The Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington, in both its Seattle and Tacoma offices, is seeking undergraduate volunteers to work closely with our agency personnel in providing assistance and support to the indigent clients we represent.
These are unpaid positions, but would offer the volunteer an opportunity to be part of the inner-workings of a public defender agency. Duties would include organization of records, record review and summary, and working on case-specific projects as needed. Maintaining client confidentiality and a professional code of conduct are important requirements of our work. Applicants must be 18 years of age, U.S. citizens, or meet the requirements of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Students must be fingerprinted prior to the start of their internship for an employment suitability background check and provide proof of citizenship. A prior record is not necessarily disqualifying. The Federal Defender reviews the results and has discretion in making the suitability determination.
We are seeking students who can offer a commitment of 12-15 hours per week over two academic semesters/quarters. It is our intent to provide volunteers with a meaningful experience where they can gain skills not otherwise available to them within the classroom. This is an unpaid position and will not lead to an offer of employment.
We will not be offering Winter Spring 2024-2025 undergraduate internships. Please check back around March 31, 2025 for an update on Summer 2025 undergraduate internships.