Legal Intern Jobs in Washington

Summary

Civil Legal Internship Program for Summer 2027

The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is looking for highly motivated rising 2L law students to join our office as Rule 9 Interns in the Summer of 2027. This is a 13-week program for students during the summer between their second and third year of law school. We will host two Rule 9 positions in our Civil Division for Summer 2027. The legal intern program is permitted under Admission and Practice Rule 9 which allows a limited license to practice in Washington State. Interns are paid $1,652.00 per week with no benefits (2027 pay rate).

About the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office

Guided by our core values of Integrity, Compassion, Professionalism, and Leadership, our mission is to do Justice:

• We exercise the power given to us by the people with fairness and humility.
• We serve our diverse community, support victims and families, and hold individuals accountable.
• We develop innovative and collaborative solutions for King County and the State of Washington.

Our office includes six divisions that are further organized into specialized units:

To learn more about the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO), please visit our website.

We value diversity and strive to hire a workforce that reflects the community that we serve. It is essential to our mission that we create and maintain an office that is diverse and inclusive. All PAO employees are expected to participate in PAO equity work and attend equity trainings and discussions. PAO employees are expected to comply with equity and social justice principles, and to work with PAO colleagues and management to identify opportunities for improvement.

Job Duties

The Civil Division functions as the in-house law firm for King County. The Division is comprised of about 80 lawyers and organized into eight specialized sections that provide comprehensive legal services to all branches of King County government, including elected and appointed officials, department heads, agencies, and offices. Our attorneys work closely with our clients to solve a wide range of legal challenges by providing legal advice and representing King County in lawsuits filed in state and federal courts. Our office also collaborates with client agencies to develop, fund, deliver, manage, and defend public projects, legislation, and initiatives that affect every aspect of civil society.

Specialized Sections:

Contracts provide legal assistance on procurements and administrative contracts, purchase of products and systems, bond and other finance and budget related matters.

County Services provide legal support to County agencies performing core governmental functions, such as the Assessor, the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention, the Health Department, the Sheriff, and others, as well as advise on operational issues and provides in-court representation when the actions of these county agencies are challenged.

Transportation and Real Property advise Metro Transit and agencies that manage the King County International Airport, county roads and bridges, and the county’s real-estate portfolio. Work also includes real estate matters, including acquisition, development, leasing and sale of real estate, and the acquisition of conservation easements, open space lands, and trails.

Employment advise management about all aspects of employment and labor law, including employee benefits, discipline and performance management, and worker’s compensation matters.

Land Use advise in the areas of land use planning, permitting, and environmental enforcement, including development of environmental rules and policies, defending legal challenges to county regulations and code violations, and defending agency decisions in litigation brought by developers and project opponents.

ITA represents King County designated crisis responders and hospitals through involuntary treatment act process.

Natural Resources provide legal support for Department of Natural Resources and Parks programs which include the Parks system, regional trails, the Solid Waste system, the regional system for treatment and disposal of wastewater, regional flood control services and land conservation initiatives.

Litigation handles lawsuits in both federal and state courts, including appeals. The Section also defends King County, County employees such as bus drivers, sheriff’s deputies, or public health nurses and doctors.

Typical day-to-day responsibilities for a Rule 9 intern in the Civil Division include a wide variety of challenging legal assignments that may include:

• Legal research and analysis.
• Drafting of legal briefs and memoranda.
• Participating in and observing depositions, mediations, arbitrations, court hearings, trials, and other professional activities and events.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• Eligible for a Washington State Rule 9 License and licensed at the time of start for summer 2027. This typically requires completion of second year in a three-year program. Part-time students and those in four-year programs are encouraged to check with their school and the WSBA before applying.
• Must pass a criminal background check, which will include fingerprinting.
• Must be a current 2L, who will be between their second and third years of law school during summer 2027.

Supplemental Information

All candidates should submit the following by July 27th, 2027:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• List of three references
• Unofficial transcript
• 5-10 page writing sample

Seattle University, University of Washington, or Gonzaga students are encouraged to apply via their school's job listing system in addition to the King County Career website. This is so your school can track its students' progress during OCI, and it also takes advantage of the interview slots the KCPAO has committed to your school during OCI.

If you are eligible to apply via a job fair that the KCPAO is attending, please do so. But be certain to submit your application and materials via the County’s website above.

Out of State Applicants:

Because of limited funds, out-of-state, on-campus recruiting is not anticipated and no funds are available to support candidates' trips to Seattle.

Interview Timeline & Process:

Materials will be reviewed and candidates will be notified if they are selected for an interview.

Interviews will happen at a combination of on-campus interviews, job fairs, and directly with our office by August 7th.

Offers will be made by September 11th.

Interviews for those students in the greater Seattle area will be held in person at the Columbia Center. Out-of-state candidates will interview via Microsoft Teams. If a local candidate requires a virtual platform, arrangements can be made by selecting the virtual option in the supplemental questions.

Consideration for Future Employment: 1L summer externs applying for a 2027 Rule 9 Internship will be evaluated carefully by their supervising attorney. There is no guarantee that an externship will lead to a Rule 9 Intern position or that a Rule 9 Intern position will lead to a future position with our office.

Cover letters and any questions related to the application process should be addressed to:

Selene Poulsen (she/her)

Senior Human Resources Analyst

King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office

516 3rd Avenue, Ste W400

Seattle, WA 98104