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What is the position with CDCR? What will you be doing?

A small firm is probably a better option. I have never heard of a corrections internship. Unless the work is substantive and you are interested in a career with CDCR they probably are not a good choice.

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Nothing wrong with splitting your summer, but I don't see how experience at the CDCR will help you. Most CDCR attorneys work for the Board of Parole Hearings. Work experience there is helpful if you are interested in prisoner law or even some aspects of criminal law; however, the work won't give you the kind of legal experience that criminal law jobs require (DAs/PDs/US Attorneys/crim defense/etc). And if you are interested in anything outside of criminal law the experience is of very limited value.

The CDCR does have attorneys in other divisions within it. However, unless your legal interests are narrow the experience there won't help you (maybe administrative law or working as an attorney in a state agency). You want to get broad based legal experience or specialized legal experience in a field you are interested in. Any experience is better than none but work at a small firm is most likely going to look much better on your resume.

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