Internship Program

City Facts

The City of Corpus Christi is the eighth-largest city in Texas, and is home to 281,196 people. The city is often referred to as "The Sparkling City by the Sea," or just Corpus to the natives. Since 2003, the city has earned numerous awards including:

All-America City 2003
Number One Digital City
One of the best cities to stretch your paycheck
One of the least depressed cities in the nation

Corpus Christi has a warm subtropical climate similar to those of Northern Florida cities such as Gainesville, Daytona Beach, and Jacksonville, and there is an average of 255 sunshine days for your outdoor enjoyment. The average highs in the summer months are in the mid 90's and lows in the mid 70's, while the average highs and lows in the coldest month, January, are 66 and 46 respectively.

Located on the Gulf of Mexico, Corpus Christi has hundreds of miles of beaches for swimming, fishing and boating, and other fun family attractions like the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, Texas State Aquarium, art festivals, music festivals, and sporting events year round.

Legal Department

Mission: It is our mission to provide the highest quality legal representation and services possible in a cost efficient manner to protect the interests of the City of Corpus Christi, Texas.

The City Attorney’s Office provides all legal services for the City, including ongoing advice to city officials, preparation and review of legal documents, prosecution of persons accused of violating city ordinances, and representation of the City and city officials in lawsuits. The City Attorney manages a law office with 17 attorneys and eight support personnel.

Student Internship Program

The Corpus Christi Legal Department is accepting applications from first, second and third year law students for nonpaying internship positions. Student interns are welcome at the Legal Department in the Spring, Summer, and Fall terms.

The intern program will provide you with an opportunity to participate and observe a “behind-the-scene” view of how a municipal corporation operates. As an intern, you may choose one of the following tracks:

Track One: Criminal Prosecution

Student must have at least 45 semester credit hours and be eligible to obtain a student bar card. As an intern, you may attend adult and/or juvenile pre-trial hearings and try misdemeanor (traffic and non-traffic) and/or ordinance cases before a judge or jury. Also, you may have an opportunity to do a ride along with the Corpus Christi police, animal control and/or code enforcement officers for field observation.

Track Two: Civil Litigation and Administrative Law

Intern may research legal and/or open government issues; draft and prepare legal documents including ordinances, contracts, pleadings, leases, briefs and/or letters to attorney general to protect confidential information; review medical records, purchasing contracts, and accident reports; and/or respond to Public Information Act (PIA) requests. Also, you may prepare city council agenda items and attend city council meetings, board and/or commission meetings, civil service hearings, depositions, and/or mediation or arbitration.

Track Three: Criminal Prosecution and Administrative Law

This is an ideal track for those students who are undecided or just want to experience all aspects of the Legal Department. Half the time will be spent prosecuting cases in municipal courts and the other half doing administrative law at city hall.

Students may participate in the internship program with or without obtaining law school credit. Non-credit interns must commit a minimum of 16 hours per week for at least six week period. Work time for all interns is flexible.

Any legal work, paid or unpaid, that an intern wishes to perform for anyone other than the Legal Department, during the internship, is subject to a conflict check and must be approved by the City Attorney. Interns must be able to do their own word processing.

Applications are accepted on or before the end of October for the Spring, the end of March for the Summer, and the end of June for the Fall terms.

To apply, please send (1) a resume; (2) an original or official law school transcript; (3) a writing sample; (4) references, and (5) a cover letter with any other information you would like for us to consider. Mail the complete package to the: Yvette Aguilar, Chief Prosecutor, Corpus Christi Legal Department, P.O. Box 9277, Corpus Christi, Texas 78401. As complete applications are received, they are considered for selection and interview.

If you have questions, please contact Yvette Aguilar at (361) 826-2530 or e-mail her at YvetteA@cctexas.com

CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI LEGAL DEPARTMENT