Office of the Public Defender

Become a Certified Legal Intern

The office's Certified Legal Interns ("CLI's") are rising 3L students participating in an applicable law school clinic or course. The applicant's law school must have made a formal request of the State of Florida for the applicant to become a CLI. Students must have completed all state paperwork and received CLI certification from the State of Florida. To serve as a CLI at the Office of the Public Defender in Palm Beach County, law students must document and demonstrate their certification in advance of placement. It is also possible for law school graduates to become CLI's if their employers have submitted CLI requests to the State of Florida and have documented and demonstrated their certification in advance of placement.

Certified Legal Interns perform many of the same duties as legal interns. CLI's shadow a County Court attorney for a week (on average) at the beginning of the program. From there, the Misdemeanor Division assigns them small County Court caseloads for which they possess responsibility as they would if they were practicing attorneys. CLI's work closely with and are supervised by the attorneys of the Misdemeanor Division. The Office of the Public Defender's Misdemeanor/County Court Chief reviews their cases with them. CLI's attend all court proceedings and act as attorneys of record for all of their assigned clients, with supervising attorneys present. Often CLI's leave their internships having tried one or more cases as first chair attorneys and multiple other trials as second chair attorneys.

To Apply

Applicants should upload a resume, a writing sample of no more than 10 pages in length, a cover letter, a draft transcript, and verification of their certification/sponsorship to: CLI applicant. Those identified as prospective matches will be contacted regarding interviews.

For More Information

Speak with your law school clinical professor and review the Florida Supreme Court's web resources about becoming a CLI.

Testimonial

"My time as an intern at the public defender's office was truly enjoyable. The degree of support I received at every level — from my County Chief, to the attorneys, to the support staff — was striking. Coming into this position, I had no legal experience outside of law school. As an intern, I learned to draft motions, argue motions on the record, communicate effectively with clients, manage a caseload, and prepare cases for trial. My chief and the other attorneys helped me advance with each new level of responsibility. By the end of my internship, I felt more knowledgeable and confident as an advocate. Undoubtedly, this experience equipped me as a future criminal defense attorney in ways I did not expect."
  —Jercoryia Council, NOVA Southeastern University's Shepard Broad College of Law