JOB INFORMATION
Launch your legal career here: This is your chance to gain experience in one of the largest, most high-profile, full-service public interest law offices in California – the San Diego City Attorney’s Office. The City Attorney seeks highly qualified second year (2L) law students for our paid Summer 2027 Internship program.
Legal Intern positions in the Program are open to a select number of qualified law students who:
- have completed their first year at a law school fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA)— ABA-Approved Law Schools (americanbar.org)
- will be graduating law school by June 2028
- will be sitting for the California Bar Exam for the first time in July 2028
- are available and interested in starting a career in the City Attorney’s Office immediately upon passing the California Bar Exam
- are not currently, or have not previously been, licensed to practice law as an attorney
DIRECT CAREER PATHWAY INTO THE OFFICE: At the end of the Program, Summer Legal Interns will be considered for a paid Post-bar Legal Intern position. Those positions would begin after candidates sit for the July 2028 California Bar Exam and would include a conditional offer of employment as a Deputy City Attorney. Successful candidates would launch their legal careers in the Criminal and Community Justice Division with a projected start date of December 2028. Employment offers are contingent upon successful passage of the July 2028 California Bar Exam, satisfactory performance as a Post-bar Legal Intern, and being admitted to practice as an attorney in the state of California. Once employed as Deputy City Attorney in the Criminal and Community Justice Division, attorneys have opportunities to rotate into different units of the Criminal and Community Justice Division and apply for open positions in the Civil Division (both in Litigation and Advisory).
FOR MORE INFORMATION: If you are interested in learning more about the Office or this Internship Program, please email Senior Lead Deputy City Attorney Ken So at kso@sandiego.gov.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: The San Diego City Attorney's Office is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It is vitally important to the Office that as public servants, we represent the community we serve. To that end, the Office strongly encourages applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply. In furtherance of the Office’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, the Office has an active Committee for Diversity & Inclusion.
OVERVIEW OF THE CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
The City Attorney’s Office operates with over 400 staff members and a $96 million annual budget, serving as the City’s chief legal advisor and prosecutor.
CRIMINAL DIVISION: We have over 50 prosecutors in our Criminal and Community Justice Division and they review over 15,000 cases per year. The Office has a wide range of specialty units within the Criminal and Community Justice Division, including Domestic Violence & Sex Crimes, Appellate, Special Prosecutions, and Neighborhood Justice and Collaborative Courts. Because the Office has jurisdiction over misdemeanor crimes in the city and does not handle any felonies, we can address many individuals who may be newer to the criminal justice system or who have addictions that are the primary driver of their criminal behavior. We seek to protect public safety by not only deterring future criminal activity and reducing recidivism, but by finding ways to address the root cause of criminal behavior and diverting eligible and suitable individuals out of the criminal justice system. To that end, the Office has created and participated in many innovative rehabilitative and restorative justice programs that help the unsheltered and those grappling with substance use disorders. The Office is also a pioneer and national model in addressing domestic violence, creating the first-ever Family Justice Center.
CIVIL DIVISION: We have over 100 attorneys in our Civil Division, which is primarily comprised of Civil Advisory and Civil Litigation. Our civil litigators defend the City in state and federal court from a wide range of lawsuits involving personal injury, environmental, land use, constitutional rights, labor and employment, real property, and more. The Office also has other teams of plaintiff-side litigators such as the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit that protect the public by pursuing impactful consumer-related and environmental cases to protect public safety such as class action cases against opioid manufacturers and distributors, and toxic polluters. In addition, the Gun Violence Reduction Unit obtains Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs) and trains other law enforcement agencies nationwide on how to effectively use these tools. Our Civil Advisory attorneys sit at the intersection of law and public policy acting as in-house counsel to provide legal advice to the Mayor, the City Council, and the City departments related to City projects, programs, and policies.
TIMELINE FOR SUMMER LEGAL INTERNS IN THE PROGRAM: Interns must commit to work 40 hours per week from May 21, 2027, to July 30, 2027, with mandatory orientations on May 21 and 24, 2027. Summer Legal Interns will rotate through both the Criminal and Civil Divisions, spending approximately five weeks in each Division during which they gain valuable 1-on-1 mentorship and hands-on experience with Office legal activities -- including trial work. Interns are expected to be in-person for the duration of the Program.
MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Each Legal Intern will be assigned a supervising attorney in the Criminal and Civil Divisions who will provide one-on-one mentoring and professional support. Legal Interns will have an opportunity to know many of the supervising attorneys as part of regularly scheduled group meetings, which provide both practical training and the chance for discussion on topics of interest to the interns.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS: Recruitment for Summer Legal Intern 2027 positions will include a written application and two rounds of interviews with demonstration of specific writing and oral presentation skills. The most qualified candidates will be invited to interview.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ALSO AVAILABLE: While this highly competitive Summer Legal Internship program is open only to second-year law students, the City Attorney’s Office continues to offer other internships to law students (1L, 2L and 3L) and attorneys. Learn more about law student, attorney, and other internship opportunities by clicking on this link.
