Legal Intern

Closing Date: 7/5/2025

Intern Dates: August 2025, through December 2025

Pay Rate:  The Hourly pay rates are based on the following:

·         Current Undergraduate Student: $14.00

·         Current Graduate Student: $16.00

Positions Available: 1

Hours: Minimum of 20 hours per week – up to but not to exceed 29 hours per week. 

*Maximum of 29 hours per week cannot be exceeded.

Location: 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE. Suite 754 East Tower Atlanta, GA

Agency Overview

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia’s children and their families. It administers the nationally recognized Georgia’s Pre-K Program, licenses child care centers and home-based child care, administers Georgia's Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program, federal nutrition programs, and manages Quality Rated, Georgia’s community powered child care rating system.

The department also houses the Head Start State Collaboration Office, distributes federal funding to enhance the quality and availability of child care, and works collaboratively with Georgia child care resource and referral agencies and organizations throughout the state to enhance early care and education.

Position Overview

The Legal Intern at DECAL will support the Privacy Attorney in ensuring compliance with federal and state data privacy and security laws. Responsibilities include assisting with risk management, understanding Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) requirements, and supporting the legal and IT teams with privacy needs for new software. The intern may also assist with litigation tasks, including appeals involving fines, license actions, and fraud cases related to federal childcare subsidies.

Job duties may include:

·         Assist the Privacy Attorney with legal research and compliance efforts related to data privacy and security laws.

·         Support the implementation of federal and state regulations impacting data protection and Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS).

·         Collaborate with the legal and IT teams on privacy requirements for new applications and software.

·         Identify legal and regulatory trends and assess their impact on risk management activities.

·         Help prepare for appeal hearings, including organizing legal discovery materials and drafting hearing documents.

·         Support litigation involving fines, license revocations or denials, and fraud or overpayment cases in federal childcare subsidy programs.

·         Assist with the examination of witnesses and documentation during legal proceedings.

Learning Objectives

To gain firsthand experience in the legal operations of a state agency, including exposure to administrative law, childcare regulations, and early childhood policy enforcement.

 Interest Areas

Criminal Justice, Litigation, Government Law and Data Privacy Requirements.

Entry Qualifications:

•       Currently enrolled student, part-time or full-time, with a 3.0 GPA or higher (must submit transcript to verify enrollment and GPA.

•       Georgia resident or attending a Georgia college, university, or law school

•       Working level skill in the use of MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook)  Good research and analytical skills

Preferred Qualifications:

•       Advanced level skills in the use of Excel

•       Excellent business writing, organizational, and computer skills.

•       High level of skill in research and analysis with the ability to form conclusions and recommendations based on analysis

Physical Requirements and Performance Aptitudes: 

•       Requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading and visual inspection. 

•       Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification. 

•       Requires the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication.

•       Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is an equal opportunity employer.  A background check will be completed upon hire, which may consist of any of the following: criminal history, credit history, employment history, educational records, IRS records and driving records.

 If you are an individual with a disability who may require assistance or other reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the selection process for this position, you may contact our HR department at 678-879-2993.  Due to the volume of submissions received by this office, information concerning application or interview status cannot be provided in writing, over the phone, or in person. All applicants who submit a complete application package will be considered but may not necessarily receive notification or an interview.  The job posting may be subject to being closed at any time without notice.  Only those qualified candidates who are selected for an interview shall receive notification upon the filling of this vacancy.

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is an equal opportunity employer.