Internship, Fall

2-3 yrs required

Full-time

No

San Francisco City Attorney’s Office Internship Program

The San Francisco City Attorney's Office Internship Program offers students an opportunity to work in an award-winning municipal law office that is nationally recognized by the American Bar Association for outstanding excellence. The City Attorney’s Office practices civil law and provides high-quality, consistent, and objective legal advice to policymakers and vigorously represents the City in civil litigation. The Office provides legal services to over 100 departments, boards, commissions and offices that comprise the City and County of San Francisco’s municipal government.

We aim to pair students with a practice team whose work is in line with the student’s professional goals and interests. We ask applicants to identify three practice teams of interest in their application materials, although the Office does not guarantee that applicants will be placed with one of their preferred teams. Descriptions of the legal teams are available here.

The Program provides participants with a robust and meaningful work experience by creating opportunities for interns to learn, engage, and participate in the Office’s wide array of legal work. Participants will work on a variety of legal assignments under the direction and supervision of deputy city attorneys, who also serve as mentors. Each practice team designates at least one deputy city attorney to serve as an Intern Coordinator, who works to ensure that participants benefit from their assignments, are engaged in team and client interactions, and are fully immersed in the daily duties of the Office. Depending on their assignments, interns can take part in client meetings with department staff and elected officials; trials, court hearings, and depositions; public meetings and closed sessions with city commissions and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; and press conferences related to the Office’s work.

The City Attorney’s Office currently offers two internship programs:

Law School Internship Program

Students currently enrolled in an accredited law school are eligible to participate in one of the Office’s three 10-week internship programs that run in the spring, summer, and fall. Once accepted to the Office’s Internship Program, participants are assigned to one of 20+ practice teams that are organized by practice area.
Interns work on a variety of legal assignments under the direction and supervision of deputy city attorneys, who also serve as mentors. Each practice team designates at least one deputy city attorney to serve as an Intern Coordinator, who works to ensure that participants benefit from their assignments, are engaged in team and client interactions, and are fully immersed in the daily duties of the Office. Depending on their assignments, interns can take part in client meetings with department staff and elected officials; trials, court hearings, and depositions; public meetings and closed sessions with city commissions and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; and press conferences related to the Office’s work. Legal Interns also benefit from events, tours and lectures that the office schedules for interns every season.

Special programming offers an inside-view of important and sometimes surprising work required of lawyers for a city as innovative, fast-growing and unique as San Francisco. Past programming has included:

Tours of the Fine Arts Museums in San Francisco (FAMSF), which include the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor.
Fireboat tours by the . Fire Department, which highlight its preparedness for modern maritime emergencies and its historical role in major disasters like the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes.
Observing hearings in federal court, followed with a Q&A with a presiding judge and clerks.
Tours of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) facilities, highlighting the SFPUC’s efforts to protect public health and the environment.
Tours of City Hall’s dome, Recreation & Parks Department’s facilities, the Probation Department’s Juvenile Hall, the City’s 911 Call Center, San Francisco International Airport’s facilities, and more!

San Francisco City Attorney's Office Internship Program

The San Francisco City Attorney's Office Internship Program offers students an opportunity to work in an award-winning municipal law office that is nationally recognized by the American Bar Association for outstanding excellence. The City Attorney’s Office practices civil law and provides high-quality, consistent, and objective legal advice to policymakers and vigorously represents the City in civil litigation. The Office provides legal services to over 100 departments, boards, commissions and offices that comprise the City and County of San Francisco’s municipal government.

The City Attorney’s Office seeks interns that intend to emerge as leaders in government and public-interest law. The Internship Program is designed to help interns gain practical knowledge and experience in municipal law and government affairs. The Program provides participants with a robust and meaningful work experience by creating opportunities for interns to learn, engage, and participate in the Office’s wide array of legal work.

Law School Internship Program:

Students currently enrolled in an accredited law school are eligible to participate in one of the Office’s three 10-week internship programs that run in the spring, summer, and fall. Once accepted to the Office’s Internship Program, participants are assigned to one of 20+ practice teams that are organized by practice area. Descriptions of the Office’s legal teams are available here.
Interns work on a variety of legal assignments under the direction and supervision of deputy city attorneys, who also serve as mentors. Each practice team designates at least one deputy city attorney to serve as an Intern Coordinator, who works to ensure that participants benefit from their assignments, are engaged

