Internship Opportunities
Legislative Internships
Description of duties: constituent correspondence, legislative research, press releases, and event planning.
Assemblymember Addis
- Student intern (unpaid) in San Luis Obispo, CA.
- Assemblymember Addis is seeking an intern to work in the 30th Assembly District Office, under direction of the District Director and staff.
- To Apply:
- Submit a cover letter, resume, and 1-2 references to Andrea Chmelik, District Director, at andrea.chmelik@asm.ca.gov
- Additional Information and application here
- Position open until filled
United States Senator Alex Padilla
- Internships are available in the Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno, and DC offices.
- Instructions to apply: https://www.padilla.senate.gov/services/internships/
- Use this link to apply to any of Senator Alex Padilla’s six offices. Please complete the application found at the link. When applying, please submit an updated resume and a cover letter in a single PDF.
- If you have any questions regarding the application or internship, please contact the internship coordinators via email at internship_padilla@padilla.senate.gov
United States Congressmember Salud Carbajal
- Contacts:
- San Luis Obispo Office: Greg.Haas@mail.house.gov
- Santa Barbara: Esmeralda.Estrada@mail.house.gov
- Washington, DC: Tommy.Vo@mail.house.gov.
- District office: 1411 Marsh Street, Ste. 205
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 - Phone: D.C. internship: (202) 225-3601 / SLO internship: (805) 546-8348
- Website: https://carbajal.house.gov/
- Apply Here: https://carbajal.house.gov/forms/internships/
- Note: Internships available in Washington D.C. or in the District offices.
Capital Fellows Programs
- Sacramento State University
- Programs offered:
- California Senate Fellows
- Executive Fellowship
- Judicial Administration Fellowship
- Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship
- Website: https://www.csus.edu/center/center-california-studies/capital-fellows/
- Note: For graduating seniors only. Applicants must have completed their undergraduate degrees by September of the fellowship year.
The Maddy Institute
- Contact: Guadalupe Cruz
- The Maddy Intern Scholar Program
California State University, Fresno - Email: gcruz0521@csufresno.edu
- Phone: (559) 278-1133
- Website: www.maddyinstitute.org
The Panetta Institute for Public Policy
- 100 Campus Center, Building 86E
California State University, Monterey Bay
Seaside, CA 93955 - Email: info@PanettaInstitute.org
- Phone (831) 582-4200
- www.panettainstitute.org
Federal and State Government Internships
Description of Duties: special projects, research, press releases, and event planning.
Congressional Research Service
- 101 Independence Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20540 - Website: https://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/opportunities/
- View "Career Opportunities" for information and application procedures for the internship programs.
Department of Defense
- Washington Headquarters Services
Attn: Volunteer Student Intern Program Manager
4800 Mark Center Drive
Suite 03D08
Alexandria, VA 22350-3200 - Phone: (703) 617-7956
- Email: whsvolunteers@mail.mil
- Website: https://www.whs.mil/About-WHS/Directorates/Human-Resources-Directorate-HRD/Careers/Volunteer-Student-Internship-Program/
Department of State
- Intern Coordinator, Recruitment Division
2401 E Street NW, Room H518
Washington, DC 20522 - Email: careers@state.gov
- For more information on the program and how to apply, go to https://careers.state.gov/interns-fellows/ and click on Program.
Department of Transportation
- 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590 - Website: https://www.transportation.gov/careers/internships
Federal Aviation Administration
- Apply at USAjobs.gov for internship opportunities
- If you have questions about the internships, please email Cal Poly alumni Lindsey Constantino: lindseymconstantino@gmail.com
U.S. Secret Service
- Contact: Student Programs Coordinator
- Office of Government and Public Affairs
245 Murray Ln
Washington, DC 20223 - Phone: (202) 406-6420
- Website: https://www.secretservice.gov/careers
- Please refer to the website for more information regarding the application process.
White House Internship Program
- Washington, DC
- Email: intern_application@who.eop.gov
- Phone: (202) 456-4247
- For application, visit www.whitehouse.gov/get-involved/internships/
- Please visit the website for additional information.
City/County Government Internships
Description of Duties: special projects, research, cross-checking, updating forms, administrative duties.
