Aug. 15, 2024

For Immediate Release

Redwood City –  When Laila Flores first learned that she was going to intern in the County Attorney’s office, she wasn’t exactly sure what the office did.

"When I applied for the internship, I put District Attorney and County Attorney because I didn’t know the difference but knew I was interested in law,” said Flores, a junior at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., majoring in political science. 

However, after nearly completing her summer internship and attending court every day to observe both civil and criminal cases, she now does.

Flores laughed about the common misconception between the two County offices. (The District Attorney handles criminal matters; the County Attorney provides legal services to County departments.)

“The funny thing is that a lot of other interns say the same thing when I tell them about my internship,” she said. “It’s not something you think about until you are actually here.”

And being “here” is what a County internship is all about, according to Chaten Berry, the County’s intern coordinator.

“The goal is to get them real-life experience and to give them an idea of what local government entails, especially in the field they are interested in,” Berry said.

This summer, the County of San Mateo is hosting more than five dozen students in paid internship programs, including the Live in Peace Hoover Fellows, Jobs for Youth and the Supported Training & Employment Program  for Emancipated Foster Youth.

Want to read more articles?

Connect with us!