Summer 2021 Fellow: Melina Solis, ‘22 (Political Science)
Office Description
The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office investigates and prosecutes crime in San Francisco. The Office’s Criminal Division tackles homicide, gang, child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, felony and misdemeanor offenses in the city while the White Collar Criminal Division targets crimes of fraud, public integrity and environmental harm, to name but a few.
Recognizing that crime reduction requires a preventative dimension, the Office’s Crime Strategies Unit, Victim Services Division, and Alternative Programs and Initiatives work aggressively to identify and uproot the factors that often drive crime and criminal behavior.
Potential Projects
SFDA Communication and Policy interns receive a behind the scenes understanding of the criminal justice system, are exposed to best practices related to media and community relations, and will learn how crime and public policy related news stories are generated and developed in the media. They also receive ample training in the legislative process, and will need to attend court proceedings to provide updates on criminal cases being covered by the press. Communication and Policy interns may also conduct legal research, update and utilize social media, and help plan community outreach events. SFDA Communication and Policy interns have played key roles in organizing panel discussions on policing and use of force standards, actively participated in community engagement events, developed materials for public education campaigns, contributed to publications released by the office, and completed important search projects on contemporary issues.
Desired Skills
- Strong writing and editing skills
- Clear communicators
- Detail oriented
- Proficient researchers
- Capable of working in a high pressure environment with minimal supervision
- Ability to work in teams
- Interested in criminal justice
- Media production experience (graphic design, video editing) is not required, but would be helpful
