Public Defender Investigator Intern

Travis County Public Defender’s Office
Officially opening our doors in January 2021, TCPDO provides high-quality holistic defense representation to indigent people accused of crimes in Travis County. Our interdisciplinary team-based model features criminal defense attorneys, Padilla immigration attorneys, social workers, civil paralegals, investigators, and legal secretaries working together to serve clients’ expressed goals and needs related to the criminal charges, and to combat the harmful collateral consequences/enmeshed penalties they trigger.

Born out of a desire to see improved outcomes for people coming through the County’s criminal legal system, all TCPDO advocates are guided by the community-shaped goals set out in our foundational documents: ( 1) promoting a client-centered culture that values and respects client dignity; (2) serving as a strong, independent, institutional voice for public defense; (3) providing a training ground that produces excellent defenders; (4) raising the quality of criminal representation for all people charged with crimes in Travis County who cannot afford an attorney; and (5) being resourceful and responsive to the evolving needs of the community.

Investigative Interns
PDO Investigators are a critical part of the defense team as they work in concert with public defender attorneys to investigate allegations of suspected violations of criminal statutes and possible legal defenses to and mitigation against those allegations and use their findings to provide information to help guide the course and outcome of client representation. As an investigative intern, you will work closely with PDO investigators in planning and conducting complete investigations of criminal allegations and circumstances of clients’ lived experiences. This may include but is not limited to: taking photographs and measurements; collecting and evaluating physical and testimonial evidence; serving subpoenas; present orally and in writing findings of investigation; and preparation of demonstrative evidence for use in proceedings related to the allegations.

Please note in your application if you are fluent in Spanish. To apply, please send a resume and statement of interest to TCPDOInternProgram@traviscountytx.gov. Please note this is an unpaid internship.