San Francisco District Attorney

SF District Attorney

Careers

Victim Services Internship

The Victim Services Division (VSD) of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office provides comprehensive advocacy and support to victims and witnesses of crime. VSD offers free services in various languages such as but not limited to English, Cantonese, and Spanish. Victim Advocates work to ensure that crime victims and their families are provided with the services and information necessary to be an integral part of the criminal process. We are looking for compassionate, responsible, and motivated interns to help us achieve our mission of supporting victims of crime.

Victim Services Interns will assist advocates and staff members perform the following responsibilities: 

    1. Shadow advocates as they use crisis intervention strategies and conduct intakes with victims of crime.
    2. Support advocates in completing California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) applications.
    3. Assist victims of crime in navigating the criminal justice system.
    4. Provide court support and escort victims to the courtroom when testifying.
    5. Assist with front office responsibilities such as but not limited to answering phones, checking voicemails, making copies, uploading documents, updating documents, etc.
    6. Accurately, gather, organize, and record data relevant to advocacy cases.
    7. Gather information for resources to hospitals, clinics, mental health services, and community-based organizations as needed.
    8. Conduct other duties required by management such as but not limited to creating resource guides, making flyers, organizing giveaway items, etc.

Application Process

  1. We are looking for highly motivated, responsible candidates from criminal justice, social work, psychology and legal academic studies fields. This internship may meet the requirements of academic courses or departments.
  2. Candidates will be required to make a 9-month commitment from September to May for this unpaid internship and work a minimum of 16 hours per week in office.
  3. Bilingual skills (Spanish and Cantonese) are highly desirable, and a high school diploma is required.

 

To apply, please submit a General Intern Application

All interested applicants should be prepared to submit the following materials:

    1. Cover Letter—Please address to Priscilla Portillo, Deputy Director of Vulnerable Victims & Community Engagement, and indicate the specific program(s) that you are interested in applying for. 
    2. Resume
    3. Adult Background Investigation Form
    4. A copy of government issued photo identification
    5. Writing Sample – No longer than 10 pages in length
Please note that all candidates are required to complete a Criminal Record Check Information Form with the submission of their application packet. These forms are thoroughly reviewed by our Bureau of Investigations, and applicants are encouraged to be candid. Acceptance into the Program is conditional upon the candidate passing a background check.
 

Email any questions to: SFDAInternship@sfgov.org

Program Dates: Mon. September 8, 2025 – Fri. May 29, 2026

  1. Application Period: Tues. April 1, 2025 – Fri. June 13, 2025
  2. Interviews: Mon. June 16, 2025 – Fri. June 27, 2025
  3. SFDA’s Notification of Offers into the Program: Fri. July 11, 2025
  4. Candidate’s Acceptance Deadline: Wed. July 16, 2025

Outside Employment Disclosure

California Government Code §§1125 through 1127 prohibits local agency officers and employees from engaging in activities that are incompatible, inconsistent, in conflict, or inimical with their agency employment. As a volunteer intern with our office, interns are bound by these sections of the Government Code. Students selected for any of the intern programs are advised that they may not perform any work (paid or unpaid) for any criminal defense attorney during the pendency of their internship with this office. This applies even if the criminal defense work is in a different county. Students who have other outside employment/incompatible activity during the pendency of their internship must disclose this to our office for review prior to accepting the internship.

Should an intern engage in outside employment/incompatible activity after commencing the internship, the intern must immediately advise the Internship Program Manager. If the outside employment/incompatible activity is deemed to fall within the prohibitions of California Government Code §1125 through 1127, the intern will not be able to remain in our program. If an intern has any questions concerning other employment/incompatible activity, they should contact the Program Director.

SF District Attorney