City of Arroyo Grande
- Contact: Ashley Garcia
- 300 E. Branch Street
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 - Email: agarcia@arroyogrande.org
- Phone: (805) 473-5410
- Website: www.arroyogrande.org/
City of Pismo Beach
- Contact: Bianca Buchanan
- Administrative Office
760 Mattie Rd.
Pismo Beach, CA 93449 - Phone: (805) 773-7928
- Web: https://www.pismobeach.org/236/Human-Resources
City of San Luis Obispo
- Contact: Nickole Domini
- 990 Palm St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 - Email: ndomini@slocity.org
- Phone: (805) 781-7251
- Web: www.slocity.org
City of Santa Maria
- 110 E. Cook St., Room 1
Santa Maria, CA 93454, ext. 2230 - Email: humanresources-staff@cityofsantamaria.org
- Phone: (805) 925-0951
- Website: http://www.cityofsantamaria.org/
County of San Luis Obispo
- Contact: Matthew Pontes
- Administrative Office
County Government Center
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 - Phone: (805) 781-5959
- Email: mpontes@co.slo.ca.us
- Website: www.slocounty.ca.gov
Election & Campaign Internships
Description of Duties: analysis of voter registration and election results, writing/presenting reports, working with/on precinct voter lists, organizing volunteers.
Project Vote Smart
- 1153 24th St.
Des Moines, IA 50311 - Email: intern@votesmart.org
- Phone: (515) 989-6363
- Website: https://justfacts.votesmart.org/internships/
San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party
-
3592 Broad St., Suite 100, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
-
Phone: (805) 546-8499
-
Website: https://www.slocdp.org/
-
Applications: https://www.slocdp.org/internships
San Luis Obispo County Republican Party
- 531 Marsh St., Ste. B
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 - Phone: (805) 668-2064
- Website: www.rpslo.org
Interest Group Internships
Description of Duties: research, administrative duties, public relations, etc.
San Luis Obispo, CA Interest Group Internships
Gala Pride and Diversity Center, San Luis Obispo
- Contact: Linnea Valdivia (they/she), Program Manager
- 1060 Palm St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
- Email: lvaldivia@galacc.org
- Phone: 805-235-9935
- Website: www.galacc.org
- GPDC is expanding programming around civic engagement, the arts and healthcare access
League of Women Voters of SLO County, Communications Committee
- Contact: Beth Fillerup
- Phone: 805-748-2135
- Website: lwvslo.org
- Duties: Support Communications Committee by editing web page, scheduling social media and event posts, assisting webinars, organizing digital assets, and tracking engagement.
League of Women Voters of SLO County, Civil Discourse Committee
- Contact: Jean Burns Slater (jbslater2006@gmail.com) or Anne Quinn (quinns72@outlook.com)
- Website: lwvslo.org
- Duties: The Civil Discourse mission facilitates public discourse with respect for differences of opinion, the use of courteous and orderly communication to address conflict, and fact-based discussions to promote mutual learning. Interns help organize public forums.
The Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County
Immigrant Support & Outreach Internship
- Location: Mostly remote
- Contact person: Rita Casaverde
- Email: ed@diversityslo.org
Community Education & Events Intern
- Location: Mostly remote
- Contact person: Rita Casaverde
- Email: ed@diversityslo.org
Podcast & Content Creation Intern
- Location: Mostly remote
- Contact person: Rita Casaverde
- Email: ed@diversityslo.org
California Interest Group Internships
Institute for International Education
- 530 Bush St., Suite 1000
San Francisco, CA 94108 - Email: iiesf@iie.org
- Phone: (415) 362-6520
- Website:https://www.iie.org/about/offices/the-americas/san-francisco/
- Focus is on education, cultural exchanges, and international relations.
Sierra Club Environmental Law Program
- Oakland, CA / Washington, D.C.
- Website: https://www.sierraclub.org/environmental-law/internships
Sierra Club Magazine (SIERRA)
- 85 Second St., 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105 - Email: communications.internships@sierraclub.org
- Website: www.sierraclub.org/sierra/internships/default.aspx
Washington, DC Interest Group Internships
Arms Control Association
- 1200 18th Street NW, Suite 1175
- Washington, DC 20036
- Email: internships@armscontrol.org
- Phone: (202) 463-8270
- Website: www.armscontrol.org
- Internships are available in nuclear weapons policy and communications. Please refer to the website for additional information
Common Cause
- Contact: Alyssa Canty, Director of Youth Programs
- 1133 19th St., NW, 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036 - Email: acanty@commoncause.org
- Phone: (202) 833-1200
- Apply online at https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/internships/
- For remote opportunities exclusive to California students, see https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/internships/
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
- Contact: Cristian Pineda, Manager of Congressional Internship Program
- 1128 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20002 - Email: cpineda@chci.org
- Phone: (800) 392-3532 or (202) 543-1771
- Website: https://chci.org/programs/congressional-internship-program/
Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (previously Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs)
- Contact: Sara McEwan, Associate Director, Talent and Culture
- 1828 L Street NW, Ste. 710
Washington, DC 20036 - Email: smcewan@cnfa.org
- Phone: (202) 296-3920 x67
- Website: https://cnfa.org/careers/
Greenpeace Summer Semester
- 702 H Street, NW, Ste. 300
Washington, DC 20001 - Email: usa-interns@greenpeace.org
- Website: https://workfor.international.greenpeace.org/
- Internships are available in a number of cities and in a variety of disciplines within the Greenpeace Organization.
