The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has internship opportunities throughout the year for law school, masters-level, and college students. The Attorney General’s Office will consider applications for full or part-time legal internships during the spring and fall semesters of the school year, and typically full-time internships during the summer.
What to Know:
- Interested students will have strong legal writing and research skills, initiative, and an interest in the work of the Attorney General.
- Internships at the Attorney General’s Office are unpaid.
- Internships typically offer one-to-one supervision by an experienced lawyer, an opportunity to work with other lawyers in the Office, and broad exposure to sophisticated government practice.
- Typical job duties for interns include research and writing for internal purposes (e.g. memoranda). Previous interns have also researched and drafted Vermont Supreme Court briefs and trial court motions and participated in hearings, trials, and depositions.
- Duties may vary depending on the particular Division of the Attorney General’s Office where the internship is focused.
- Summer Internships with the Attorney General’s Office typically include weekly brown bag lunches with other interns from across the office and Division Chiefs (allowing interns to hear about the work of our Office); supervisors within your assigned Division; and connections with mentor attorneys from outside your assigned Division.
- Our interns are typically 1st or 2nd year law school students and masters-level students, but the Attorney General’s Office occasionally has opportunities for undergraduate students.
How to Apply:
- The Attorney General’s Office accepts applications from interested interns directly to our office and also recruits at seasonal job fairs and law schools.
- Interested applicants should send: a cover letter, resume, current transcript (can be unofficial), a short writing sample and contact information for three references.
- If you are interested in a particular Division of the Attorney General’s Office please indicate your interest in the cover letter. Divisions of the Office include:
- Environmental Protection Protection Division; (includes Consumer Protection Unit, Civil Rights Unit, and Environmental Protection Unit);
- Human Services (includes Corrections, Economic Services, Family Services and Child Development, Department of Vermont Health Access, Health, and Mental Health)
- Criminal (includes Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit);
- Civil Litigation;
- General Counseling and Administrative Law (includes Tax Unit and Transportation Unit); and
- Community and Restorative Justice
- The Front Office, which hosts legislative and communications interns.
→ For more information or to express interest in an internship with the Attorney General’s Office, please email: AGO.careers@vermont.gov. (We are no longer accepting applications for the Summer of 2024, as all positions have been filled.)
What past interns are saying:
"I joined the Vermont Attorney General’s Office to expand my knowledge of how different areas of environmental law intersect and learn how to develop and argue legal theories efficiently. The internship satisfied all my goals, giving me invaluable insight into the complexities of the field. From preparing for and witnessing the start of a lawsuit to delving into administrative law and attending depositions, the internship provided a diverse and immersive exposure to the legal realm. The experience was enriched by a very welcoming and competent team of attorneys and supervisors who provided excellent support and guidance every step of the way. The internship undeniably set the bar high and fueled my determination to pursue a career in law."
Anokhi, Vermont Law and Graduate School ’24, summer 2023 intern
“My internship in the Civil Rights Unit at the Vermont Attorney General’s Office was an invaluable exposure to public service work. I was immediately given the opportunity for hands-on work and integral participation in cases. I was able to develop fundamental legal skills through frequent factual analysis of claims and consistent feedback on my written work. Moreover, I gained critical perspective and appreciation for government work, as I was able to interact with members of the public and see firsthand the positive impact of my daily work. I would highly recommend this internship.”
Hannah, Columbia Law School ’21, summer 2019 intern
Hannah graduated from Columbia Law School in 2021 and, following a clerkship in the Eastern District of New York, is now an Assistant Attorney General in our Environmental Protection Unit.
“I joined the Attorney General’s Office with the goal of learning more about litigation and government advocacy––I achieved that and more! I drafted a variety of court documents, researched topics related to ongoing state and federal cases, and participated in different hearings. I created meaningful relationships with staff attorneys inside and outside of the division, which made my experience even more impactful.”
Kendall, Vermont Law School ’22, spring 2022 intern
"The Attorney General's Office gave me a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience in state civil rights, environmental, and property law. I reviewed and drafted various court documents and settlements and mooted my supervising attorneys for hearings for Vermont Superior Courts and the Vermont Supreme Court. My supervising attorneys provided me with work flexibility and invaluable feedback, mentorship, and insight on being a public legal servant. The externship program is well-established, and I felt immensely supported throughout my summer experience."
Chase, Vermont Law and Graduate School ’24, summer 2023 intern
“I feel so fortunate to have had the experience to work in the Civil Rights Unit at the Vermont Attorney General's Office. This internship is unique because interns have ample opportunities to work directly with the community. During my time with the CRU, I interviewed witnesses, drafted charges of discrimination and requests for information, answered incoming calls and emails from community members, and much more. My favorite part of the CRU was the investigative process and being able to really dig into cases. Further, the attorneys and investigators in the unit were incredibly supportive - always going out of their way to expose me to new areas of the work and providing mentorship to help advance my own skills. Being a legal intern with the CRU will definitely be one of the highlights of my law school career. I absolutely recommend it!”
Vanessa, Vermont Law and Graduate School ’24, summer 2023 intern
What schools have our interns come from?
Past interns at the Attorney General’s Office have attended:
- Vermont Law and Graduate School
- American University Law School
- Boston College Law School
- Cardozo School of Law
- Champlain College
- Columbia Law School
- CUNY-Queens
- CUNY
- Duquesne Law School
- Elizabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
- George Washington Law School
- Harvard Law School
- New York University School of Law
- University of Louisville School of Law
- University of Vermont
- Yale Law School
- And many more…
Where are they now?
Students who have interned with the Attorney General’s Office go on to successful careers including:
- Vermont Attorney General’s Office
- Vermont Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs
- Vermont Treasurer’s Office
- Michigan Attorney General’s Office
- Private Practice, Burlington, Vermont
- Private Practice, Portland, Maine
- Law Clerk, Connecticut Superior Court
- Law Clerk, Alaska Superior Court
- Law Clerk, Maine Supreme Court
- Clerkship, Department of Justice Honors Program