Internships - Piotrowski Law

The Internship Experience

What Makes This Internship Different

This is not a coffee-and-copies internship. At Piotrowski Law, you’ll be embedded in a working criminal defense practice — handling real cases alongside experienced trial attorneys.

Real Legal Work on Real Cases

You will conduct legal research on active cases, draft motions, review discovery, and prepare trial materials. Your work product will have real stakes and real impact.

Meet Clients

Sit in on client meetings as part of the defense team. See firsthand how attorneys build trust, develop strategy, and prepare clients for what’s ahead.

Attend Court

Go to hearings, motions, and trials across Miami-Dade County — in both state and federal courthouses. Watch experienced attorneys argue before judges and juries.

Build Your Network

You’ll be introduced to judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and criminal defense attorneys throughout the South Florida legal community. These connections matter when you’re starting your career.

Walk Away with a Writing Sample

Your legal writing will be on live cases. The motions you draft and the research you produce become portfolio pieces that set you apart from every other applicant.

Letters of Recommendation

We provide letters of recommendation for future employment opportunities and bar applications.

A Major Differentiator

Federal Criminal Defense — An Experience Most Interns Never Get

Piotrowski Law is one of the few private criminal defense firms in South Florida that handles a significant federal caseload. Founder Chad Piotrowski was unanimously appointed as a Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel Attorney in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida — selected by federal judges to represent clients in the federal system.

As an intern, you may have the opportunity to observe federal proceedings, assist with federal case preparation, and experience a side of criminal defense that most law students don’t encounter until years into their career — if ever.

Federal court operates under an entirely different set of rules, procedures, and stakes than state court. Exposure to both gives you a level of experience that is exceptionally rare for an internship program.

CJA Panel Attorney — S.D. Florida

Important Notice

This Is an Unpaid Internship

This is an educational internship and is not a paid position. It is an opportunity to gain real-world experience, build your resume, develop professional relationships, and prepare for a career in criminal law.

Students may be eligible for academic credit through their university — check with your school’s internship coordinator.

Eligibility

Who Can Apply

Law students — any year, any ABA-accredited law school
College students — majoring in criminal justice, pre-law, political science, or related fields
Must be able to commit to a minimum of 8 weeks, Monday–Friday
Must be available for in-person work at our Miami office
169 E Flagler St #1600, Miami, FL 33131
Summer and school-year sessions available

Application Process

How to Apply

Submit the following materials via email to [email protected]

1
Resume
2
Cover letter — Tell us why you’re interested in criminal defense and what you hope to gain from this experience
3
Unofficial transcript
4
Writing sample (optional but recommended)
5
One letter of recommendation from a professor or professional reference

Selected applicants will be contacted for a brief interview. Decisions are made on a rolling basis — apply early for the best chance.

Apply Now

Success Story

“One summer, an intern wrote a motion to suppress that our team argued in court. We won. The evidence was suppressed, and the intern went on to secure a position at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office. That’s the kind of experience you’ll get here.”

— Chad Piotrowski, Founder

About Piotrowski Law

A Track Record You Can Count On

Piotrowski Law is a boutique criminal defense firm founded in 2010 by Chad Piotrowski, a former Assistant State Attorney for Miami-Dade County. The firm handles everything from misdemeanor charges to complex federal cases, with offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Key West.

Federal CJA Panel Attorney — appointed unanimously by federal judges in the Southern District of Florida
Serving 8th consecutive term on the FACDL Board of Directors (Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers — Miami Chapter)
Cases covered by the New York Times, CNN, ESPN, Associated Press, and Miami Herald
Named Best Law Firm by Miami Herald
Named “Best of Miami” — Miami New Times 2025 Readers’ Poll
Diverse, multilingual team — English, Spanish, Portuguese, Serbian, Japanese, Arabic, and French
Former prosecutors who understand prosecution strategy inside and out

Meet Chad About the Firm