Courtroom-Ready Certified Legal Intern — Academic Credit

Intern Palm Beach; West Palm Beach (FL); On-site; Full time

Job description

Palm Beach County Public Defender's Office, 15th Judicial Circuit

Courtroom-Ready Certified Legal Intern — Academic Credit

Company Overview

Certified Legal Interns (CLIs) shadow a County Court attorney for a week on average. Next, the Misdemeanor Division assigns the CLI a small County Court caseload, for which they possess responsibility as they would if they were a practicing attorney.

Assigned to a single division, the attorney assigned to the misdemeanor division supervises and works closely with the CLIs. The Misdemeanor / County Court Chief reviews their cases with them. CLIs attend all court proceedings and act as the attorney of record for all of their assigned clients, with a supervising attorney present, and often try one or more cases as first chair attorney and multiple cases as second chair.

Requirements to be a CLI in Florida as a law student

• File a Registrant Bar Application or Florida Bar Application with the Florida Board of Bar Examiners.
• Pass a criminal fingerprint check conducted by the Florida Board of Bar Examiners or receive a letter of clearance as to character and fitness from the Florida Board of Bar Examiners.
• Be enrolled in an American Bar Association approved law school in the United States and appear as part of a credit-bearing law school practice program.
• Have completed legal studies amounting to at least 2 semesters or 3 quarters for which the student has received not less than 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of academic credit or the equivalent.
• Be certified by the dean, or the dean’s designee, of the student’s law school as being of good character and competent legal ability and as adequately trained to perform as a legal intern in a law school practice program.
• Receive no compensation or remuneration of any kind.

Education Requirements

• Graduate Student

Open to Palm Beach County High School Students Only: No