The Office of Defense Services offers a variety of unpaid internship opportunities, including some specialized programs which are detailed below.

If you are interested in applying for an unpaid internship with the Office of Defense Services, please email your resume and cover letter to ODS_HR@delaware.gov. 

Please include the appropriate time frame of the internship, your days and hours of availability, the county in which you prefer to work and what your area of interest/career goal is such as an attorney, paralegal, investigator, social worker, etc. In addition, if you are seeking course credit for your internship and have reporting or supervisory requirements with which our office must comply, please include that information.

Due to budgetary constraints, all of our internships are unpaid. Interns are responsible for obtaining housing and transportation on their own. Interns are encouraged to obtain financial assistance through work-study, grants or other sources. Academic credits may be available upon completion of some of the internships. Please contact your university.

Office of Defense Services Intake/ Investigator Internship

The Office of Defense Services is now offering an unpaid internship in our Intake/ Investigative Unit. Positions are available for college students who are interested in getting first-hand experience in the Criminal Justice System. Positions are available in all three counties in the State of Delaware.

Participants will be assigned to the intake office and /or a correctional facility. This program will also allow students to observe our attorneys in actual courtroom proceedings, when available. The internship openings will be for the spring, fall and summer breaks. All candidates must pass a criminal background check. The Office of Defense Services I.T. staff will provide extensive computer training with a variety of data resources and applications.

Duties

The students selected for these positions will serve as a focal point for the Office of Defense Services. Many times you will be the first representative of our office that the potential client meets. As a result of the Office of Defense Services’ mandate of quality customer service, you must understand and appreciate the diverse population that our office serves.

The intern will be required to complete the initial financial eligibility form to qualify the potential client for legal representation. Corrected and updated pedigree information must be obtained. The intern will also review the criminal warrant information. The next step in the process would be to question the client regarding their version of the alleged incident. This information will be entered into various Office of Defense Services databases. The accuracy of this information is vital to the defense of our client. The attorney will utilize your investigative report to assist in the client’s defense in the criminal proceedings.

Where

There are opportunities in all three counties; New Castle (Wilmington); Kent (Dover); and Sussex (Georgetown). Offices hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday. However, your schedule can be flexible to meet the needs of your other requirements.

When

Spring: January to May (Interns may request a February start date to accommodate their school’s schedule)

Summer: May to August

Fall: September to December

How to apply: To apply submit your resume and cover letter to: ODS_HR@delaware.gov