Spring Interns, (l-r) Evonne Silva, Dave Erickson & Lexie Helgerson

History of the Investigative Internship Program

Recognizing the need for high quality representation for indigent criminal defendants, the Criminal Justice Clinic was founded in 1960. Our goal is to ensure that persons charged with criminal offenses have access to top-notch legal services. We provide them with energetic, innovative and dedicated attorneys. As part of the Criminal Justice Clinic, the Investigative Internship Program was founded in 1985 and continues today as an integral part of the success of our clinical program. Our Investigators work closely with clinic attorneys in all aspects of pre-trial preparation. In exchange for our interns' assistance, we offer a hands-on educational and working environment.

Investigative Internship Program
A. Duties of the Investigative Intern

A thorough investigation of a criminal case is a prerequisite to a good defense. A defense investigator's job is to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the government's case and to provide a basis for the defense theory. In many cases handled by the Clinic, the prosecutor is not required to disclose facts that are critical to the case or will not provide the information in a format or time period that is useful. Pre-trial defense investigation is therefore necessary to properly advise the client, make strategic decisions about the case, and to prepare for trial.

The investigative responsibilities of interns include the locating and interviewing of witnesses (not an easy prospect given that witnesses are often very difficult to find and are not obligated to speak with investigators or lawyers), taking statements from prosecution witnesses, and writing investigative memoranda summarizing investigative results. Interns also conduct comprehensive criminal background checks. Aside from the work directly related to the witnesses, interns ascertain what written records and documentation are relevant to the case and use subpoenas to gather the necessary paperwork. Photographing crime scenes, measuring and diagramming scenes and creating maps and charts as demonstrative evidence for trial are also common investigative tasks.

Spring Interns Susan Stolting and Jim Rieger conducting an investigation

Lastly, interns are responsible for assisting the attorney in immediate trial preparation and resolving problems while the attorney is in trial. Interns coordinate defense witnesses, making sure that they are subpoenaed and able to get to the courthouse. Investigators also have to testify in some cases.

Investigative interns are involved in all aspects of case preparation including providing strategic recommendations. Attorneys are encouraged to include their interns on consultations, plea negotiations, client meetings and strategy sessions.

Interns who are participating in Washington Semester programs: Exemptions for the time commitment can be made if you are involved in a Washington Semester program that has a predetermined length and your housing provisions are dependent upon those provided in the program. The ability to make exemptions will depend upon the current needs of the Clinic. Contact the Investigations Supervisor if you would like to request an exemption.

B. Structure of the Internship Program

Each fall, spring, and summer semester, the Investigative Internship Program has 8 positions available. All undergraduate students, recent graduates and graduate students are eligible. (More information on qualifications can be found in the section covering the selection process.)

During the first week of the program, interns are trained in investigative strategies and techniques, legal concepts, and the application of the law in criminal cases. The training week has relatively set hours - each day begins by 10:00 a.m. and ends at approximately 5:00 p.m. At the conclusion of the training week, each intern is assigned an investigative partner and two attorneys.

Once the assignments have been made, interns begin investigating cases. They are assisted by comprehensive investigative directions and daily guidance from both their attorneys and the Investigations Supervisor. Interns work on a variety of cases--some are newly acquired and others have been partially investigated. Most interns are able to participate in all phases of pre-trial development, and to gain a deep understanding of the criminal justice process.

Supervisor Rebecca O'Brien with Fall Interns.

                                           

 
C. Duration of the Internship

All interns are required to commit a minimum of 15 weeks during the spring and fall semester terms or 12 weeks during the summer term. Because many students who participate in the program are undergraduate students enrolled in a college on a semester schedule, the commencement and conclusion dates are consistent with those schedules. Interns may sometimes be permitted to take off days over the course of the term, but applicants should not make plans that create significant conflicts during the internship.

The beginning and ending dates for each term are noted in the application information page. Each summer and fall term, there is only one starting date. For the spring term, there are two training weeks; the second week was added to accommodate the schedules of students coming to Washington D.C. through organized programs that do not begin until the end of January. All other interns are expected to begin during the first training session. The ending date is also noted in the application page. Interns may not complete the internship earlier than this date; however, the internship can be extended by several weeks. Since the time between ending and beginning terms is often difficult for clinic attorneys, it is helpful if interns can stay a week or two beyond the ending date. Applicants who are able to extend their stay at the Clinic should note it on the materials they submit.

Interns who attend schools on a quarter or trimester schedule: Students attending schools that do not follow a semester schedule may still be eligible for an internship. Students that are on a trimester schedule should apply for a fall or summer term. Quarter students can still complete the internship even if they are on a quarter schedule because the beginning and ending dates generally coincide with break times.

D. Time Requirements

Investigative interns must be able to commit a minimum of 4 full days per week although a full time commitment is preferred. The Clinic has found that it is difficult for interns to fully realize the benefits of the internship if their schedules are too limited, and it would be nearly impossible for the interns to complete the investigative work on their cases in less than 4 days/week. Interns with fewer time constraints are given preference.

