Legal Intern Spring 2026 (Prison Legal Services Section)

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

• Our Mission: Advocating. Fighting. Helping.
• Our Vision:    A Fair Justice System.
• Our Values:   Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community.

We are committed to building a work environment where all team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public in our pursuit of fairness and justice for all people.

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is seeking a motivated legal intern who would work primarily with attorneys at the Lorain Correctional Institution. The legal intern will assist attorneys in the Prison Legal Services section in providing zealous, empathetic, and committed advocacy for incarcerated indigent individuals in Ohio. You will work under the supervision of OPD attorneys and work collaboratively and be mentored by attorneys and support staff on a range of legal advocacy, including meeting with clients and providing representation in matters related to violation hearings, parole, prison, and criminal law. 

We are seeking a current 2L or 3L student with a legal intern certificate who has demonstrated a commitment to public defense and social justice and who is interested in working with people who are incarcerated in a prison setting.

Your job duties include but are not limited to:

• Reviewing discovery materials for parole and post-release control violation hearings.
• Contacting relevant witnesses and gathering relevant evidence.
• Observing panel hearings or full board parole hearings for clients seeking release onto parole after decades in prison and sharing questions and feedback with attorneys.
• Conducting legal research, including locating relevant case law for violation hearing defenses and answering legal questions.
• Under supervision of a licensed attorney:
• Conduct factual investigations, review case material, and analyze pending cases.
• Accompany staff attorneys to client visits, oral arguments, or other proceedings.
• Participate in department meetings, moot courts, roundtables, and agency-wide meetings.
• Represent clients at post-release control violation hearings.
• Conduct interviews with clients on phone or in-person.

You will enjoy flexible scheduling based around your school or work schedule and work 10-20 hours per week during the 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM hours. The position does require in-office time; work-from-homes will also be available, as approved. The duration of this paid internship is planned for January through May 2026; there may be the opportunity to continue the internship on a modified schedule into the summer.

*Please upload a cover letter and your legal intern certificate to your application. In your letter, please include the number of hours per week you’re able to work.*

This position is an intermittent position that pays $22.96 per hour. There may also be annual cost of living adjustments.

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us at 614-466-5394 or HCM@opd.ohio.gov.

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

• Certificate as legal intern as issued by Ohio Supreme Court. 
• Job Skills: Attorney/Legal; Active Learning; Building Trust; Attention to Detail; Problem Solving; Confidentiality

Intentional omission of relevant information, falsification, or misrepresentation of information on the application will disqualify the applicant. In addition, such intentional acts are grounds for immediate termination of an employee.

Final candidates selected for this position will be required to undergo a drug test. An applicant with a positive test result will not be offered employment. Final candidates selected for this position will also be required to undergo a criminal background check and state income tax check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration. 

This position serves at the pleasure and discretion of the State Public Defender. This position serves in a fiduciary relationship to the State Public Defender and will have an unclassified status per Ohio Revised Code 124.11 (A) (29).

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.