The Monroe County Public Defender Office offers internships to both College and Law School Students.  If you are interested in becoming an intern with the office, please read the information on this page and contact the appropriate representative.

These internships offer a informative and rewarding opportunity to serve our client community and to gain valuable, hands on experience in the criminal justice system.

 

Monroe County Public Defender Office

Internship Opportunities at Our Office

Internships for College Students

The Monroe County Public Defender's Office provides to local college students several internship opportunities throughout the year. Our internship coordinators, Sharon Warner and Don Scalia, work very hard to provide our interns a challenging, positive experience as they work in the criminal justice community.

We have a variety of internship programs. Our interns work with our attorneys, our paralegals, and with our investigators on a schedule that works best for the student. We receive very positive reviews from the students who intern in the Office, and have successfully placed students from SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo, the University or Rochester, and Nazareth College.

The Monroe County Public Defender's Office offers internship opportunities throughout the year. Our interns typically are with us during the Fall and Spring semesters, as well as during the summer months. Our internship program offers students an opportunity to observe the criminal justice system from a unique perspective, and gain valuable experience in the criminal justice system. Working with their attorney-supervisor, paralegal-supervisor, or investigator-supervisor, interns review client files, assist our staff during court proceedings, visit the Jail to meet with clients, assist investigators in conducting investigations, and other duties. Interns also observe various court proceedings, such as arraignments; preliminary hearings; pre-trial suppression hearings; and misdemeanor and felony trials.

Our interns can expect to view proceedings in the following courts in Monroe County:

1. Rochester City Court
2. Monroe County Court
3. Monroe County Family Court
4. Rochester Drug Treatment Court
5. Rochester Mental Health Court

Throughout their time in the Public Defender's Office, interns are also provided with the opportunity to attend various Office functions and training seminars.

Students interested in participating in our internship programs should contact Kelly Sands by phone at 753-4018 or

Internships for Law Students

The Monroe County Public Defender's Office provides to law students several internship opportunities throughout the year. Our law student internship coordinators, Andre Vitale and Don Scalia, work very hard to provide our interns a challenging, positive experience as they work in the criminal justice community.

Our law student interns typically are with us during the Fall and Spring semesters, as well as during the summer months. Our internship program offers students an opportunity to observe the criminal justice system from a unique perspective, and gain valuable experience in the criminal justice system. Working with their attorney-supervisor, paralegal-supervisor, or investigator-supervisor, interns review client files, assist our staff during court proceedings, visit the Jail to meet with clients, assist investigators in conducting investigations, and other duties. Interns also observe various court proceedings, such as arraignments; preliminary hearings; pre-trial suppression hearings; and misdemeanor and felony trials.

Throughout their time in the Public Defender's Office, interns are also provided with the opportunity to attend various Office functions and training seminars.

Students interested in participating in our internship programs should contact Don Scalia by phone at 753-4124 or or contact Andre Vitale by phone at 753-4904 or