Summer Law Clerk

The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia seeks candidates interested in joining our summer 2024 law clerk class.
PDS Overview:
A major portion of the work of PDS consists of representing individuals in the District of Columbia’s local criminal legal system who are charged with committing serious criminal acts and who are eligible for court-appointed counsel. In the District of Columbia, public defense services are provided primarily by PDS (the “institutional defender”) and a panel of private attorneys, known ad Criminal Justice Act (CJA) attorneys, who are screened for membership on the panel and paid on a case-by-case basis by the D.C. courts. Because of its resources, well-regarded training program, and institutional practice knowledge, PDS lawyers handle the most serous criminal cases consistent with the best practices of the legal profession.
Position Description
Law clerks work in one of our seven legal divisions (Appeals, Civil, Community Defender, Mental Health, Parole, Special Litigation and Trial) supporting our attorneys, who zealously represent adults and children in all aspects of our client-centered, wraparound legal services programs. While the bulk of our clerks serve in supportive roles, the students assigned to the Community Defender and Parole divisions directly represent clients in administrative hearings.
Required Qualifications
Second year law students, and third year students who have secured postgraduate employment as a judicial law clerk or fellow. Strong research, writing and analysis skills, maturity, and a demonstrated commitment to working on behalf of underserved populations. If you have been unable to do work to support vulnerable communities, please include in your cover letter what type of support work you would have done had you had the opportunity. Law students in their first year who expect to graduate in 2026 are eligible to apply on or after December 1, 2023.