Training Week Conflicts: All interns are required to complete the entire training session. It is the preference of the Clinic that all interns attend the regular training week, but in some limited circumstances make-up sessions can be scheduled. Given the effort put into the regular training sessions, however, make-ups are generally not as beneficial, so incoming interns must make every effort to rearrange their schedule in order to attend.

     

After the first week of training, interns should expect that they will have some work that will need to be accomplished during non-business hours. For instance, some witnesses are only available during evening or weekend hours, and days leading up to a trial are generally longer due to last-minute preparation. As a result, interns should expect that they will be working some odd hours and plan accordingly. Interns are not expected to work during times that they are scheduled for class, work, seminars or other required activities. However, interns must allow for some flexibility outside of those requirements.

Regardless of whether an intern is scheduled to work full-time during the term, every intern is required to complete the entire first-week training session.

E. Training Program

Investigative interns are expected to accomplish professional-level investigative work, and because interns are not required to have training or background in criminal law or investigations, great emphasis is placed upon both the initial orientation and on-going training and support. The initial training week focuses on the mechanics of defense investigation, understanding defense theories, narrative interviewing, statement and memo construction, locating witnesses, ethical guidelines, and techniques for field work. The supplemental meetings teach interns more about substantive criminal law in the District and how those principles should shape their tactics and focus the scope of their investigation. Topics selected are often based upon input from the interns - topics of special interest can be added by request. Previous topics have included discussion of Fourth Amendment searches and seizures, investigative strategies to support sentencing recommendations, the application of the Gregory doctrine to witness contacts and interviews, and more detailed information on police procedures.

Investigative partners Jonah Ansell and Molly Crall at a Summer Intern Appreciation dinner.

F. Work Location

The Criminal Justice Clinic is located within the Law Center's main building. The D.C. courthouse, federal district courthouse, police headquarters, mayor's office and the prosecutor's office are all within walking distance. For students without access to a car, the Law Center is accessible by public transportation.

Although the interns will spend time in their attorneys' offices, the Clinic also has a large student workroom and a computer lab for the interns to use. The majority of investigative work, however, is accomplished in the field. Interns will travel throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia neighborhoods and to local courthouses and police stations. It is common for everyone involved in investigation - investigators, law students, attorneys, and professors - to spend a significant amount of time in high-crime areas of the city.

G. Access to Transportation

The Clinic needs four investigators each term with access to a car. Many of the communities in which the investigations are conducted are not easily accessible by public transportation, so one member of each intern team must be able to drive. Locations traveled to include the homes of witnesses, crime scenes, jails, and prisons. Interns who use their cars for investigation must maintain their own automobile insurance as the clinic funds do not allow for separate coverage.

Spring Intern Taylor Weitz taking measurements at a crime scene.

Investigators who use their cars for this internship are reimbursed for mileage while investigating and are given free parking privileges in the garage at the Law Center and/or remote outdoor parking lot during the day. The five interns who do not have cars will be paired with the interns who have cars.

Because of the high demand for parking spaces at the Law Center, the Clinic is limited to four parking permits for intern use. As a result, if the Clinic wishes to accept more than five interns with cars, sufficient parking may not be available for all interns each day. Some interns with cars prefer to be paired with another intern with a car because driving days can be alternated, however, students commuting from outside the city may be limited by the lack of public transportation. If you have access to a car and are able to - and willing to- be paired with another intern with a car, please indicate as such on your application.

Access to a car and a willingness to share a parking permit will in no way affect the strength of your application. Although the Clinic needs fourinterns with cars, the Clinic also needs students without cars because of the parking limitations.

H. Dress

The atmosphere in the Clinic offices is very informal, and casual clothing is encouraged when involved in field investigation. Occasionally, investigators may go to a location where they will not be taken seriously unless they are dressed in business attire. Additionally, business attire is necessary when interns are testifying in court. Interns do not generally have to make clothing purchases for the internship - the necessity of business attire will be infrequent.

I. Housing

For interns who are not from the D.C. area, a housing bulletin is available upon acceptance to the program. The bulletin details options for short term housing, area descriptions, and other services available. Interns may also request that their names be released to other interns seeking housing if a shared housing situation is desired.

Each term, certain resources and opportunities are available to interns who are interested in attending law school, including: A meeting with the Director of Admissions for Georgetown University Law Center Training on Lexis and Westlaw Free access to the law library LSAT prep materials in the clinic

J. Tour-Lecture Series

The Clinic strives to provide investigative interns with an educational and rewarding experience. Therefore, to broaden the interns' exposure to multiple facets of the criminal justice system, tours and lectures (as available) are offered each term. Past tours have included the Medical Examiner's Office, where interns view an autopsy, the Mobile Crime Unit of the D.C. police department, which collects physical evidence at crime scenes, the pavilion at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, which treats the District's criminally insane, a tour of the maximum security ward of Lorton penitentiary, and speaking to a panel of inmates in order to gain insight into the correctional system. Interns may also participate in police ride-alongs and tours of the F.B.I.

