Office of the Public Defender Investigator Internship!

My name is John Stephenson, I'm an Assistant Public Defender with the Office of the Public Defender in Prince George's County, Maryland.  I'm spearheading an effort to re-create our college investigator internship program.

We have 47 attorneys located in both the Hyattsville and Upper Marlboro courthouses, and we work on cases ranging from major motor vehicle violations all the way up to cases that carry mandatory life sentences.  Investigators would work for a small group of attorneys and would help with serving subpoenas, taking witness statements, photographing crime scenes, as well as speaking with police officers and state's attorney's.

We are developing a 13 week program for the fall, spring, and summer semester.  In a nutshell, the internship would consist of a short orientation/training period, plus one class per week on how to investigate cases and the basics of the law in Maryland.  Students would work closely with attorneys and with fellow students during investigation (always going out to the field in teams of at least 2).

Students should complete the application and submit it with a cover letter, a resume, reference list, and a short writing sample (under 5 pages) to lawclerkjobs@opd.state.md.us and CC me on the e-mail.

Further, if any student has any questions they should feel free to get in contact directly with me.
Do you think there is a way to spread the word about the internship?  Or is there a point person at the university I should get in contact with?
Thank you very much for your time and your assistance!
Best,
John Stephenson
Assistant Public Defender

(301) 952-2684

If you know of anyone who may be interested, the application can be found at:
http://www.opd.state.md.us/opd/Portals/0/Downloads/Application%20Materials/9.13%20Intern%20App..pdf

As an intern-investigator, you will need to:

a) submit a schedule of work hours before each week

b) come to the office for assignments at least 1 day per week

c) work a minimum of 12 hours per week

d) submit written summaries of your work on each case

e) work closely with Public Defender attorneys and staff to ensure work is done well and completed on time

f) work in pairs on all field investigations

Your duties will include:

i) visiting crime scenes, including taking photos and making sketches

ii) interviewing witnesses

iii) delivering subpoenas

iv) writing summaries of police reports, witness statements, and discovery

v) obtaining court records

vi) assisting attorneys preparing for trials

vii) listening to client statements and telephone calls and writing summary reports of the contents

　

To help our planning, please let me know the following information:

1) What date would you be able to start?

2) What date would you need to stop working?

3) How many hours would you be available each week?

4) Do you have a car?

5) Will you be applying for school credits for the internship?

Please feel free to call or email with any further questions.
Dr. Sylvia I.B. Hill, Chairperson of the Department of Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Social Work Program Coordinator of Criminal Justice Co-Director, The Institute for Public Safety and Justice Coordinator, Fire Science BS Degree Teach Out shill@udc.edu
202-274-5687
University of the District of Columbia
Bldg.41-407-03
4200 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008