Georgetown Law Investigative Internship Program (FALL)
Deadline: July 8
For anyone contemplating a career in law or criminal justice, this internship is an excellent opportunity for hands-on learning and experience in the field. Interns have an opportunity to learn about the law by being involved in all aspects of its practice. Also, interns are surrounded by law students and professors who are willing to speak candidly about life as a law student and lawyer. All Clinic members are committed to ensuring that investigative interns receive an educational and rewarding experience. As a result, interns leave with a fuller understanding of the legal system and specifically of the criminal justice process. They also are able to make informed decisions about whether or not this work is appropriate for them, and have a source for recommendations and job advice when they leave.
This internship, however, is not right for everyone. First, the Criminal Justice Clinic is a litigation clinic with all of the tight deadlines and long hours involved in trial work. Interns will certainly have time for interests outside the office, but those who mind working odd and sometimes long hours will not enjoy the pace of this work. Second, some people find criminal law too emotional and criminal defense law incompatible with their beliefs. The Clinic represents persons charged with criminal offenses, and some are uncomfortable with the defense role in the adversary process. Third, this internship centers around investigative field work. Interns need to travel throughout the city to accomplish their investigations. Those areas will often include places that are reputed to be tough. If a potential applicant is extremely uncomfortable with the notion of working in urban communities, this may not be the right internship. This does not mean, however, that interns do not often have some trepidation about working in unfamiliar communities – some apprehension is common.
So why should you apply? The best interns usually want to learn about the law by actually working in it. By the end of this internship, every intern should have an opinion about our adversarial system of justice that is well-grounded in fact and experience. This position is also a chance to perform some needed public service. The indigent clients who come through the Clinic have no funds to pay for investigators, yet cases are often won or lost on the basis of investigation. If you believe that the quality of legal representation should not be determined by the income of the accused, you have a place in this Clinic.
Our interns play a vital role in the defense team and are treated as professionals with real substantive responsibility. At the Clinic, interns are exposed to a wide range of criminal cases and make a significant contribution to improving the way that justice is administered. This is also a small program, so the investigations supervisor, attorneys and professors are able to devote individualized attention to investigative interns. As a teaching clinic, importance is placed upon developing an understanding of clients’ experiences, the relationship between the defense role and the justice system, and the ways that current trends in law affect the criminal justice system.
In conclusion, if you are interested in a challenging and substantive experience in the field of criminal law, we invite you to apply. The experience that you will receive, the skills you will develop, and the professional growth that you will gain guarantees that this will be a full and rewarding experience.