Legal Advice, Drafting Legislation, Conflict of Interest Laws, Ethics Laws, Rules of Professional Responsibility, Ballot Measures, Legal Services, Civil Litigation, Policy-making, Representation, Client Interactions, Diversity, Fair and Open Competition, Racial Equity, Diversity Efforts, Municipal Law, Government Affairs, Leadership, Legal Work, Accredited Law School, Professional Goals, Legal Assignments, Mentoring, Attorney-Client Relationship, City Government, Legal Writing, Legal Research, Federal Court, Public Health, Environmental Protection, City Management, City Planning, City Infrastructure, City Services, City Programs, City Budget, City Regulations, City Ordinances, City Charter, City Code, City Policies, City Employees, City Officials, City Commissions, City Departments, City Boards, Public Meetings, Press Conferences, Legal Education, Fine Arts, History, Maritime Emergencies, Disaster Preparedness, Court Hearings, Depositions, City Tours, Animal Care, Animal Control, Youth Programs, Law Enforcement, Emergency Services, City Parks, Recreation Programs, City Infrastructure, City Transportation, City Communication, City Administration, City Technology, City Development, City Growth, City Culture, City Diversity, City Resources, City Opportunities, City Challenges, City Solutions, City Advancements, City Innovation, City Progress, City Sustainability, City Partnership, City Collaboration, City Empowerment, City Representation, City Government Structure, City Government Processes, City Government Protocols, City Government Procedures, City Government Operations, City Government Services, City Government Functions, City Government Responsibilities, City Government Roles, City Government Standards, City Government Codes, City Government Regulations, City Government Policies, City Government Laws, City Government Ethics, City Government Compliance, City Government Accountability, City Government Transparency, City Government Effectiveness, City Government Efficiency, City Government Productivity, City Government Performance, City Government Results, City Government Success, City Government Leadership, City Government Excellence, City Government Innovation, City Government Progress, City Government Sustainability, City Government Improvement, City Government Development, City Government Growth, City Government Advancement, City Government Empowerment, City Government Representation, City Government Collaboration, City Government Partnership, City Government Engagement, City Government Transparency, City Government Accountability, City Government Responsibility, City Government Integrity, City Government Professionalism, City Government Ethics, City Government Morality, City Government Fairness.

being able to draw on different perspectives allows us to be at the forefront of legal issues both locally and nationally. tours of city hall’s dome, recreation & parks department’s facilities, the probation department’s juvenile hall, the city’s 911 call center, san francisco international airport’s facilities, and more!
still accepting applications for summer 2024

learn more about the program and how to apply here. orientation (mandatory): june 3, 2024
program: june 3 to august 9, 2024 (minimum 8-10 weeks)

how to apply

to apply, email a cover letter, resume, and brief legal writing sample to catintern. orientation (mandatory): june 3, 2024
program: june 3 to august 9, 2024 (minimum 8-10 weeks)

how to apply

to apply, email a cover letter, resume, and brief legal writing sample to . how do i apply?

to apply, email a cover letter, resume, and brief legal writing sample to catintern. how do i apply?

to apply, email a cover letter, resume, and brief legal writing sample to . typically, we host approximately twenty-five interns in the fall and spring and upwards of thirty-five in the summer. interns typically work closely on projects with at least two to three attorneys. we encourage intern candidates to state a team preference in their cover letter, however, final assignments are based on office needs. the office typically hires attorneys with two to three years of experience

Qualification and Experience Currently enrolled in an accredited law school, interest in municipal law and government affairs, leadership potential, strong communication skills, ability to work independently and in a team, attention to detail, strong research and writing skills, ability to handle multiple assignments, willingness to learn and take on new challenges, strong work ethic, commitment to diversity and racial equity, knowledge of conflict of interest and ethics laws, understanding of professional responsibility rules, familiarity with campaign finance, elections, lobbying, and ballot measures, experience with legal research and writing, ability to attend client meetings, trials, hearings, and depositions, interest in city government and public-interest law, desire to gain practical knowledge and experience in municipal law, willingness to participate in special programming and events, flexibility in work schedule, ability to work remotely in special circumstances, availability to work a minimum of 12 hours per week during spring and fall, availability to work a minimum of 20 hours per week during summer, enrolled in an accredited law school, ability to work up to two semesters, ability to work with a diverse team of attorneys, ability to receive and implement constructive feedback, willingness to participate in office orientation and training sessions, access to research materials and resources, familiarity with city government structure, processes, and procedures, understanding of city government functions and responsibilities, knowledge of city government codes, regulations, policies, and laws, understanding of city government ethics and compliance, commitment to accountability and transparency in city government operations, desire to contribute to the advancement and improvement of city government

Legal