Internship Opportunities

Appeals & Training Bureau

The Appeals & Training Bureau is responsible for handling all appellate matters before the Appeals Court and the Supreme Judicial Court. This internship presents the student intern with opportunities to develop legal writing and researching skills, with a concentration in appellate practice. The student intern will work closely with an experienced appellate practitioner on actual cases on appeal that are pending before the Massachusetts Appeals Court. The intern will be responsible for reviewing the entire trial court record, researching the law pertaining to the legal issues raised by the defendant/appellant, and drafting appellate briefs. Upon approval of the Bureau, student interns may conduct the oral argument before the Appeals Court when the student intern’s cases are scheduled for oral argument. There may be additional opportunities to get involved with other aspects of post-conviction practice, such as working on motions for new trial, drafting legal memoranda in opposition to motions, or assisting in the argument of such post-conviction motions. The student intern will work in our main office located in Woburn office. Rule 3:03 certification is not required. College interns are placed on a limited basis.

Child Protection Unit

The Child Protection Unit investigates and prosecutes cases involving child sexual abuse, serious child physical abuse, and child exploitation. A multi-disciplinary team approach is utilized to minimize secondary trauma to the child victim and to reduce the number of investigative interviews and court appearances for the child. Student interns work directly with the prosecutors and assist them with case investigation, legal research, drafting responses to motions to suppress and dismiss, and trial preparation. Interns work in our main office located in Woburn, MA, and assist with cases in the Superior Court, also located in Woburn. 3:03 certification is not required.

Cold Case Homicide Unit

The Cold Case Homicide Unit is dedicated to investigating homicides and missing persons cases that have remained unsolved for an extended period, sometimes stretching back decades. Depending on the circumstances, these cases may be solved through advances in forensic science and technology; through changes in the disposition and attitudes of witnesses; and through old-fashioned shoe leather police work and grand jury investigation. Critical to the work of the unit is the identification and assembling of the existing records of a case, which may be spread among multiple different agencies and organizations. Interns attached to the unit must be prepared to encounter troubling fact patterns and be committed to adhering to the highest level of confidentiality. The primary location will be 15 Commonwealth Ave in Woburn but may require travel to other offices on an as-needed basis. 3:03 certification is not required.

Communications/Community Partnerships

The Communications/Community Partnerships department is responsible for overseeing all public communication from the office in addition to advancing the District Attorney’s public policy agenda through prevention and intervention programs, public-private partnerships.The department is responsible for media requests, writing and distributing press releases, and keeping the public informed of office initiatives, cases, and activities in addition to overseeing regional task forces, outreach and education, and county-wide awareness campaigns. Students will assist with organizing and attending community events, including events with the District Attorney. Interns with this department will assist in advancing the mission of the office through drafting content to promote the District Attorney's priorities and may be required to work on assignments at the request of the District Attorney.  The primary location will be 15 Commonwealth Ave in Woburn but may require travel to communities in MIddlesex County on an as-needed basis. 

District Courts

There are twelve District Courts and four Juvenile Courts located in Middlesex County. Law students who have completed their second year of law school and who are eligible for Student Practitioner Certification under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:03 can apply to intern in those courts. Certified student practitioners represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts during court proceedings (e.g. arraignments, bail hearings, motion hearings and trials) under the supervision of an Assistant District Attorney; are assigned legal research & writing projects; and assist with discovery and trial preparation. 3:03 intern placements are made at the discretion of the Director of Hiring and Training. Law students without 3:03 certification and college students will be assigned to District Court teams on a limited basis.

Elder Abuse & Disabled Persons Protection Unit

The Elder Abuse & Disabled Persons Protection Unit is a team of prosecutors and victim witness advocates who are trained in the investigation and prosecution of physical and financial abuse against the elderly and the disabled. Interns assist in reviewing referrals and investigations from the Disabled Persons Protection Commission, research legal issues, prepare motions to dismiss and motions to suppress, assist with trial preparations, and observe court proceedings. 3:03 certification is not required.

IT Department:

The IT Intern position provides assistance for project and daily related duties to the IT staff to meet MDAO’s technology needs. Essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following: assist in office wide PC operating system, application installations and upgrades; assist in breakdown and setup of PC’s; maintain the inventory of computer hardware; peripherals and software licensing; basic troubleshooting of PC hardware and software imaging of initial configurations of PC’s; assist in building and maintaining Windows servers; assist in design of office intranet website; other tasks and duties as requested by IT staff. The candidate should be enrolled in technology related courses, have previous experience in IT support (highly desirable but not necessary) and have the ability to lift up/push 40 lbs. Primary location will be 15 Commonwealth Ave, Woburn but may require travel to other offices on an as needed basis.

Special Investigations Unit

The Special Investigations Unit is a team of prosecutors, Massachusetts State Police and civilian investigative specialists who are dedicated to the investigation and prosecution of high level narcotics, organized crime, public integrity, terrorism, corruption, and cyber crimes. Student interns will be responsible for assisting trial attorneys in trial preparation, including preparing documents for trial, analyzing phone records, listening to jail calls and preparing demonstrative aids for trial. Interns work in the main office located in Woburn, MA, and assist with cases in the Superior Court, also located in Woburn. 3:03 certification is not required.

Asset Forfeiture

The Asset Forfeiture Group is part of the Special Investigations Unit and is responsible for handling the MDAO’s civil litigation matters. Student interns will be responsible for assisting trial attorneys in legal research, drafting complaints, drafting motions, drafting oppositions, drafting and responding to discovery requests, and trial preparation. Interns work in the main office located in Woburn, MA, and assist with cases in the Superior Court, also located in Woburn. 3:03 certification is not required.

Superior Court Trial Teams

The MDAO has four Regional Superior Court Trial Teams (Cambridge, Framingham, Lowell, and Malden and a development team). Each team is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of major felonies. Student interns research evidentiary issues, draft motions and memoranda in opposition to defense motions, assist with discovery compliance and trial exhibits, take notes during trial regarding trial testimony, etc. The Cambridge and Malden teams work out of the main office in Woburn. The Framingham, Lowell and Development teams work out of our Framingham and Lowell regional offices respectively. 3:03 certification is not required.