Middlesex District Attorney’s Office
15 Commonwealth Avenue Woburn, MA 01801
Pro Bono Internship Opportunities
About the Office
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office serves the largest county in New England, covering 54 diverse cities and towns.
Our core mission is to protect and serve the people who work, live, and raise their families in Middlesex County. Assistant District Attorneys, Victim Witness Advocates, Paralegals, and other talented professionals pursue this mission through exhaustive investigations, unassailable prosecutions, and compassionate victim advocacy.
We are also committed to innovative crime prevention and intervention initiatives. Our staff partners with community groups, social service providers, medical professionals, private industry leaders, and law enforcement officers to address a variety of public safety issues.
Pro Bono 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.
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
District Courts
There are eleven 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 bench trials) under the supervision of an Assistant District Attorney; are assigned legal research & writing projects; and assist with discovery and trial preparation. Students will be placed in any of the eleven District Courts at the discretion of the Intern Coordinator. 3:03 certification is not required.
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.
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. The hours are flexible from Monday to Friday between 8 AM – 6 PM; minimum of 20 hours up to 37.5 per week. 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). 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 and Lowell teams work out of our Framingham and Lowell regional offices. 3:03 certification is not required.
COVID-19
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office requires employees to have received COVID-19 vaccination or to have been approved for exemption as a condition of employment. Finalists will be given details about how to demonstrate receipt of vaccination or request an exemption due to a sincerely held religious belief or if the vaccine is medically contraindicated.
To apply for an unpaid internship, complete an Intern Application form which can be found on the office website at www.middlesexda.com and submit to Aliya Khalidi, Hiring Coordinator, with a cover letter, resume and references. All application packets should be sent via email to mdaojobs@state.ma.us. If applying for an internship during the academic year, please indicate in your cover letter the specific days/hours and over what period of time you are available to intern.