Certified Legal Intern

About Our Office:

The District Attorney’s Office serves as the Chief Law Enforcement Office of the county and accepts referrals from more than 100 active police departments including the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Allegheny County Police Department and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department. The office is also responsible for approving complaints filed by private citizens.

The internship program operates out of our main office, located on the third and fourth floors of the Allegheny County Courthouse, in downtown Pittsburgh, with some positions in our satellite office in Dormont. We employ over 100 attorneys divided into various subdivisions and areas of expertise. Interns will be placed in specific units based on their skills, interests and needs of the office.

INTERN DUTIES

All Interns:

• Legal research and writing (briefs, memoranda, pre- and post-trial motions, etc.)
• Some clerical duties, copying, redacting, etc.
• Assist attorneys in every aspect of trial and/or hearing preparation
• Accompany attorneys to conduct plea negotiations, jury selection, pre-trial motions and trials (Jury and Non-Jury)

Certified Legal Interns (in addition to above-listed duties)

Information regarding certification can be found on the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners’ website

• Appear in court on behalf of the Commonwealth under the direct supervision of an Assistant District Attorney. This may include guilty pleas, suppression motions and non-jury trials.
• Generally, to become certified under Bar Admission Rules 321 and 322 students are required to have successfully taken and completed an Evidence course and completed an *Application for Certification for Formal Participation in Legal Matters by Law Students Under Pa.B.A.R. 321 and 322*, along with the completed Dean’s Certification Under Pa.B.A.R. 321 and 322.
• Eligible students may consider this an opportunity to gain courtroom experience before finishing law school