Project on Government Oversight (previously Center for Defense Information)
- 100 G Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005 - Website: https://www.pogo.org/internships
- Any general questions concerning internships or the internship program should be directed to Shelby Brown at internships@pogo.org
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- 1615 H Street NW
Washington, DC 20062 - Email: internships@uschamber.com
- Phone: (202) 659-6000 or (800) 638-6582
- Website: www.uschamber.com
- Please refer to the website for application and additional information.
Pre-Law Internships
Description of Duties: client contact, legal research, office work, liaison with media, status reports from courts, legal analysis, reading legal documents, writing letters and motions, attending court (if applicable).
Students must contact Ron Den Otter (denotter@calpoly.edu) or Jennifer Denbow (jdenbow@calpoly.edu) before applying to pre-law internships. Note: Dr. Den Otter will be on sabbatical for the 2022-2023 academic year.
--Criminal Justice Internships--
Restorative Partners
- 3196 S. Higuera Street, Suite D., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
- Phone: (805) 234-9078
- Website: https://restorativepartners.org/
- Instructions to Apply: Fill out a volunteer application and email the Volunteer Program Assistant with an internship inquiry at volunteer@restorativepartners.org
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office - Victim Witness Assistance Center
Please note that criminal matters handled by the District Attorney’s Victim/Witness Assistance Division are confidential and may involve graphic and highly sensitive information. Completion of an application and a formal background check are required prerequisites.
- Students can email resumes to victimwitness@co.slo.ca.us to set up an interview
- Website: https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/District-Attorney/Victim-Witness-Assistance-Center/Victim-Witness-Assistance-Program-Internship-Progr.aspx
- Contact: Dan Dow
- Phone: 805-781-5821
- email: ddow@co.slo.ca.us
Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office – Santa Maria Branch
- Website: https://da.countyofsb.org/da/internships
-
Main Office
1112 Santa Barbara Street
Santa Barbara, CA. 93101
(805) 568-2300
--Private Practice Internships--
Amber Heffner
- Immigration Attorney
- Amber Heffner Law
- 2087 10th St. Suite A, Los Osos, CA 93402
- (805) 316-0592
Curtze Legal Offices (Arroyo Grande)
- Contact: Doreen R. Curtze
- Email: drcurtze@gmail.com
- Phone: (805) 440-3454
- Website: www.drcurtzelaw.com
Egan Family Law
- Contact: Kristin Black, Senior Paralegal
- Kristin@judeeganlaw.com
- Phone: (805) 332-3984
- 420 E. Cook Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454
Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc.
- Contact: Megan K. Crosbie
- megan@harrispersonalinjury.com
- Phone: (805) 544-0100
- 1025 Farmhouse Lane, Suite 2F, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Irene V. Moore
- Office Administrator
- Hall, Hieatt & Connely, LLP
- 1319 Marsh Street, Second Floor, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
- (805) 544-3830
- IMoore@HHC-SLO.com
Law Offices of William Ausman
- Contact: Rose Martini
- Email: bookkeeper@atownlaw.com
- Phone: (805) 427-8614
- 8320 Morro Road, Atascadero, CA 93422
Pick Law Office
- Contact: Michael R. Pick Jr.
- Phone: (805) 541-1855
- michael@picklawoffice.com
- Website: www.PickLawOffice.com
Shell Beach Law Group (Shell Beach)
- Contact: Brian Kreowski
- 1435 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, CA 93449
- Phone: (805) 773-5661
Victor J. Herrera
- Carmel & Naccasha
- Contact: Lori Ingan
- 694 Santa Rosa St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
- (805) 546-8785
- lingan@carnaclaw.com
--Government/Public Interest Legal Internships--
California Rural Legal Assistance
- SLO Contact: Sasha Aguilar
- Staff Attorney, CRLA-SLO
- saguilar@crla.org
- Office: 805.544.7994 (ext. 1515)
- Cell: 805.540.4375
- Santa Maria Contact: Corrie Arellano
- Email: carellano@crla.org
- Phone: (510) 267-0762
- Website: https://crla.org/careers/internships/internships
Lumina Alliance (formerly RISE and Stand Strong)
- Legal Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in SLO
- PO Box 125
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 - Phone: (805) 545-8888
- Website: www.luminaalliance.org
San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation
- Contact: Leesa Andrade
- Email: leesa@slolaf.org
- Phone: (805) 543-5140
- Website: www.slolaf.org
- Two quarter commitment preferred.
Santa Maria Office of Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara
Note: Students need at least a 3.2 GPA to be eligible for a judicial internship.
San Luis Obispo County Superior Court (Paso Robles)
- Contact: Dr. Den Otter or Dr. Denbow for more information.
