Appellate teams across the main office and its four branch locations.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship / Early Career
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, West Palm Beach, FL

• Team: Legal interns are assigned to two dedicated attorney mentors, one specifically from the trial division and another from the appellate division. Program supervisors, who are senior Assistant Public Defenders, oversee assignments and provide guidance.
• Mission: To enhance the operational effectiveness and advocacy capabilities of the County Court and Appellate divisions within the Public Defender’s Office through direct legal support.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Courtroom Immersion: Gain invaluable practical experience by shadowing a designated trial attorney mentor, observing a variety of legal proceedings including court hearings, depositions, and vital client visits at correctional facilities, thereby understanding the day-to-day responsibilities of a public defender.
• Legal Research & Writing: Take responsibility for conducting thorough legal research projects and drafting critical legal motions, assignments provided by program supervisors and attorney mentors, ensuring that contributions directly support ongoing case strategies and preparations for both trial and appellate divisions.
• Writing Enhancement: Benefit from a structured mentorship by submitting all legal writing projects to an assigned appellate mentor, who provides detailed constructive feedback and guidance to significantly improve the clarity, persuasiveness, and overall quality of legal writing before formal submission.
• Professional Development: Actively engage in specialized training opportunities, including a writing workshop specifically tailored to improving motion writing skills, and attend various monthly Continuing Legal Education (CLE) presentations to broaden legal knowledge, stay current with legal trends, and enhance professional competencies.
• Team Collaboration & Guidance: Participate in weekly group check-in sessions with two senior Assistant Public Defenders, utilizing these opportunities to discuss weekly experiences, gain insights into complex legal challenges, receive new assignments, and collaborate on shared learning experiences within the intern cohort.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Must be currently enrolled in a Juris Doctor (JD) program, on track to be a rising 2L (second-year law student) or 3L (third-year law student) during the summer of 2027.
• Experience: Possess foundational understanding of legal principles and a demonstrated aptitude for legal analysis, typically acquired during the first year of law school.
• Skills: Proven ability to conduct legal research effectively; strong foundational legal writing skills with a commitment to continuous improvement; capacity to receive and apply constructive feedback on written work.