Volunteers with the City of Seattle City Attorney's Office devote nearly 6,000 hours of volunteer time each year. People volunteer for a variety of reasons: some seek college credit, others want to gain valuable career experience, still others just want to feel good about contributing to the community.

The two Divisions that comprise the City Attorney's Office continuously recruit volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please follow the appropriate application process for the Division you are interested in.

What are the benefits of volunteering with the City Attorney's Office?

• Gain valuable experience and learn new skills.
• Complete a meaningful internship or externship that will help your resume stand out from the competition for graduate/law school.
• Learn about the criminal justice system and/or civil litigation process.
• Explore new career opportunities.
• Obtain legal, computer, and communication skills that employers are seeking.
• Earn college credit (contact your school for more information).
• An opportunity to give back to your community.

Public and Community Safety Division

What volunteer opportunities are available?

The PCS Division prosecutes misdemeanors for the City of Seattle. At various times throughout the year, assistance may be needed in the Domestic Violence Unit, Community Court program, harassment victim advocacy or victim and witness contact. Anyone interested should contact the volunteer coordinator directly for information on available opportunities.

What are the requirements to be a volunteer for the Public and Community Safety Division?

• A desire to learn.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Able to pass a criminal background check.
• Available during business hours to work in our downtown office.
• Commit to one or two school quarters. For certain positions, we request up to six months.
• One year of relevant school or work experience.
• Basic computer skills.
• Certain positions require additional training or education.

How do I apply?

• Call or e-mail Dana Anderson, dana.anderson@seattle.gov. Volunteer Coordinator, (206) 684-7761.
• Print and fill out the Volunteer / Internship application form.
• Print and sign a consent form for a criminal background check.
• Law students should provide a writing sample.
• Mail the completed application with resume and three references to:
  
  Seattle City Attorney
  Public and Community Safety Division
  Attn: Volunteer Coordinator
  700 5th Avenue, Suite 5350
  PO Box 94667
  Seattle WA 98124-4667
  
  Or FAX the completed application, resume, and three references to
  (206) 684-4648.

Once the application is received, we will contact you to set up a convenient time for an interview.

Civil Division

The Civil Division of the Seattle City Attorney's Office offers various internship opportunities throughout the year for law school students. The Civil Division provides legal counsel and representation to the City's elected and appointed officials. The Division is organized into eight specialized areas of practice in which attorneys provide legal counsel and representation in litigation at all levels of state and federal courts and administrative agencies. To learn more about these eight areas of practice, please see the Civil Division webpage.

The Civil Division is now accepting application materials for 2009 Fall Internships. To apply, please mail or e-mail a cover letter that expresses the Civil Division Section/s you are most interested interning with, a resume, writing sample, and a copy of recent law school transcripts to the internship coordinator:

• Seattle City Attorney's Office
  Civil Division
  Attn: Katie Lindstrom
  600 4th Avenue, 4th Floor
  PO Box 94769
  Seattle, WA 98124-4769
  Phone (206) 386-4074
  TTY Phone (206) 233-7206
  FAX (206) 684-8284
  katie.lindstrom@seattle.gov

If you have any questions about the application process, please do not hesitate to call or email.

Please keep in mind that the Civil Division does not have a set number of intern positions. The individual Directors of the eight Sections that comprise the Civil Division decide whether they can provide a good experience for an intern and, if so, then hire-- so it depends upon projected work, among other factors. The Civil Division tries to provide interns with a solid and enjoyable experience.