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Interns & Volunteers

Interns & Volunteers

This page has information regarding the following intern and volunteer positions:

Self-Help Center and Family Law Facilitator's Office (SHC/FLFO) Volunteers and Interns

The SHC/FLFO assists tens of thousands of self-represented litigants each year with their family law and civil cases. Litigants are assisted with family law issues such as divorce, parentage, custody, visitation, and support; violence prevention applications such as Domestic Violence and Civil Harassment Restraining Orders; civil matters such as small claims and unlawful detainers; and probate matters such as guardianships, conservatorships and name and gender changes. For a complete list of services offered by the SHC/FLFO, please visit our website at the following link: https://www.scscourt.org/self_help/shcflfo.shtml

Volunteers and interns enjoy a unique clinical experience by providing direct assistance to self-represented litigants under the supervision of staff attorneys. Their duties include, but are not limited to, interviewing litigants at the Restraining Order Help Center, assisting customers with completing court forms, and explaining legal concepts and procedure in a way that our customers can comprehend. They will also assist with judicial support tasks such as preparing orders after hearing. As a result, interns and volunteers learn interviewing and fact gathering skills, become familiar with court forms and procedures, interact with Judicial Officers and court staff, and gain experience in substantive areas of law covered at the SHC/FLFO.

Applicants must be interested in working with the public, who may be traumatized and frustrated at times, detail oriented and comfortable with working in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

Attorneys and law students are encouraged to apply. Please include a resume and cover letter stating your reasons for wanting to work as an intern or volunteer at the Self Help Center and Family Law Facilitator's Office. Please note that due to court guidelines, we are unable to accept applicants who are involved in any capacity in ongoing cases before the Santa Clara County Superior Court or attorneys with an active practice in Santa Clara County.

Judicial Interns

The Judicial Internship Program is a two-month structured program, usually run in June-July, where eligible interns (i.e., college students and graduates) are placed under the supervision of Judicial Officers and follow an organized and regulated program for learning. In many cases, interns will receive credit toward their degree, but in all cases the internships allow students the opportunity to gain exposure to Court processes.

Time Commitment and Hours of Service: Judicial Interns are asked to commit for a minimum of two months and at least 16 hours per week; however, this is flexible. The hours of service are within Court hours (8 am - 5 pm). Parking for interns is only available at select facilities – we encourage the use of public transit, or other commute alternatives (see http://511.org ).

We encourage interested students to check the Court's Employment page  in mid-February to apply for the Judicial Summer Internship Program.

Court Reporter Interns

Court Reporter Interns are welcomed and encouraged to participate in a variety of courtroom experiences available in Superior Court through the Court Reporter internship opportunity. Interns may include students from court reporting schools who are completing state-mandated intern hours for licensing, students who have taken the state licensing exam and wish to gain courtroom experience while awaiting results of the exam, and licensed Court Reporters seeking familiarity with the court system who may be considering employment with Santa Clara County Superior Court.

Parking for interns is only available at select facilities – we encourage the use of public transit or other commute alternatives (see http://511.org).

For inquiries regarding Court internship programs, email: internship@scscourt.org for more information. For starters, completion of the form below will be requested:

Court Reporter Information Form

Civil Grand Jurors

The Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara is currently accepting applications for service on the 2025-26 Civil Grand Jury.  The application can be found here and can be submitted online to CGJ@scscourt.org. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 28, 2025. For more information, please visit the Civil Grand Jury page or email CGJ@scscourt.org.

Temporary Judge Program

Under the California Rules of Court, qualified and experienced attorneys may volunteer their time to serve as part of the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara's Temporary Judge Program. Court-appointed Temporary Judges serve at the discretion of the Presiding Judge and must meet the requirements of rules 2.812 - 2.815 of the California Rules of Court.

The Court continuously recruits volunteer attorneys to serve in this capacity for the Civil, Family, Small Claims, Traffic, and Probate divisions. Interested attorneys who have been members of the California State Bar for at least ten years are encouraged to apply online.

For information about the application process, training opportunities, and program requirements, please visit the Temporary Judge Program page or email TJP@scscourt.org.