Summer Legal Intern (Paid) - HCRC

The Habeas Corpus Resource Center (HCRC) – a San Francisco judicial branch entity charged with providing direct legal representation to persons sentenced to death in capital post-conviction proceedings in California – is now accepting law student applicants for our Summer 2027 Intern Program.

HCRC's SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
HCRC counsel investigate and review the constitutionality of California capital convictions and sentences and file petitions alleging the ways in which our clients' constitutional rights were violated in their capital trial and sentencing procedures. They review extensive trial records, conduct and supervise new investigation, research and prepare petitions and briefs based on state and federal statutory and constitutional law, and represent our clients in evidentiary hearings. HCRC has an authorized staff of 88 people, including 34 attorneys.

Interns assist case teams in all facets of this work, attend a multi-day training program with interns from other Bay Area defense organizations, and participate in activities designed to introduce them to multiple aspects of the field of capital defense.

We are offering a temporary, paid, in-person internship program for up to two interns at our San Francisco office for

Summer 2027.

Some highlights of our benefits package include:

Paid State holidays during the term period: June 18 and July 5

Accrued Leave

$130 transit pass subsidy per month

HCRC employees are permitted to work remotely two days a week.

Equal Employment Opportunity
The Habeas Corpus Resource Center is an equal opportunity employer. HCRC believes that a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace culture enhances the performance of our organization and the quality of representation that we provide to a diverse client base. HCRC welcomes all applicants, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

Thank you for your interest in an internship, externship, or fellowship opportunity with the Habeas Corpus Resource Center!

Knowledge of:

Substantive and procedural legal principles of criminal and constitutional law and their applications.

California statutory and case law and provisions of the United States and California Constitutions.

Legal research methods.

Rules of evidence and conduct of proceedings in United States and California courts.

Knowledge of criminal defense trial and case law.

Principles and techniques of preparing effective oral presentations and written materials.

Ability to:

Perform legal research, including computerized legal research, and apply legal principles and precedents to particular sets of facts.

Present statements of facts, law, policy, and argument clearly, concisely, and logically in both written and oral form.

Use initiative and independent judgment within established procedural guidelines.

Draft legal correspondence and reports effectively and concisely.

Organize, prioritize, and coordinate multiple work activities and meet critical deadlines.

Exercise sound judgment and integrity.

Maintain confidentiality and cultural sensitivity

Operate personal computers and use specified computer applications, such as word processing.

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

Our summer internship is 40 hours per week and is in-person in our San Francisco office.

The internship is ten weeks long, beginning no earlier than June 1, 2027, and ending no later than August 20, 2027. This is a limited term position. Exact dates are set by HCRC to ensure that interns are available to attend multi-day training offered in conjunction with other defense agencies. Interns are also included in office-wide trainings and other opportunities for skill development throughout the internship.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Enrollment in an accredited law school.

INFORMATION SESSIONS
We will hold two virtual information sessions to answer questions about our work and internship program.

The first optional session will be held on October 19, 2026, at 5pm PST / 8pm EST.

Anyone who is interested can join the following Teams link at 5pm PST / 8pm EST on October 19: Teams Link (Meeting ID: 277 883 324 014 427; Passcode: 8r28wi6B)

The second optional session will be held on October 27, 2026, at 5pm PST / 8pm EST.

Anyone who is interested can join the following Teams link at 5pm PST / 8pm EST on October 27: Teams Link (Meeting ID: 277 917 838 710 23; Passcode: m2VK7yD3)

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