The City Attorney's Office will operate a Spring Semester and 10-week volunteer Summer Intern Program for law students who have completed their first year (or the equivalent for part-time students) at an American Bar Association accredited law school. The Spring Program is available January - April. The Summer Program is available from late May through early August. Applicants must be willing to work a minimum of 6 weeks with the CAO to be considered.

The Program introduces students to the practical experience of working in local government. While each intern will have the opportunity to specify subject matter interest, the Program will expose interns to a multitude of areas of law and practice (such as planning, code enforcement, community development, real estate, transportation, construction). Interns will have the opportunity to research and write regarding current and relevant legal issues, attend council meetings, depositions, and proceedings and present legal findings to supervising attorney and city administration. The Program Coordinator will serve as a mentor and facilitator for each Intern. In addition, each supervising attorney is committed to providing guidance and feedback to truly form a learning and enriching experience for the Program interns. To be considered for a position with our office, we request the following documents: 1.Cover Letter (including expected time commitment to the CAO) 2.Resume 3.Transcript 4.5-10 page writing sample 5.List of 3 references Documents should be submitted to our Office Manager via email   [email protected] Feedback from a few of our past interns: As many of you know, today was my last day interning with the City Attorney’s Office, and I just wanted to extend a big thank you for allowing me this opportunity. I thoroughly enjoyed the work and think what you all do has an immense and positive impact on the City of Durham. Everyone in this office was so willing to help whenever I asked, and I genuinely enjoyed getting to know all of you. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to work here this summer, and I’m sad the 6 weeks flew by so quickly. -Ariel Freedman  I have loved every day of my internship here, and each of you have helped make it such a wonderful experience for me. Thank you for inspiring me to pursue local government law! -Ashley Loveless  I have learned a great deal about the work of a City Attorney and about municipal government in general.  I also appreciate that I was able become acquainted with so many kind people that work in your office, including yourself.  -Christian Lunghi  The City Attorney's Office in Durham, NC provided a great environment to learn and grow as a professional. Every day at the City Attorney's Office presented new and exciting challenges that exposed me to areas of law which I was unfamiliar with or unaware of. All of the attorneys seemed genuinely interested to meet the interns, provide guidance, and invest in our growth during the internship program. Apart from learning about the law, my internship experience at the Durham CAO also provided me with a greater appreciation for the role of local government and prompted me to get involved in my own community.  -Andrew Franklin  Working at the CAO was a great experience. It opened my eyes to how intellectually interesting and varied municipal practice is. I found that there are many more areas of the law to touch on than there is time in one externship! Of course, I worked on projects to completion, but the range of available work was part of what made working at CAO during law school so useful and engaging. Also, the caliber of attorneys is uniformly exceptional. I found that mentoring interns/externs and providing constructive feedback was a real priority for the attorneys. Not all internships or externships offer this, so it was very appreciated! -Christian Smith-Bishop