Media Internships
Description of Duties: administrative, research, writing, and public relations.
C-SPAN Internship Program
- 400 N. Capitol St., NW Ste. 650
Washington, DC 20001 - Website: www.c-span.org
- Fall, Spring, and Summer terms available.
KSBY-TV
- Contact: Doug Barden
- 1772 Calle Joaquin
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 - Email: dbarden@ksby.com
- Phone: (805) 597-8404
- Website: www.ksby.com
Non-Profit Internships
Description of Duties: communications, government relations, research, writing.
American Red Cross
- 225 Prado Rd., Ste. A
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 - Phone: (805) 543-0696 x4
- Website: www.redcross.org
Big Brothers / Big Sisters
- Contact: Caity McCardell
- 142 Cross St., Ste. 140
P.O. Box 12644
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-3029 - Phone: (805) 329-1956
- Website: www.slobigs.org/
California Rural Legal Assistance
- SLO Contact: Sasha Aguilar
- Staff Attorney, CRLA-SLO
- saguilar@crla.org
- Office: 805.544.7994
- Santa Maria Contact: Corrie Arellano
- Email: carellano@crla.org
- Phone: (510) 267-0762
- Website: www.crla.org
California Youth Connection
- Contact: Vanessa Davis, Director of Programs
- Email: vanessad@CALYOUTHCONN.ORG
- Phone: (805) 503-6278
The Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County
- Contact: Cecelia Mazelin
- 550 Dana St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 - E-mail: cecelia@cfsloco.org
- Phone: (805) 543-2323
- Website: https://www.cfsloco.org/
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
- Contact: Nicole Perotti
- 75 Higuera St., Ste. 180
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 - Email: nperotti@slocasa.org
- Phone: (805) 503-8336
- Website: www.slocasa.org
Community Action Partnership (CAPSLO)
- 1030 Southwood Dr.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 - Phone: (805) 534-3668
- Email: volunteer@capslo.org
- To apply: Fill out the Volunteer Application form available on the CAPSLO website http://www.capslo.org/menus/volunteer.html. Note on the form that you're applying for an internship rather than a volunteer experience.
Lumina Alliance- Formerly RISE & Stand Strong
- PO Box 125
San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 - Phone: (805) 545-8888
- Website: www.luminaalliance.org
Restorative Partners
- 3196 S. Higuera St Suite D, SLO 93401
- Phone: 805-234-9066
- Website: https://restorativepartners.org/
- Instructions to apply: Fill out a volunteer application and email the volunteer coordinator at emett@restorativepartners.org with an internship inquiry.
Transitions Mental Health Association (TMHA) Homeless Outreach, Advocacy, and Meaningful Education (HOAME)
- 784 High Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
- Email: kalexander@t-mha.org or mmadsen@t-mha.org
- Phone: (805) 540-1926
- Website: https://www.t-mha.org/careers.php
- Volunteer Application: Here
- Additional contact: volunteer@t-mha.org.
- Volunteer Phone: (805) 540-6564
Political Consulting Internships
Description of Duties: communications, public relations, research, and writing.
McAllister & Quinn, LLC
- Contact: Katie White
- 1030 15th Street, NW Suite 590 West
Washington, DC 20005 - Email: Kwhite@jm-aq.com
- Phone: (202) 296-2741
Meridian Pacific, Inc.
- 212 S. Main Street, Ste. 206
Templeton, CA 93465 - Phone: 805.434.5400
Public Policy Solutions
- Contact: Cory Black
- 3591 Sacramento Drive, Suite 114, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
- Email: cory@publicpolicyinc.com
- Phone: (805) 265-5401 (office)
- Website: http://www.publicpolicyinc.com/aboutus.html
Public Policy Internships
Description of duties: Research, writing, communications, government relations.
The Brookings Institution
- Contact: Rob Wooley, Internship Coordinator
- Governmental Studies Program
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036-2188 - Email: rwooley@brookings.edu
- Phone: (202) 797-6090
- Website: https://www.brookings.edu/careers/internships/
- FAQ: Internship Program Details
Institute for Policy Studies
- 733 15th St. NW, Ste.1020
Washington, DC 20005 - Website: https://ips-dc.org/careers-internships/
- A variety of internships are offered. IPS encourages applicants to apply for more than one internship.
Public Policy Institute of California
- 500 Washington St., Ste. 600
San Francisco, CA 94111 - Phone: (415) 291-4400
- Website: www.ppic.org
- Summer internships only in San Francisco and Sacramento offices and last up to 3 months, ideally beginning June 1st. Application deadline is February 21st.
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
- Contact: Eric Trager, RA/Internship Program Coordinator
- 1111 19th Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036 - Email: raintern@washingtoninstitute.org
- Website: www.washingtoninstitute.org