Paralegal Internships | Office of the Federal Public Defender

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OUR CORE VALUES

Collaboration – Work together to best represent our clients and develop efficient processes.

Empathy – Be aware of and sensitive to the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of our clients to build strong and trusting relationships.

Growth Mindset – Consistently look for self-improvement and recognize that challenges and failures are our greatest opportunities for growth.

Independence – Think independently and bring your opinions to the table for the team’s consideration.

Reliability – Be present and dependable for our clients and our teams.

Resourcesfulness – Strive to find solutions to problems proactively.

Teamwork – Embrace the diversity of the team and bring your unique perspective to the table.

Versatility – Pivot as needed when priorities shift or better ways of accomplishing tasks are identified.

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Paralegal Internships in the Capital Habeas Unit

The Capital Habeas Unit represents indigent clients in federal habeas proceedings after they have been convicted and sentenced to death in state or federal court. All cases are handled by collaborative in-house teams of Assistant Federal Public Defenders, staff attorneys, investigators, and paralegals.

Our paralegal interns work closely with one or more of our four dedicated, highly experienced paralegals to assist investigators and attorneys by reviewing and organizing discovery materials, compiling court, social, medical, and legal records; organizing, coding, and summarizing information and documents; creating and maintaining client case files in both paper and electronic formats; and maintaining the integrity of original documents. Interns develop extensive knowledge and experience with document processing and litigation management programs such as LexisNexis CaseMap and Adobe Acrobat Pro.

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INTERNSHIP MISSION STATEMENT

Develop. We will assist in the intern’s career development by teaching them how to apply the skills they have been taught at school to real-world paralegal tasks.

Build. We will help the intern build a foundation for paralegal work by teaching them skills they can’t be taught in a classroom, such as how to be efficient and prioritize multiple assignments.

Mentor. We will mentor the intern to encourage them to pursue a career in public service by opening their understanding about the clients we serve to see the human side of this work.

Develop, Build, Mentor. To achieve these goals, we will foster a working environment where all the paralegals are accessible to the intern consistently throughout their internship to answer their questions and provide additional insight and mentorship to the intern based on our diverse experiences as a Paralegal.

Feedback from past interns:

When I started my undergraduate at Central Pennsylvania College in Legal Studies, I didn’t know what type of law I wanted to go into. I was volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate at the time and thought I would like to do juvenile or family law. However, I will always remember the day I went in for my interview for the paralegal opening in the Capital Habeas Unit at the Federal Public Defender office in Harrisburg, and the excitement I felt when I got that call that I was chosen. I had to do a 360-hour internship for my bachelors. Working at the FPD was one of the best things I did during my undergrad, it opened my eyes to the justice system, and I knew by the end of my internship that I wanted to be a public defender and be the person that stands between the state and some of the most vulnerable people in our society. I was fortunate enough to get experience on both the Capital Habeas and trial unit. Now I am working as a public defender in Oregon and have hopes to work my way up to being a federal public defender. The passion of all the attorneys in this office is what sparked my passion and I will be forever grateful for them.

Angelina Hollingsworth,
Attorney Paralegal Intern

2019 New England Law School, Class of 2022

HOW TO APPLY:

We accept paralegal internship applications throughout the year. Students who possess excellent organizational skills and demonstrate a commitment to criminal defense or other public service are encouraged to apply. Fluency in Spanish is preferred, but not required. Candidates should submit a cover letter, résumé, and transcript via mail or email (no phone calls, please) to: Mary_L_Snyder@fd.org.