Local Government Clinic

Open to 4th, 5th, or 6th semester students, spring semester only.

6 units: 2 unit non-GPA class component and 4 unit fieldwork component, graded pass-fail.

Prerequisites: Constitutional Law I

Recommended Courses: State & Local Government Law, Labor Law, Land Use, Administrative Law (Fieldwork placement may depend on which of these courses have been taken).

Classroom Component: Meets for two hours weekly and covers the structure of local government, the allocation of power between federal, state and local governments, and the professional and ethical responsibility of lawyers who represent cities and municipalities.

Fieldwork Component: Students are expected to work 16 hours per week in a department of the San Francisco City Attorney's office; placements may also be available in the Berkeley, Oakland, or Palo Alto City Attorney's Offices. The focus of this clinic is not on litigation; students are not placed in litigation teams. Prior placements have included the following departments: government ethics,  health and human services, transportation, energy and telecommunications, code enforcement, real estate and finance, and the SFUSD team.

To enroll:  Interested students must complete and deliver applications to the Externships and Pro Bono Programs office by mid October. For a list of possible placements, email Nancy Stuart.  Application materials include: cover letter (including a reference to which practice team(s) you are interested in if you are applying to the San Francisco Attorney's Office), resume and a 5-10 page writing sample. Once you have received an offer from a placement and you have notified the Externships and Pro Bono Programs office, you will be given approval to enroll through WebAdvisor. 

What are the teams in the City Attorney's Office?

Attorneys in the San Francisco City Attorney's Office are organized into teams based on practice areas. We encourage intern candidates to state a team preference in their cover letter, however, final assignments are based on office needs. Internships may be available on any of the following teams:

• Airport (located at SFO)
• Child Protection and Family Services*
• Code Enforcement*
• Construction*
• Contracts and Intellectual Property
• Energy and Telecommunications
• Finance and Real Estate
• General Government*
• Government Ethics
• Health, Education and Social Services
• Labor*
• Land Use and Environmental Protection*
• Litigation*
• Port (located at Pier 1 in San Francisco) Public Protection Public Utilities Taxation Transportation Workers' Compensation*

* Indicates Litigation teams. These teams are not possible placement for Local Government Clinic students