Internship Opportunities

Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia

Thank you for your interest in the Office of the Federal Public Defender.

The Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia seeks unpaid, volunteer interns in our office for the fall, spring and summer semesters. Applicants are encouraged to apply for outside grants and funding during their internship. Preference is given to full time volunteers.

Application Deadlines are as follows:

Spring due - November 1
Summer due - February 1
Fall due - July 1  

Applications are reviewed and offers are made on a rolling basis.

Email is the preferred method of receipt of applications.

Legal Internships

* Should you be interested in applying for a legal internship past the above-posted deadlines, please email Rosanna Taormina (see below) to inquire as to whether the office is still accepting applications for your desired term. Please note that you must be a law student to be eligible for a legal internship.    

If you are interested in applying for an legal internship, please submit a cover letter, resume, and legal writing sample to:

Rosanna Taormina
Assistant Federal Public Defender
625 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Ste. 550
Washington, D.C. 20004

Email: Rosanna_m_Taormina@fd.org

Investigative Internships

Investigative interns learn under the guidance of staff investigators. They work with the lawyers to investigate cases. Their main duties include conducting background investigations on witnesses, interviewing witnesses, gathering records, conducting crime scene investigations, serving subpoenas, and preparing for trial and other court appearances. 

If you are interested in applying for an investigative internship, please submit a cover letter, resume, and references combined into a single PDF to:

Tyrees Smith
Investigator\Investigative Internship Coordinator
625 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Ste. 550
Washington, D.C. 20004

Email: tyrees_smith@fd.org

Qualifications. Undergraduate students who have an interest in criminal defense and criminal law, who have strong analytical, research and writing skills.