ATTORNEY INTERN - SUMMER - 67146

Internship

The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) is a multi-faceted agency with a responsibility to serve the public by operating safe and secure prisons and providing effective community supervision. We take our mission seriously and every employee will work extremely hard to ensure we never compromise public safety.

The Department of Correction has approximately 6500 employees operating eleven prisons, six day reporting centers, an investigative-compliance unit and numerous probation/parole offices across the state. TDOC Central Office is located in downtown Nashville.

With the implementation of the Public Safety Act TDOC is able to provide seamless supervision to offenders in jail, prison, parole, probation, and community corrections to positively impact an offender's chances for success. We have an inherent responsibility to provide offenders with an opportunity to grow and change.

As an intern you will have the opportunity to work with TDOC programs that affect public safety and offender success across the state.

The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) Legal Division represents the agency and serves as in-house counsel involving inmate issues, employee issues, Probation and Parole issues, Criminal Law and in civil litigation. The legal staff establishes and interprets internal policy and regulations, advises the Commissioner, Executive Directors, and staff on legal matters, responds to public records requests and participates in the overall day-to-day management of the agency. Legal Division is tasked with balancing the TDOC's interest in maintaining the public safety while ensuring that the civil liberties and due process rights of inmates and parolees are protected.

Attorney Interns will work at the direction of Attorneys and Correctional Administrators and will be expected to be proficient and contribute to the issues assigned. They will be expected to perform task including research, writing, organization, and presentation efficiently and effectively. The interns will be expected to integrate knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development as they observe and participate in the day-to-day operations of the TDOC Legal Division. Interns are expected to develop interpersonal skills necessary to interact with Court Officials, Legal Partners, TDOC Staff, and Offenders.

Attorney Interns will observe the legal staff and develop skills to participate in assisting Attorneys in general matters related to TDOC legal advice and legislation. They will learn to perform task including research, writing, organization, and presentation on matters within the realms of criminal law, civil law, property, and behavioral health issues. They will attain knowledge in the development and interpretation of internal policy and regulations as well as learning to interpret policies and rules of other State Agencies such as the Department of Human Resources, Department of Labor and Workforce Development, etc. Interns may perform research and write memoranda; manage case files; perform administrative duties such as filing and copying; assist with preparation for trials, hearings, and depositions; attend client meetings; assist constituents; attend trials, hearings, arguments, and depositions.

Candidate must be seeking a Bachelor's, Master's or Advanced Degree in Criminal Justice, Political Science, Law, or related fields and be classified/enrolled as a Junior or greater. The internship must be for academic credit.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee's Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.