College Student Volunteers

The United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California provides opportunities to undergraduate students on summer recess. To qualify, you must be returning to an undergraduate institution in the fall. This is known as an “extern” appointment and duty is on a volunteer (non-paid) basis. Externs work in the Criminal Division. Assignments may include assisting AUSAs with trial preparation, organizing evidence (discovery), transcribing calls, and assisting paralegals. Externs are encouraged to observe trials and other court proceedings in cases on which they have worked or in cases of general interest in the office.

For an externship during the summer (June through August), applications should be submitted no later than mid-December of the previous calendar year (e.g. applications for the summer of 2025 should be received by December 13, 2024). All externs undergo a partial background investigation before entering on duty.

Undergraduate students wishing to apply for an externship should email a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to externship coordinators Elia Herrera and Nisha Chandran at Elia.Herrera@usdoj.gov and Nisha.Chandran@usdoj.gov.  The email subject line should include the desired externship term (e.g., “Application for Summer 2025”).