Due to conditions at tour locations, certain tours may not be available during some terms.

K. Financing the Internship

The Investigative Internship Program is an unpaid internship. The Clinic does not have funding to pay investigative interns, but participants are reimbursed for on-the-job mileage and work related expenses. For interns inside the Washington Metropolitan area, the costs are minimal. For interns who are traveling to D.C., for this internship, the cost of the internship will be living expenses. Housing is generally the greatest expense, but as indicated above, assistance in identifying less expensive housing is provided.

The Clinic does not want a potential applicant's limited finances to prevent participation, so applicants are encouraged to seek outside funding. Some non-profit foundations and many schools now offer financial assistance to students who participate in unpaid public interest internships.

L. Receiving Academic Credit for the Internship

Many investigative interns are undergraduate students who are receiving academic credit for the internship. The amount of credit that is awarded varies between schools and departments. It is the responsibility of the intern to identify the college and departmental requirements of receiving credit and to select and make arrangements with a faculty sponsor, if appropriate. The Investigations Supervisor will submit any documentation needed to facilitate credit arrangements between interns and their home schools.

An intern at the Criminal Justice Clinic is not enrolled at Georgetown University and does not receive academic credit from the Law Center. Any credit awarded must be granted by the school in which a student is enrolled.

M. Insurance Requirements

Health Insurance

All participants in the Investigative Internship Program (IIP) are required to have health insurance and must submit verification of coverage prior to commencing work. Because interns in the Clinic are not registered students of Georgetown University, they are not eligible for coverage. In order to satisfy this requirement, each participant must have coverage provided through a private insurance carrier, a college health plan, or another source of coverage. Other providers include military or special government plans. (Please note that if health insurance is provided through a military or government plan, the insured will need to provide information that explains eligibility for coverage.)

Summer Interns Angelique Barker, Allie Voticky and Evelyn Mahoney in the Investigation Work Room.

In addition to providing the Clinic verification of insurance, each intern should also determine to what extent his/her insurance makes provisions for medical services outside the jurisdiction in which the plan was issued.

Automobile/Vehicle Insurance

If a candidate is applying for one of the four clinic positions that requires access to a car, the vehicle must be insured and participants must be prepared to present proof of automobile insurance upon acceptance to the program. The Clinics have neither the ability nor the authority to provide insurance to drivers within the Clinic. All members, including clinic staff and faculty, are covered by their own personal insurance.

Although the degree of coverage will not be reviewed, it is advisable for participants to assess the appropriateness of the terms and limits of their plans.

N. Health and Safety Guidelines

The Investigative Internship Program requires that interns spend a great deal of time involved in field work, and because much of that work must be accomplished in high-crime areas of the city, it is important that all interns be aware of the potential risks. It is also important that interns understand the expectations of the Criminal Justice Clinic with respect to understanding and abiding by safety guidelines and the procedures for reporting and managing any incident that might occur. The Clinic cannot insure the safety of participants and there is no guarantee against a random incident. Since the program's inception in 1989, more than 400 students and graduates have participated in the program, and none has suffered serious injury or property loss. Participants have sometimes reported a minor incident, but the program is fortunate in its safety record.

The work of an investigative intern at the Criminal Justice Clinic involves direct contact with witnesses and defendants in the field. Participants will be conducting interviews of witnesses in their homes and out on the streets. Interns may be going door to door looking for potential witnesses. In the course of an investigation, interns will also frequently come into contact with non-involved persons in the field, including some individuals involved in illegal activity. As a result, they are sometimes greeted with reluctance or even hostility. The inner-city may not be a comfortable work environment for everyone.

Given the possible risks, the Clinic provides instruction in safety and conflict resolution during the initial training week. Interns are taught strategies for avoiding or minimizing risks and are provided guidelines for resolving difficult or threatening situations should they arise. The Clinic cannot, however, control the actions of others. Interns are provided with information on Clinic requirements relating to conduct and consequences of noncompliance. Despite the training, the Clinic cannot control the individual decisions of interns in the field, nor can participants be prevented from engaging in illegal or unwise activities.

In assessing the degree of interest in this program and while deciding whether to participate, applicants are strongly urged to consider the potential risks and decide about the appropriateness of this placement. Applicants are also encouraged to disclose any information that would be relevant to the Clinic in determining eligibility and to discuss any circumstances or conditions that could impact health and safety. The Clinic also expects that program candidates will discuss the program with parents, guardians, spouses or anyone else who might need to know before deciding to accept an offer to participate. Interns are expected to provide such persons with emergency contact information and to keep all relevant persons informed during the course of the internship. Given the degree of responsibility afforded to participants and the potential risks inherent to inner-city field work, all interns are required to attend all training and orientation sessions provided by the program supervisor.

Rebecca O'Brien with Fall Investigative Interns