Mission:

The Mission of the Metropolitan Public Defender’s Office is to defend the liberty, honor and constitutional rights of the individuals, of all ages, whose cases have been entrusted to us. Through zealous advocacy, we strive not only to deliver excellence in our representation of each and every client, but also to stand with our clients and the community in working to create a more just, fair and compassionate legal system.

Core Values:

Client-Centered Representation

We are committed to client-centered representation. We will engage in strategic, passionate advocacy for our clients in every stage of their case. We will work in partnership with our clients and empower them as participants in their defense. We offer a multi-disciplinary team of professionals including licensed attorneys, investigators, client advocates, paralegals and legal assistants to aid clients in the development and execution of their case-related goals.

Excellent and Innovative Advocacy

Our attorneys, client advocates, investigators and associated professional staff members will receive ongoing training in changes in the law, development of skills, and the honing of specialized criminal justice and case-related education. We believe that continued training and professional development enables us to provide the excellent representation our clients deserve. We will also utilize innovative approaches to provide creative representation that advances our client’s goals.  We will provide a professional, respectful office environment for both our clients and colleagues.

Community Empowerment & Systemic Engagement

We are committed to being engaged beyond the courtroom educating the community about the city, state and nation’s flawed criminal justice systems. We stand with our clients, their families, and all community members who harbor hope for equality and work toward the realization of a truly just legal system.  We support efforts for restorative justice and decriminalization of poverty.

 

Job Functions and Responsibilities: All job functions and responsibilities will be performed under the supervision of the Communications Coordinator for the Public Defender’s office.

• General Responsibilities
• Assist with brainstorming and developing public education and community outreach initiatives
• Assist with the implementation of the Strategic Development plan for communications, including newsletters (internal, external).
• Develop and design eye-catching marketing materials such as brochures, flyers, and handouts
• Assist with press relations including writing, proofreading, copying, and distributing press materials (press releases, media advisories, fact sheets, etc.)
• Research various media outlets for story angles and placement ideas
• Build and maintain media lists for various projects
• Provide communications and social media support to integrated issue campaigns
• Conduct issue-based research

Digital Marketing

• Assist in planning and developing marketing/content calendar
• Write content for variety of digital marketing tools
• Prepare email blast and eNewsletter templates
• Distribution list building, acquisition, and management

Social Media

• Assist with developing social media strategy, content, calendar, brainstorm ideas for new and innovative campaigns (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
• Research and recommend social media channels to use/discontinue
• Draft, edit, and post content to social media channels
• Monitor social media and website analytics on a weekly/monthly basis, provide reports, and make recommendations to increase engagement

Required Qualifications:

• Strong desire to learn along with professional drive
• Experience with managing online communities through social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, strong editing skills
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented with strong organizational skills
• Excellent computer skills with experience in Microsoft Office
• The ability to work independently and with others
• Dependability, flexibility, and ability to maintain confidentiality
• Current enrollment in Communications, Public Relations, or related major

Ideal candidate is an undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate student in public relations, marketing, communications, or digital communication. Candidates need to be interested in Public Defense and Criminal Justice reform. Ideal candidates will be detail oriented, organized and creative, possess a professional work ethic and be enthusiastic to gain new knowledge.

This is intended to describe the general nature and level of work, and this is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Interns may be required to perform duties outside their normal responsibilities.

Location & Hours: 404 James Robertson Parkway, Parkway Towers Suite 2022, Nashville, TN 37219. Eight to ten hours per week. Specific days and number of hours per day are flexible and can be negotiated based on class load.

Start & End Dates: Starting January 2019 with a minimum commitment of ten weeks preferred.

Student Benefits: This internship will allow the student to bring their classroom knowledge into a professional work setting and broaden their knowledge through hands-on application in a local government environment.

How to Apply: This internship is for currently enrolled students. Please do not apply if you are looking for a full-time position.

Send a resume and cover letter to:

Candis White, candiswhite@jis.nashville.org

Subject Line: Internship Application (Communications)