Legal Careers
LAW STUDENT VOLUNTEER, SUMMER 2025
Washington, DC 20530 - United States
The mission of the Office of Legal Policy (OLP) is to develop and implement the Department's significant policy initiatives, handle special projects that implicate the interests of multiple Department components, coordinate with other Department components and Executive Branch agencies, and serve as the primary policy advisor to the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General. OLP also reviews and coordinates regulations promulgated by the Department and all of its components, and reviews draft regulations of other agencies that are circulated for review. In addition, OLP vets candidates for federal judgeships and coordinates the judicial nomination and confirmation process with the White House and the Senate.
This is a substantive, hands-on internship. OLP law student interns will conduct legal and factual research and analysis, prepare memoranda and talking points, and assemble briefing books and other materials relating to legal and policy issues for the Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Assistant Attorneys General, and other members of the office. OLP interns attend and participate in Department meetings and calls, as appropriate, and will meet and learn from attorneys throughout the Department. By the end of the internship, law students should have a better awareness of their legal interests, whether to pursue a career in government service, and how the Department and other government agencies operate.
Weeks Required: the length of the internship will be set by OLP in consultation with the applicant, with the typical expectation that interns will work forty hours a week for a minimum of six weeks and a maximum of 10 weeks.
Internship Location: Washington, DC; on-site.
This internship is open to rising second or rising third year law students. Excellent research and writing skills, including Lexis+ and Westlaw proficiency, are required. The successful applicant will collaborate effectively with OLP and other Department colleagues, exercise sound judgment, and have a positive attitude. Demonstrated commitment to the Department’s mission and prior work experience with legal policy, legislation, regulatory matters, or judicial nominations preferred but not required.
Please submit a cover letter (specifying the dates of your availability), resume, references, and your most recent law school transcript (can be unofficial) in a consolidated PDF file (the file name to be saved as: YourLastName_YourFirstName_Summer2025InternApplication) to the following e-mail address: (OLPinbox@usdoj.gov).
This position is unpaid. Applicants may be able to access law school, public interest, or other acceptable funding sources.
Department Policies
The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. To learn more, please visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement.
It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.