Attorney's Office Internship Program

Applications are currently being accepted for Internships for the following:

Winter/Spring Program: January 6, 2025 - May 2, 2025*
Summer 2025: May 27, 2025- August 15, 2025*
*Program schedules are flexible. Interested candidates should contact the office to discuss.

Applications due: October 25, 2024
Interviews: Ongoing as applications received
Hiring Decisions Finalized: December 2, 2024

Applicant Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited law school to participate in the City Attorney’s Law Student Intern Program. For those applying for a litigation or transactional position, it is preferred that candidates are in their second or third year. For litigation internship positions, it is preferred that candidates have completed Evidence and Civil Procedure and are eligible for certification with the State Bar under its “Practical Training of Law Students” program. For transactional positions, completion of Constitutional Law coursework is preferred.

Hours: Interns must be willing to work a minimum of 20 hours per week during the school term, 40 hours per week for summer interns.

Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Work schedules are flexible based on the intern’s class schedule as well as the operational needs of the office. Once a schedule has been agreed upon, interns are expected to maintain the schedule on a consistent basis.

How to Apply: Please email a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to cao.internship@sanjoseca.gov. Applicants are encouraged to provide copies of their law school transcripts. Please indicate whether you are interested in a transactional or litigation internship.

About the City: The City of San José is the largest Bay Area city, the 3rd largest city in California, and the 13th largest City in the U.S.

As the capital of Silicon Valley, San José is home to more than 2,500 high-tech companies, including major tech headquarters for Cisco, Adobe, Zoom, Samsung, and eBay.

Our greatness comes from our differences. A good idea is a good idea in any language, and they are all spoken here. 57% of our residents are non-native English speakers. More than 39 percent of San José’s population is foreign-born—with 118,000 residents born in Latin America and 225,000 residents born in Asia. Together, we are committed to being the most successful multicultural community in the world.

San José is the home to the Sharks hockey team, Earthquakes soccer club, Bay FC women's soccer team, and Giants minor league baseball.

In San José, you’ll get the best of big city amenities—sports, arts, dining, shopping, and urban vitality—along with the Northern California lifestyle—active, green, and healthy. With more than 300 days of sunshine annually, San José is a beautiful place to live and work.

About the City Attorney's Office: The Office is committed to providing excellent legal services to its clients, and supporting their efforts to better serve the citizens of the City of San José. It has a diverse staff of highly talented professionals with the expertise to provide comprehensive legal services for a wide range of issues facing a dynamic city. The Office strives to efficiently manage resources to meet the daily operational needs of its clients in a cost-effective and timely manner, while building the internal capacity to flexibly respond to the City’s ever changing legal needs.

Transactional Practice: The Transactional Services Division, works in partnership with our clients to achieve organizational goals in a legal, cost-effective and efficient manner. Attorneys in the Transactional Division attend and provide legal advice at meetings of the City Council, City Boards and Commissions; draft and review ordinances, resolutions, contracts, permits, memoranda, and other legal documents to implement official City actions; educate staff in relevant areas of the law, and keep the clients informed on recent changes or developments in the law; provide oral and written legal counsel and advice; and conduct legal research, legislative review, and analysis.

Transactional practice may include the following areas:

Aviation
Code enforcement
Economic development
Employment and labor relations
Environmental
Ethics
Finance
Housing
Information technology
Land use
Public safety
Public works
Real estate
Transportation

Litigation Practice: The Litigation Services Division is responsible for advocating, defending, and prosecuting actions on behalf of the City. This includes a wide variety of activities that collectively attempt to protect the City's rights, minimize civil and financial liability, and advance community welfare.

Litigation practice may include the following areas:

Civil rights
Eminent domain
Inverse condemnation
Labor and employment
Prosecution of San José Municipal Code violations
Torts
Wrongful death
Gun Violence Restraining Orders
Administrative hearings and appeals

FAQs

Who is eligible?

Applicants must be law school graduates or enrolled in an accredited law school to participate in the City Attorney’s Law Student Intern Program.
How do I apply for an internship?

To apply, please email a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to cao.internships@sanjoseca.gov. Include in your cover letter whether you are interested in a litigation or transactional internship.
What are the minimum requirements?

Minimum Coursework
For those applying for either a litigation or transactional position, it is preferred that candidates are in their second or third year.

In addition to the above, for litigation positions, it is preferred that candidates have completed Evidence and Civil Procedure and are eligible for certification with the State Bar under its “Practical Training of Law Students” program. For those applying for transactional positions, completion of constitutional law coursework is preferred.

Minimum Hours
Interns must be willing to work a minimum 20 hours per week. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Work schedules are flexible based on an intern’s class schedule as well as the operational needs of the office. Once a schedule has been agreed upon, interns are expected to maintain the schedule on a consistent basis.
What types of internships does the City Attorney’s Office offer?

The City Attorney’s Office offers internship positions in our litigation and transactional services divisions. Description of these divisions can be found in the Divisions pages.
Do interns get paid at the City Attorney’s Office?

No. These are voluntary positions and no compensation is offered by the City for services rendered by the interns (with the exception of reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses). The office participates in externship programs offered by law schools.
What kind of experience and training can an intern expect to receive?

Litigation interns have the opportunity to perform legal research; draft pleadings, motions and research memoranda; assist with discovery; participate in Office litigation meetings; and attend mediations, depositions, arbitrations and trials. Certified law students are provided with a variety of opportunities to appear with Attorneys at administrative hearings and in Court on pretrial calendars (San Jose Municipal Code violations), Pitchess hearings, criminal trials and various civil proceedings.

Transactional interns perform legal research on a wide variety of issues; draft ordinances, resolutions, and research memoranda; analyze pending State legislation; participate in meetings with client departments; and attend internal meetings to review the City Council agenda.

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