Job Details

California Appellate Project (CAP) is a non-profit organization created by the State Bar of California in 1983. The mission of our San Francisco office is to help ensure that individuals facing the death penalty receive the legal representation they are constitutionally entitled to receive. CAP's dedicated team of staff attorneys and support personnel work closely with court-appointed private counsel, offering guidance and resources for handling capital cases before the California Supreme Court. For law students interested in appellate advocacy, criminal justice, or public interest law, CAP represents a vital part of California's legal landscape-and a meaningful opportunity to see how legal support can make a real difference.

What do we do?

• Assist appointed counsel on post-conviction death penalty cases in both habeas corpus and appellate proceedings;
• Provide case assistance to unrepresented people on death row;
• Track judicial and legislative developments affecting death penalty litigation;
• Conduct death penalty defense training seminars for capital defense professionals and law students;
• Publish numerous documents including a monthly newsletter, RECAP; a death penalty manual for California attorneys; the National Death Penalty Information Index; an extensive brief bank; and other resources for the capital defense community.

Why apply to volunteer at California Appellate Project?

CAP (San Francisco) is committed to cultivating a new generation of criminal defense attorneys. Under the supervision of an experienced attorney, our law school externs, interns, and pro bono attorneys assist with mitigation investigation, record collection, case review for ameliorative laws, research, writing, technical assistance to counsel appointed to automatic appeals and habeas corpus petitions, and assistance to the unrepresented on death row.

During the academic year, students may join CAP's San Francisco office as externs. We welcome applicants who can support their externship through academic credit, volunteer hours, or funding from public interest initiatives. The selection process for fellows, externs, and volunteers is ongoing. Interested applicants should send us a cover letter, resume, a writing sample, and two references. We ask volunteers to relate how their life experience, training, and work history have prepared them to understand and work well with the clients we serve and their communities. CAP is an equal opportunity employer.