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Court approves paid internship at DA’s office funded from DA discretionary funds
Summary
The commissioners approved a paid internship program at the district attorney’s office funded entirely from the DA’s discretionary funds; the program will target second‑ and third‑year law students, with initial outreach to local law schools.
The court approved item 46, authorizing a paid internship at the district attorney’s office to be funded entirely from DA discretionary funds.
A representative for the DA’s office (identified in the meeting as Sean) told commissioners the internship will bring in second‑ and third‑year law students to increase interest in prosecution and build a pipeline of candidates for future hiring. "The idea is to bring in second and third year law students to work in our office, help increase the interest in prosecution," Sean said, adding that third‑year students in Texas can obtain a temporary license to practice and could assist ADAs on misdemeanor cases.
Sean said the DA’s office will primarily recruit from the University of Houston and South Texas College of Law because of proximity, while opening summer positions to students from across Texas. The DA representative emphasized the internship will be paid and funded from DA discretionary funds and will not impact county general funds.
Commissioners expressed support, noting the program could make candidates more valuable when hired full time. The motion carried with no recorded opposition.
Next steps: DA’s office to finalize recruiting details and restitution of funds will be handled through the DA’s internal discretionary processes; the clerk or treasurer will process payments as described by the DA representative.
