PD Internship Application
PD Internship Flyer
This is a yearlong, 10-20 hour/week, unpaid internship opportunity at the Office of the Public Defender in Gainesville, Florida. There will be 4 positions for this internship. The internship will start on May 1st, 2022 and end on April 31st, 2023 The Office of the Public Defender provides legal representation to low income clients facing criminal charges in Alachua County. This opportunity will provide exposure to clients facing misdemeanor and felony charges. The majority of clients are housed at the Alachua County Jail, however on occasion, clients are out on bail awaiting trial and complete interviews at the office. Students will need access to reliable transportation for this internship. Keep in mind you will be working on real cases that have drastic effects on people’s lives so take this very seriously.
Internship experience includes:
• Interviewing clients to collect information related to social background, mental health background, financial status, or other mitigating information;
• Collateral Interview of family members, employers, witnesses;
• Record Collection;
• Record Review;
• Communication with attorneys on case status and needs;
• Court attendance;
• Maintaining electronic notes on case activity;
• Written reports for attorneys on gathered information; and
• Other related duties, as assigned.
This is an excellent opportunity for students to gain invaluable experience and hands-on work experience in a legal setting. This will look very good on your law school/graduate school/med school applications. Please see important instructions for the application process below. All deadlines are hard and will not be extended. Lastly, we highly value diversity in the Psychology Department and as such preference will be given to those who are from underrepresented groups so please do mention this in your application materials if appropriate.
Application Minimum Requirements:
1. Must be at least 18 at time of start date
2. Must have reliable transportation
3. Must have at least a 3.0 GPA
4. Must be a Psychology Major
5. If selected must sign up for 1 credit of Psy 4949 each semester during the internship. If you have any questions about Psy 4949 you must contact the instructor Dr. Shani Kerr (s.kerr@ufl.edu). Also, make sure you are aware of the rules regarding the max number of independent work course credits you are allowed to enroll in and how this opportunity may affect your other plans. To learn more about this please look here (https://psych.ufl.edu/undergrad/research-internshipteaching-experiences/research-experience/) and
6. Must be able to pass a background check
Application Materials:
1. Vita/Resume
2. Transcripts (Unofficial copy is fine)
3. Personal Statement no more than 2 pages addressing your fit for this internship. Specifically, make sure you answer 1) Why you are a good fit for the internship and 2) How will this internship help you accomplish your future career/academic goals. Also, make sure you talk about how you represent a diverse/underrepresented group somewhere in your statement if revelant.
4. One letter of recommendation. Recommendations from faculty are preferred but will also accept letters from supervisors at psychology-related work (e.g., including volunteer work or internships). Application Submission,
Due dates, and important information:
1. All application materials are due by March 15th by 11:59pm
2. Send all materials to Dr. Brian Cahill (brian.cahill@ufl.edu). In the subject line put ‘PD Application Materials’ and send materials (1-3 above) in a single PDF file.
3. You will instruct your letter writers to send their letter directly to Dr. Brian Cahill at the above address. Have them put “PD Letter of Recommendation: Your name” in the subject line.
4. Dr. Cahill will review applications, rank them based on the content of yourmaterials, and do interviews shortly after. Final selections will be made by mid April by the PD office.
5. If you do not follow these instructions or your application is incomplete, your application will NOT be reviewed.
6. If you have any questions about the internship itself please email Dr. Brian Cahill but if you have any questions about the enrollment you should contact Dr. Shani Kerr