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USAO Internship
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 11:42 am
by Anonymous User
So I'll be interning at a USAO for my 3L year starting this fall..
Can anyone who's interned at a USAO before tell me what kind of work I can expect to be doing?
What sort of low-level litigation opportunities I might expect?
Thanks all!
Re: USAO Internship
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 2:46 pm
by mw115
Matters. Big district or little? Branch or home base? Assigned to a specific division/section?
Re: USAO Internship
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 5:00 pm
by Anonymous User
mw115 wrote:Matters. Big district or little? Branch or home base? Assigned to a specific division/section?
OP here.
It's a pretty big district; main branch. Criminal division; national security section
Re: USAO Internship
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 5:13 pm
by Anonymous User
Currently at a USAO similar to yours for the summer (or could be the same one, who knows).
I am also in the Criminal Division, but in the violent crimes unit. It really depends on who your assigned AUSA is (or AUSAs are). You'll be together with the other interns during orientation and all that, but then you really get siphoned off by your individual AUSA/AUSAs. My experience is probably more unique because I've been on a trial for most of the summer. I did a few sentencing memos and a motion for a summary dismissal of an appeal to the Circuit before things really heated up, but my summer's been almost exclusively trial prep and trial.
If the USAO you're at has a lot of trials (though I suspect not in a national security unit), you may have the option of having a similar ride. I'd highly recommend it. It's been wild, and such a great experience. My understanding from friends of mine who've also interned at a USAO has been that they spent most of their internship writing sentencing memos, responding to motions, etc. So be prepared for that possibility as well.
Re: USAO Internship
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 7:50 pm
by kalvano
This has been covered a ton. Do a search of this forum, you'll find all kinds of helpful information.
Re: USAO Internship
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 7:55 pm
by ggocat
I wrote memos and sections of appellate briefs, responded to a habeas/2254 motion (is that the right section? I can't remember...), wrote a response to a motion to dismiss, and generally did research for a few attorneys.
Like any job, it's really going to depend on who you work for and what the needs of the office are.