Paralegal Intern

Job Description

Job DescriptionThe Federal Public Defender (FPD) is accepting applications for its Paralegal Internship Program for Spring 2026. The goal of the program is to provide college students, recent college graduates and/or students enrolled in an ABA-approved paralegal program with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience by working directly with FPD staff in our Collaborative Courts and Litigation Support Unit. This internship position is unpaid.

The FPD seeks applicants with an interest in providing passionate, high-quality defense advocacy to indigent individuals. Critical thinking, professionalism, and a creative approach to problem solving are essential. Some legal knowledge or experience is preferred but not required. We are strongly committed to diversity and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. Ideal candidates will possess the following qualifications:

• Familiarity with federal and state court systems.
• Experience using Office 365 applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive), and Adobe Acrobat.
• Proficiency in conducting research using state and federal court databases and search engines.

Interns will be supervised by experienced FPD staff and will receive training and guidance throughout the program. Exact assignments will depend on the needs of the paralegal intern program supervisor(s) and the office. The paralegal internship will provide the opportunity to work in a fast-paced diverse federal criminal defense organization. In addition, the paralegal intern will acquire skills that include:

• A working familiarity and understanding of the federal court system.
• Hands-on experience using specialized databases and trial preparation programs.
• An introduction to and participation in specialized federal collaborative court programs.

The FPD Collaborative Courts Unit
The FPD participates in two collaborative court programs -- a post-guilty plea diversion program and a post-conviction program. As such, the work with the FPD Collaborative Courts Unit (CCU) will provide the intern with a unique opportunity to interface with various FPD staff members, federal district and magistrate court judges, United States Probation and Pretrial Services Officers, Assistant United States Attorneys and other district court staff. The intern would assist the CCU with:

• Inputting collaborative court participant information into the program databases.
• Preparing summaries of collaborative court referral and participant data.
• Support CCU team members at collaborative program meetings, as needed.
• Assist with ongoing special projects, including revisions to the collaborative courts program curriculum and creation of collaborative courts participant resource handbooks.
• Assist team members with collecting information from collaborative court programs throughout the U.S.
• Assist team members with coordinating collaborative court special events.

The FPD Litigation Support Unit
The Litigation Support Unit provides a full range of support to trial attorneys in all types of federal matters, including pre-indictment cases, trials, appeals, and habeas cases. The FPD Litigation Support Unit (LSU) will provide the paralegal intern the opportunity to work with other members of the FPD LSU staff, including paralegals, forensic investigators, and analysts, on office-wide projects that will impact cases districtwide.

This 5-month internship begins March 31, 2026, and ends August 25, 2026. A minimum of 16 hours per week at our Los Angeles office is required. Scheduling is flexible. We are willing to work with interns who would like to obtain college credits for their internship.

Applicants must submit a letter of interest, a resume, and unofficial transcripts by February 23, 2026. Late applications may be reviewed but are not guaranteed consideration. Internship candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls.

The Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Central District of California is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace. All applicants, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or age, are encouraged to apply.

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