Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office serves Florida’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit and prosecutes all criminal violations, delinquency petitions, and child support cases within its jurisdiction, Miami-Dade County. It is one of the largest prosecutorial offices in the nation and employs over 1000 employees.
Our goal is to work together as a team to see that the guilty are convicted through due process while ensuring that the innocent are not prosecuted. Our efforts also target the rights of children by establishing and enforcing child support obligations.
We designed the Internship and High School Volunteer Program to make it beneficial to the individual, as well as to the State Attorney’s Office. We want to provide individuals with a well-rounded experience in the criminal justice system and insight into how the State Attorney’s Office fits into the picture. A thorough screening and interview are conducted to ensure that the individual understands what to expect from the experience. One of the benefits you may gain from this experience is assistance in making a career choice.
Interns and high school volunteers receive “hands-on” experience after an initial training period. Here are some of the duties you may perform:
The Criminal Intake Unit handles complaints from law enforcement officers and civilians pre-arrest regarding certain crimes.
If the unit determines that another agency is better suited to handle the investigation or complaint, it refers the case to the appropriate agency.
The Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) handles cases involving violence within the family or between individuals who are or have been in an intimate relationship. DVU staff and attorneys handle complaints and prosecute cases. Counselors provide victims and family members with educational counseling on stopping the violence and information about community-based resources.
This unit is staffed with Victim/Witness Counselors who assist crime victims and family members of murder victims. They educate victims on their constitutional rights and provide them with the information and support they need to participate in the prosecution and take advantage of available services. As an essential member of the prosecution team, these Counselors also support prosecutors by determining witness and victim availability, transportation issues, and need for other special assistance or services.
Interns receive orientation about the Office of State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and the other agencies involved in the criminal justice system. They also receive training and/or training materials regarding professional responsibility and ethics, relations with victims and other witnesses, Judges, court personnel, police officers and the public, and in the practice and procedures of the various courts. There are periodic training sessions in the office for further instruction in case preparation, criminal law and trial practice. There will also be the opportunity for general discussion of daily problems and their solutions.
The experience gained through the program is given considerable weight if a clinical program student applies for post-graduation employment with this office. However, even if a student does not eventually join one of the agencies involved in the criminal justice system, an assignment in this office as a clinical student offers the unique opportunity to become familiar with the operation of the criminal justice system.
Applicants are subject to a criminal background check and clearance prior to acceptance. Therefore, it is necessary that the application provided by the Clinical Internship Coordinator be returned without delay to facilitate placement.
If you are interested in this program or have any questions, please contact the State Attorney’s Office Human Resources Department at (305) 547-0540, or you can submit your internship application to SAOJobs@miamisao.com or you can fax your resume to (305) 547-0779.