Internship Program
The State Attorney’s Office is pleased to offer spring, summer, and fall semester internship opportunities for college and law students. This program is designed to offer students a variety of prosecutorial experiences.
Application information:
Fall 2023
Applications will be accepted through July 14, 2023.
Spring 2024
Applications will be accepted through December 4, 2023.
Summer 2024
Applications will be accepted through March 29, 2024.
To apply, please download and complete the application above. Applications and resumes should be e-mailed to SAO4th@coj.net. An application will not be considered complete unless both materials are submitted at this email address before the listed deadline.
Experiences provided:
- Attend misdemeanor, juvenile, and felony trials
- Attend a variety of proceedings, including First Appearance Court, Traffic Court, Calendar Call, depositions, and jury selection
- Meet and Greet with the State Attorney and/or senior attorneys in an informal setting
- Past field trips and tours have included: FBI Jacksonville Office Tour, Duval County Jail Tour, JSO Bomb Squad Show and Tell, 9-1-1 Command Center Tour, TSA K9 demonstrations, Clay County Sheriff and Fire Department Control Burn, and a tour of the Florida State Prison
- Various educational meetings and trainings
Projects in which interns participate:
- Legal research and writing
- Document review and file organization
- Prosecution support services through assistance in trial preparation and technical support
- Monitoring inmate calls for relevant information, and CLI students may handle Motion Hearings and Bench Trials
Program requirements:
- Candidates must have completed high school
- A minimum hourly commitment per week, for a minimum number of weeks (number of hours dependent upon type of semester program)
- All internship programs are held fully in-person
One of the most important insights I learned during my time as an intern was how crucial the idea of being a public servant was to the people who worked here. Though I previously noticed how dedicated the ASAs were to our office’s mission of pursuing justice always, it wasn’t until our meet & greet with State Attorney Melissa Nelson (when she pointed out that working as an ASA was not a typical 9-to-5 because of their duties as public servants) that I began to understand how serving the People was at the forefront of our office’s work. Not only has my time as an intern helped cement my decision to attend law school after graduating with my undergraduate degree, but it has also developed my interest in the criminal justice field.
Denise Uy
University of Florida Summer 2021 Intern
From assisting attorneys with their upcoming trials, to taking fun field trips to important places in our city, I have learned so much about not only prosecution as a field of work, but also about Jacksonville’s largest issues in criminal justice.
Working at the SAO has given me a new understanding of all the moving parts at play during the process of pursuing justice. This internship highlighted to me the importance of relationships, because investigating, prosecuting, and pursuing justice truly is a team effort reliant upon myriad disciplines, sectors, and specialties.
Imanni Porter
Florida State University Summer 2018 Intern