Internships with the Division of Criminal Justice
The Division of Criminal Justice (Division) and its employees are committed to the fair and equal administration of justice in Connecticut. To this end, the Division acknowledges its duty to investigate and prosecute matters within its jurisdiction diligently, ethically and impartially, honoring its constitutional and common law foundations. By ensuring that the criminal laws of the State of Connecticut are enforced fairly and constitutionally, the Division honors the rule of law upon which our nation is founded. Accomplishing this mission depends upon skill, creativity, and constructive interaction of all Division employees with the law enforcement community and advocacy in the highest traditions of the Office of State's Attorney, the first public prosecutor in America.
A prosecutor is a high public official, who is ethically honor and duty-bound to seek impartial justice for the guilty as well as the innocent and who, in doing so, is beholden to the law, which demands that no passion, prejudice or resentment be brought to bear in its faithful enforcement.
Through the lens of justice, prosecutors:
- Have an immense ability to positively impact the criminal justice system
- Have the discretion to choose who to charge, what to charge them with, and determine the number and severity of the charges
- Heavily influence the short and long-term outcomes of people impacted by the system
The consequences of those decisions can mean the difference between the success or failure of someone touched by the system.
As a law student intern, you will be assigned to a Bureau within the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, or in one of the thirteen Judicial Districts, and will report to the attorney supervising your internship.
Purpose of Position
The Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice Law Student Internship Program (Program) is a great opportunity for law students who are interested in criminal justice and public service to gain real-time/first-hand experience with the responsibilities and duties of a Connecticut prosecutor.
Supervision Received
Legal interns work under the general supervision of a Connecticut prosecutor within a Judicial District location and/or within one of the specialized units of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.
Examples of Duties
Under the supervision of an experienced prosecutor you may:
- Call the criminal court docket
- Handle arraignments
- Prepare and argue bond motions
- Perform legal research
- Write legal memoranda
- Participate in pre-trial conferences and plea negotiations
- Assist with jury selection
- Meet with witnesses and victims
Law student interns may also have the opportunity to participate in the preparation and conduct of jury trials.
Summer and academic year internships last approximately 6-8 weeks depending upon each intern’s availability and the operational needs of the Division. The rate of pay for the legal intern position is $22.00 per hour. All legal interns are responsible for the coordination of any academic, scholarship, or grant benefit as a result of participation in the Program. The number of legal interns accepted into the Program will be determined by applicant qualifications and the operational needs of the Division. Generally, the Division accepts up to 40 legal interns per Summer Semester.
Minimum Requirements
- The applicant must have completed one full year at an American Bar Association-accredited law school and must be in good standing academically.
- All students applying for an internship are subject to a background check.
- A summer intern must commit to a minimum of three days a week for six weeks.
- Students who are doing a for-credit internship during the academic year must comply with their law schools’ requirements for academic credit and be supervised by a law professor and a prosecutor.
- Interns must maintain strict confidentiality about the contents of the prosecutors’ files and about cases they hear discussed in the prosecutors’ offices.
- Interns at all times must dress appropriately, act professionally and show respect for crime victims, witnesses, court personnel, office staff, defendants and their attorneys.
- Students who wish to appear in court must meet the requirements of Practice Book Section 3-14, et. seq. (Follow this link to read the applicable Practice Book sections - PDF File - Size 36KB - Adobe Acrobat Reader Required. The free Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from www.adobe.com)
Application Process
Interested law students must submit an application (Follow this link to download the Intern/Volunteer Application Form PDF Format - Size 64KB - Adobe Acrobat Reader Required. The free Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from www.adobe.com), a letter of interest including the subject area of the law or geographical location where they prefer to serve along with a resume, writing sample and their most recent academic transcript by email to DCJ.internship@ct.gov or by U.S. Mail to:
Office of the Chief State's Attorney
Attn: Human Resources/Equal Employment Opportunities
300 Corporate Place
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
The deadlines to submit your application materials are as follows:
- Fall Semester – September 15
- Spring Semester – January 15
- UPDATE Summer Interns – Thank you for your interest in the internship-program, however, at this time we are at capacity and no longer accepting applications. Please check back in early 2025 for summer internships availability.
If you would like to learn more about this opportunity, please contact either Janice duFrend, Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist at Janice.duFrend@ct.gov or Gail Hardy, Executive Assistant State’s Attorney at Gail.Hardy@ct.gov.