2027 Summer Law Clerk Program (CONFLICTS DIVISION)

Orleans Indigent Defender • New Orleans, LA

3d

About The Position

The Orleans Public Defenders (OPD) is seeking rising second- and third-year law students for its 2027 Summer Law Clerkship in the Conflicts Division. OPD provides holistic, community-based representation in New Orleans through a client-centered team model. The Conflicts Division represents people who cannot afford private counsel when ethical conflicts prevent representation by the Trial Division, including cases involving co-defendants, witnesses and defendants, former clients, or multiple victims or related cases.

This is an intensive, hands-on, 10-week program running from June 1, 2027, through August 6, 2027. Law clerks are part of OPD’s client-centered, community-oriented legal defense team and receive training in relevant criminal law and the life of a case. The program is intended to provide practical experience with public defense and indigent defense in New Orleans. Clerks assist Conflicts Division attorneys with representation-related work, but do not appear on the record in court.

The position is unpaid. OPD encourages applicants to seek funding through their law schools or other outside sources and will assist with necessary paperwork. Academic credit may be available through applicants’ schools, and OPD will work with clerks and schools on the process.

Requirements

• Be a rising second- or third-year law student as of the program start date.
• Be enrolled in a J.D. program at an ABA-accredited law school.
• Have a desire to work with and serve indigent clients and people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Be proficient with word-processing software and legal research software.

Responsibilities

• At supervising attorneys’ direction, visit clients in jail, communicate with clients who are out of jail, and help maintain contact with clients’ loved ones.
• Review and digest discovery; help attorneys prepare for substantive motions hearings and trials; and discuss case theories, investigation steps, and other case decisions with case teams.
• Assist attorneys or staff investigators with investigations, including visiting scenes, canvassing neighborhoods, and interviewing witnesses.
• Draft legal research and writing materials, including memoranda, motions, and writ applications to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Louisiana Supreme Court.
• Review and organize evidence, records, motions, and other materials needed for thorough representation.
• Contribute to a welcoming, mission-driven office culture and collaborate with colleagues across divisions in support of holistic, client-centered defense.
• Follow OPD’s confidentiality policy and act in clients’ best interests; maintain professional behavior in the office, courthouse, jail, and OPD-sponsored activities.
• Perform other duties or projects assigned by Conflicts supervising attorneys.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed