Fall 2026 - Law Extern, Reshaping Prosecution

Closed-Pool Fellowships & Internships • Columbia, WA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Reshaping Prosecution Program is dedicated to transforming what it means to be a prosecutor by focusing on the dignity of all people impacted by the criminal justice system. Prosecutors play a critical, but often hidden, role in mass incarceration as one of the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system. They decide who to charge with a crime, what crime to charge, whether to detain someone in jail pending trial, and what sentence to recommend if there is a conviction. Yet, despite this immense power, prosecutors have largely not been the focus of criminal justice reform efforts until recently. Our team helps prosecutors across the country work to end mass incarceration, pursue racial equity, and be more transparent with the communities they serve.

This position will focus on Reshaping Prosecutions projects including technical assistance to District Attorney offices and community-based organizations across the country. Under the supervision of a licensed attorney, the legal extern will learn participate in substantive law, legal work, ethics, professionalism, developing professional identity and receive feedback and engage in reflective journals to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the work at their placement. Externs will learn how to conduct community and policy landscape research, develop community outreach strategies, manage advocacy efforts, and draft written content for a wide audience.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in law school and successfully completed two semesters of law school study (2L or higher) or enrolled in Masters of Public Policy program.
• Successful completion of a course in Legal Reasoning, Research & Writing.
• Enrolled in a course component or seminar to gain credits for externship.
• Selection of placement must be approved by program.
• Demonstrated ability to work with advocates, government officials, criminal legal system personnel, practitioners, and people who are directly impacted by the criminal legal system.
• Must be available to report to our DC office in Dupont Circle 2-3 days a week, up to 20 hours a week.

Nice To Haves

• Education or work experience in public policy, curriculum development and/or teaching, social work, political science, criminal justice, or related field.
• Lived experience as a person directly impacted by the criminal legal system.
• Strong interest in racial justice advocacy.
• Prior experience in a prosecutor or public defender’s office.
• Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities: Strong organizational skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Proficient with Canva.

Responsibilities

• Conduct community and policy landscape research.
• Develop community outreach strategies.
• Manage advocacy efforts.
• Draft written content for a wide audience.
• Work collaboratively with attorney site leads on current partnerships with prosecutors and community-based organizations to build equitable diversion programs (Motion for Justice or MFJ) and past partners (Collaborative Justice Network or CJN, our sustainability arm).
• Conduct legal research relating to diversion programming, including legal eligibility and statutory interpretation of diversion statutes.
• Collaborate with prosecutor partners in launching diversion programs and creating reform-centered policies.
• Gain a broad understanding of prosecutorial discretion, exploring topics such as case screening, charging, due process considerations, and constitutional issues in criminal cases.
• Observe day-to-day law-related activities.
• Receive close supervision and feedback from attorneys.
• Interact with clients or other practitioners in the legal field.
• Develop insights into legal practice.
• Understand the concepts underlying their legal work.
• Be exposed to decision-making processes of the organization and its prosecutor partners.
• Receive personal guidance that will help in launching their own legal career.
• Perform various legal skills.
• Integrate doctrine, theory, skills, and legal ethics as they are engaged in the performance of one or more professional skills.
• Develop work plans for following weeks, discuss activities of the organization, evaluate performance, and analyze successes and problems that arise in the course of the externship during weekly or biweekly meetings with their supervising attorney.

Benefits

• Applicants will receive academic credit for the externship.
• Vera will gladly assist in working with the school or program to arrangements and meet requirements for those who need to earn academic credit.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed