Clerkships

Become Part of the Best Kept Secret in Town

Types of Clerkships
Why Clerk with the OCA?
Testimonials
How Do I Apply?

 

Clerking at the City Attorney's Office is the best kept secret in town. Clerks in our office receive the depth of criminal prosecution and trial work as well as the breadth of civil litigation and transactional work.  We offer experience that prosecution-only agencies can't and that private law firms won't.  For those bitten by the political bug, it's also a hub for almost every major issue that occurs in the City. 

 

Cooley Connections

City Attorney Brig Smith recruiting at Cooley

 

Types of Clerkships

We offer two types of Clerkships: Externships and Internships.

 

What's the difference?  Class credit.

We are partnered with Cooley Law School and MSU College of Law to provide class credit for externships in our office. The number of credit hours you receive is based on the number of hours you extern with us.

If you are not looking for class credit and simply want real world experience, we offer that, too. We encourage anyone looking for top-notch "hands-on" legal training to apply for an internship with us.


Externships


Internships

Offered for class credit

Offered for experience

Credit hours based on hours worked

Hours worked based on availability

Apply through school

Apply directly through OCA

 


 

Why Clerk with the Office of the City Attorney?

Whether you plan to practice in Lansing or go out-of-state, the Office of the City Attorney provides educational and professional opportunities. Networking opportunities with political figures are presented to interns, along with a solid professional internship experience.

Our clerk interns have gone onto great things, including working in premier private law firms, clerking at the Michigan Supreme Court, and serving as full-time salaried attorney position in the Office of the City Attorney.

But don't just take our word for it. See what our former clerks have to say:


 


Testimonials

Clerk Composite Reduced Percent


Former clerks share their experiences in the Office of the City Attorney. 

Melissa B. Burke, Esq. - Kenny Shelton Liptak Nowak LLP

Raymond Janvier - Cooley Law School '08

Nicole Schuppner - MSU College of Law '10

Stephanie R. Ellis - Xerox Corporation, Legal Staff

Russ Kavalhuna - Clerk to Justice Michael Cavanaugh, Michigan Supreme Court

Ken Lane - Clark Hill, PLC

How Do I Apply?

 

We typically utilize 3 to 4 clerks per term. We consider 2L's and 3L's, as well as exceptional 1L's. We prefer students with coursework in ethics and evidence, especially those seeking courtroom experience. We will consider exceptions for students interested in policy, transactional, and other non-courtroom legal areas.

 

Externships

If you want to apply for an externship, please fill out the online application form directly through your school.

MSU College of Law students apply at: http://www.law.msu.edu/career/externships.html.

Cooley Law students apply at: http://www.cooley.edu/clinics/.

Internships

If you are interested in applying for an internship, please fill out and return our  application form:

Intern Application Form Image

Feel free to contact Assistant City Attorney Billie O'Berry at 517-483-4327 or boberry@lansingmi.gov with any questions.

 


Download Adobe Reader