Criminal Legal Extern Program - Recruiting for Summer 2026

Full Job Description

Legal Extern Program Criminal Division - Summer 2026

This is a 10-week program for law students during the summer between their first and second years of law school.

The externship program is designed to give students a meaningful experience and exposure to public service law practice in our office.

It is an excellent way to become acquainted with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, pursue an interest in criminal law, and to determine whether this practice area is a future career path for the externs.

These positions are unpaid, but many law schools offer credit for externship programs.

About the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s OfficeGuided 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.

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.

Our office is comprised of six divisions that are further organized into specialized units:

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

Requirements

Externs with our criminal divisions will be assigned to one or more deputies in a specialized unit in one of the following divisions: Economic Crimes & Wage Theft Division, Gender-Based Violence & Prevention Division, Juvenile Division, Mainstream Criminal Division.

Duties in the Economic Crimes & Wage Theft Division, Gender-Based Violence & Prevention Division, and Mainstream Criminal Division may include:

• Legal research and writing.
• General preparation and support prior to and during trial.
• Weekly presentations by extern leaders, tours of partner facilities and trainings, and court observation

Duties in the Juvenile Division may include:

• Assisting in the review of cases for charging consideration.
• Trial preparation and legal research and writing.
• Collaborate in case staffing, where the extern will discuss the progress of cases with attorneys, victim advocates, and other members of the team.
• This extern will have the opportunity to learn about restorative justice principles and practices and how they can be applied to juvenile delinquency response.

Qualifications

• Must be a current 1L, who will be between their first and second years of law school during summer 2026.
• Candidates must have a genuine interest in criminal, juvenile law and procedure.
• Basic legal and writing skills.
• Willingness to work under frequent deadlines in the fast-paced environment of criminal litigation.
• Must submit to a criminal history check.
• The ability to consistently maintain a high standard of professionalism in interactions and conduct within a law office and courtroom setting.

Additional Information

Work Locations:

• Economic Crimes & Wage Theft, Gender-Based Violence & Prevention, Mainstream Criminal - King County Courthouse in Seattle or Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
• Juvenile Division - Clark Children & Family Justice Center in Seattle.

Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for a minimum of ten weeks.*

These positions are primarily in-person with some ability to telecommute each week as business needs allow, subject to a telecommuting agreement.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Wages: Many law schools offer credit and some offer fellowships or grants. Our office also offers an $85/week travel stipend.

Application Process: Interested candidates should apply through this recruitment and include: 1. Cover letter 2. Resume, and 3. Writing sample 5-10 pages in length

Applications or supplemental questionnaires that state "see my resume" or that are blank are considered incomplete and will not be competitive.

Timeline:
Applications due: February 18, 2026, at 12:00 noon.

Interviews by our extern selection committee will take place March 5th and March 6th for competitive applicants.

Consideration for Future Employment: Summer externs applying for our 2L summer intern program will be evaluated carefully by their supervising attorney. There is no guarantee that an externship will lead to a Rule 9 Intern position or a future position with our office.

* If you are enrolled in Seattle University School of Law's evening program and are interested in an Extern position, but unable to work full-time, please contact Amanda Kossman for other options.

Reasonable Accommodation:Persons with disabilities may request special accommodations from the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in order to participate in a selection process or to perform work once hired.

Requests for accommodations should be made as soon as possible. This may be done by a written letter or an appropriate alternative format to our offices, or phone 206-477-1204.