Details
About Us
Undergraduate/Graduate Internships
The National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) hires undergraduate and graduate level interns for semester long internships throughout the year. Remote internship opportunities are also available. The internship program provides hands-on experience in criminal justice policy affecting elected and appointed prosecutors from across the country. NDAA also offers legal internships for students currently enrolled in an accredited law school. NDAA also offers law externships.
Interns have the opportunity to work on wide ranging topics with NDAA staff including in the areas of child abuse, animal abuse, domestic violence, gangs, gun violence, legislative and policy issues, and traffic law. Interns will also have the opportunity to research potential topics of interest and write articles for the Prosecutor Magazine, a compilation of articles published on a quarterly basis and sent to NDAA members. Duties also include attending congressional hearings, Justice Department briefings and other meetings around the city and providing detailed notes and reports as directed. NDAA strives for the internship experience to be as substantive as possible. To that extent, we are also happy to work with the student’s school to provide academic credit.
To be considered for an internship at NDAA, it is necessary for an applicant to have excellent writing skills, professional demeanor, and proactive attitudes as well as an interest in criminal justice policy or broad government affairs experience.
The unpaid internship positions are available on a full-time or part-time basis throughout the academic year and during the summer. We prefer that students work between 20-40 hours per week but are willing to accommodate students’ academic schedules. NDAA is located 1 block from the Crystal City Metrorail station.
How to Apply
Eligibility: All undergraduate and masters-level students, as well as recent graduates are eligible to apply.
Instructions: Please send completed application materials to NDAA via email at internships@ndaajustice.org Students who would like to be considered for an internship are asked to send the following items:
- Cover letter and resume (make sure to indicate in your cover letter which term you are applying for- spring, summer, fall- and, if you know, the days and hours you are available.)
- Writing sample (no longer than 5 pages.)
- A list of two to three references (please provide both the phone and email contact information for each; one should be a Professor or other individual familiar with your work.)
- A college or university transcript is strongly recommended (unofficial is acceptable.)
Key Dates
Spring Internships
Application Deadline: October 15
Notification: Mid-November
Duration: January-May
Summer Internships
Application Deadline: February 15
Notification: Mid-March
Duration: June-August
Fall Internships
Application Deadline: June 15
Notification: Mid-July
Duration: September- December
Applications received before the deadline will receive priority consideration. Applications received after the deadline are acceptable, however will only be reviewed if a position remains available. We are generally able to make accommodations for internships of different lengths.
Founded in 1950, the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) is a national, non-partisan non-profit membership association that provides training, technical assistance, and services to prosecutors around the country in support of the prosecution profession. As the oldest and largest association of prosecutors in the country with over 5,500 members, NDAA represents state and local prosecutors’ offices from both urban and rural districts, as well as large and small jurisdictions.
NDAA serves as a nationwide, interdisciplinary resource center for research, training, knowledge building, and accountability as it works to promote a fair and equitable administration of justice. Governed by a Board of Directors made up of appointees chosen by states’ prosecuting associations and current and past NDAA officers, our executive leadership, staff, and board members routinely provide expert policy advice, data, and testimony to the United States Congress and the Executive Branch on a wide variety of criminal justice issues. NDAA also provides amicus curiae briefs to the United States Supreme Court and engages on judicial decisions that impact the work of prosecutors throughout the country to maintain a high standard of ethics and professional responsibility.
As the leading source of national expertise on the prosecution function, NDAA is a valuable resource not only for our members but also for the media, academia, government, and the communities our members serve. As part of NDAA’s commitment to the prosecution profession, we disseminate books, manuals, newsletters, and monographs on topics and trends in the field ranging from witness protection to crash reconstruction. Our staff conducts or participates in nearly 100 trainings, conferences, and webinars each year. Additionally, the association responds to hundreds of requests for technical assistance each year via telephone, mail, and the website. Our capable staff of junior and senior attorneys, along with our training course program directors, aid in furthering the development of expertise in the program areas of gun violence, juvenile justice, DNA/forensics, violence against women, child abuse, capital litigation, and human trafficking.
Web: https://ndaa.org/about/internships/