Internships

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office Internship Program offers students an exciting opportunity to learn how to practice in many areas of the law, including criminal prosecutions, consumer protection, appellate practice, constitutional law, and litigation.

The AGO Advantage

Interning at the Attorney General’s Office gives you the opportunity to work on cases that directly impact policy and people. The Office offers work experience opportunities beyond what may be offered in a private law office, along with mentorship, leadership, and guidance from experienced and well-respected attorneys in various divisions of the Office.

The Attorney General’s Office has three goals in offering internships to students: providing real-world litigation experience, securing future employment, and offering training for the next generation of public-service attorneys.

1. Providing real-world litigation experience

Internships are designed to give students a preview into what it is like to work as an attorney. Interns are given projects and assignments immediately upon starting the program. These projects are designed to provide real-world work experience and teach skills that can transfer to many areas of practice within the legal field.

Assignments commonly completed by interns in the program include, but are not limited to:

• Writing trial and appellate briefs

• Conducting witness/victim interviews

• Researching questions of law on active cases

• Reviewing active case files and investigations

• Appearing and arguing in court proceedings and taking depositions*

*If an intern is certified under Missouri Supreme Court Rule 13, he or she may be able to personally participate in the proceedings under the supervision of a staff attorney.

Internships also regularly provide networking opportunities with various attorneys, state offices, and judges, as well as opportunities to interact with clients. Interning at the Office includes trips to federal and state courts, tours of prison and crime laboratories, and visits to various state offices, such as the State Capitol.

2. Future Employment:

The Office uses the internship program to cultivate the best and brightest minds for the incoming Class of Assistant Attorney Generals who are dedicated to public service. By hiring students as interns, the Office is able to begin the onboarding process earlier and create a stepping stone for hiring students into full-time positions upon graduation from law school.

Students who have previously interned at the Office are allowed to interview before and during their third-year of law school and may be offered a full-time position, contingent upon graduation and admission to the Missouri Bar.

3. Training the Next Generation:

The Office views the internship program as a way for students to learn more about the law and grow in their legal experience. Because of this, mentorship is highly valued, and feedback from mentors is encouraged. Each intern is assigned to a supervising attorney, who is the intern’s mentor and main point of contact throughout the program. The mentor assigns projects, answers questions, and provides feedback to the intern. Mentors provide guidance, advice, and encouragement throughout each project to help the intern become a well-rounded attorney.

The Office also values feedback from the interns about their experiences. Since the internship program is focused on students’ development and growth, the Office is continually updating and modifying the program to best fit the needs of students. Interns are encouraged to provide feedback on the program throughout their experience and fill out their own evaluation of the program at the end of their internship.

Locations and Divisions Where You Can Work

The Attorney General’s Office is one of the largest legal employers in the State of Missouri. Interns can be placed at any of the Office’s locations in:

• Jefferson City
• St. Louis
• Kansas City (only Civil Sections)
• Springfield (only Civil Sections)
• Cape Girardeau (only Civil Sections)

The main office in Jefferson City is the only office that houses all sections for both the Civil and Criminal Divisions. Each regional office houses various sections, and interns may be placed in any of the following:

Civil Division: Consumer Protection Section, Financial Services Section, Governmental Affairs Section, Labor Section, Litigation Section.

Criminal Division: Cold Case Unit*, Criminal Appeals Section*, Medicaid Fraud Section*,  Public Safety Section (Habeas Unit*, Special Prosecution team, and Sexually Violent Predator Unit), Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.*

Administration/Special Teams: Solicitor General’s Office, Special Litigation Team, Communications Team*, Constituent Services/Policy*, Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force*

* Jefferson City only.

A list of each division outside of Administration and Special Teams can be found here.

How to Apply

The Office’s internship program focuses mostly on law student interns, but certain sections may also host undergraduate interns. The majority of the Office’s internships occur during the summer, but internships/externships are also available during the fall and spring semesters. The internships can be paid and/or used toward achieving school credit.

On-campus interviews are conducted at all four Missouri law schools (University of Missouri – Columbia and Kansas City campuses, Washington University, and St. Louis University) and a variety of other law schools. Please contact your law school’s career development office for more details on upcoming application deadlines and interview dates. The office also collects applications from out-of-state students on its website at: Join Our Team

For other questions about applying for an internship at the Attorney General’s Office, please contact the recruitment team at recruitment@ago.mo.gov. Should you need additional assistance, please call the office’s main line at 573-751-3321.

Student Testimonials

“I am very glad to have spent a summer with the Missouri Attorney General’s office. I got to work with a number of lawyers, and I can’t speak highly enough of the people both professionally and personally. I was given some incredible opportunities to do real substantive work, such as helping draft several briefs. As I enjoy writing, this was a big highlight for me. I got to work on a variety of cases- everything from property to criminal to tax. My summer with the AGO was rejuvenating for me because it was a chance for me to take what I had learned in my first year of school and apply it to actual cases. I learned so much about being a lawyer and about different areas of the law, and I got to know some incredible people. I would recommend this internship for any law student!”

• John Schutte, University of Virginia School of Law 2022, Jefferson City Office

‘My internship with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office has been the most valuable and educational experience I’ve had in law school. It helped me improve my legal research and writing skills and provided me with meaningful, hands-on experience fast! After two years of reading about the law, I was finally able to apply what I’ve learned by drafting memos and court filings for attorneys and even conducting my first deposition! My intern supervisors assigned me projects and asked me questions that pushed me outside of my comfort zone and made me a better student attorney. After my experience this summer, I would strongly recommend an internship with the AGO to any of my classmates, but especially those interested in public service.”

• Maddie McMillian, Mizzou 2021, Jefferson City Office
  

“I could not have crafted a better summer experience than I had at the AGO. Not only did I benefit from attending court proceedings almost every week, I was able to draft 7 legal documents during my 9 week internship, including motions, petitions, and memorandums. Everyone I worked with at the AGO was approachable, helpful, and was invested in helping me learn. Rather than being stuck researching at a computer all summer, I worked directly with attorneys and gained hands-on experience. I cannot recommend this internship highly enough!”

• Alyson Englander, UMKC 2021