QUALIFICATIONS: The ideal candidate will possess:
- a strong record of academic achievement
- interest in both criminal justice and civil municipal law matters
- ability to communicate clearly and succinctly
- strong legal writing and oral advocacy skills
- experience participating in moot court, law review, mock trial teams, or negotiation/mediation teams
- detail-oriented skills, including prioritizing assignments and independently managing a workload; demonstrated good judgment and initiative, and the ability to interact effectively with different personalities and work styles
- demonstrated passion for public service and demonstrated interest in furthering or supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion
- commitment to adhering to the highest standards of integrity and professional ethics required of the legal profession
- any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
CRIMINAL DIVISION: As an advocate for the People of the State of California, Legal Interns working in the Criminal Division will investigate and prosecute misdemeanor criminal cases that occurred within the City of San Diego jurisdiction.
They will have the chance to:
- evaluate cases for legal sufficiency and constitutional compliance
- communicate with victims and witnesses
- assist in preparing and reviewing affidavits in support of arrest warrants
- identify and subpoena witnesses, records, or other information required to present the case
- demonstrate the ability to independently manage a case load
- draft discovery responses and comply with State and Federal discovery obligations
- draft and argue a variety of complaints, briefs, motions, and other legal documents
- conduct legal research
- handle a variety of court appearances, argue motions and present misdemeanor jury trials, either a portion of or the entire trial.
CIVIL DIVISION: Legal Interns will participate in important, challenging, and often pioneering work in the municipal legal field. Civil Division Legal Interns will handle both litigation and advisory/transactional assignments in various practice areas, and have an opportunity to work with a diverse group of attorneys having wide-ranging specialty expertise -- from consumer law to environmental law to public policy advisory law.
Civil Division Legal Interns gain the chance to engage with attorneys in the Office through a customized website portal, where they will find legal assignments and opportunities to participate in challenging and practical activities that include:
- conducting legal research and writing legal memoranda
- assisting with depositions, mediations, and trials
- participating in client meetings
- drafting discovery, correspondence, motions, briefs, and declarations
- making court appearances
- attending Council and Committee hearings
- briefing Mayoral, City Council, and high-level City staff
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must be on track to graduate on or before June 2028 with a Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school. Successful applicants must pass criminal background and reference checks. Prior to the start of the internship, Legal Interns are required, on their own time and expense, to become certified by the California State Bar to make appearances in court on the record. Learn more information on how to become certified by clicking here. Employment is contingent upon completion of the above-mentioned process. To apply, please provide the following documents through our online application, which can be found in the “How to Apply” section below:
- a letter of interest (cover letter) highlighting your interests in our Office and qualifications
- a writing sample not to exceed 10 pages that demonstrates your legal writing skills and reflects your own original work product
- an unofficial law school transcript
- a current resumé
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Compensation and Benefits:
The starting hourly rate of pay for the Legal Intern position is currently $29.27.
This limited hourly position is not eligible for benefits. Interns who successfully complete this program will be provided conditional offers to become a Deputy City Attorney in the Criminal and Community Justice Division. The starting salary for Deputy City Attorneys in December 2028 will be between $104,728 and $ 117,790 following anticipated salary increases scheduled in accordance with the MOU with the Deputy City Attorneys Association. Click on this link for salary and benefits for Deputy City Attorneys: DCAA MOU
Pre-Employment Requirements:
Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes that are applicable to this job, which may include but are not limited to the following:
- Proof of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States.
- Reference checks.
- Fingerprint checks: fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report.
- Additional screening processes such as a background investigation.
All these processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. Misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process may be cause for disqualification or termination of employment. The City of San Diego is committed to a drug and alcohol-free workplace.
How to Apply:
The San Diego City Attorney's Office only accepts online applications for this position from August 14, 2026 to September 9, 2026 through the following link.
To apply online, click the Position Title of any open job opportunity and then click the "Apply" link. For assistance, please see our employment application guide.
To be considered for the position, submit a completed San Diego City Attorney employment application, required documents outlined in this job bulletin, and complete the supplemental questionnaire no later than the closing date of September 9, 2026. Submitted application material will be screened according to the qualifications outlined above. If you have any questions or concerns related to the recruitment process and the Americans with Disabilities Act, you may contact (619) 533-5811. The City of San Diego has an active Equal Opportunity/ADA Program for employment and vigorously supports diversity in the workplace.
Nothing in this job posting constitutes an expressed or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego.
