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FEDERAL INTERNSHIPS & HONORS PROGRAMS
Almost every federal agency has a legal
department, often referred to as the Office of the General
Counsel, which hires law students and recent graduates for
summer and permanent employment. Working for a federal agency,
either as a summer intern or an attorney, is prestigious and
usually an excellent experience. Although the list of federal
agencies below is comprehensive, it is not exhaustive.
For information about other federal agencies not referenced
below, please visit such agency's web site.
SPECIAL NOTE: Each agency has its
own application deadlines. YOU MUST check each
agency’s web site, provided below for your convenience, to
verify deadlines and necessary application materials.
Presidential Management Intern
Program - This is the Federal
Government's premiere program for bringing individuals with
advanced degrees into Federal Service. After a rigorously
competitive screening process which is managed by the Office
of Personnel Management, PMI finalists are chosen. PMI
finalists are then selected by federal agencies for fast-track
careers in Government. The PMI Program is open to
persons in their last year of law school or graduate school.
Persons are nominated for the program by the
dean or the department chair in their school. For
detailed information about this program go to http://www.pmf.opm.gov
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA):
Summer Law Clerks: This
summer program allows well qualified second year law students
to obtain broad exposure to the practice of intelligence law.
The Office of General Counsel requires a commitment of at
least 10 weeks during the summer. Interested students should
send a resume, law school transcript, legal writing sample,
and legal references to: Summer Legal Clerkship Program,
Office of General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency,
Washington, D.C. 20505. Deadline: End of September.
For detailed information about application procedures visit
- https://www.cia.gov/ogc/summer.htm
Graduating
Law Students: The
Legal Honors Program allows a small number of
exceptionally qualified law school graduates to obtain broad
exposure to foreign intelligence and counterintelligence
activities, international terrorism, international narcotics
trafficking, nonproliferation, personnel and security matters,
clandestine movement of materials and supplies, contracting,
finance and budget matters, legislation, and both civil and
criminal litigation. Interested candidates must submit a
resume, law school transcript, legal writing sample, and legal
references to: Legal Honors Program, Office of General
Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, D.C. 20505. Deadline:
Mid-September For detailed information about
application procedures visit - https://www.cia.gov/ogc/honors.htm
COMMISSION OF CIVIL RIGHTS, U.S.:
Summer Law Clerks: The Office of General
Counsel provides the legal expertise and activity required to
conduct hearings and to ensure the legal integrity of
Commission products. The Commission's six regional offices are
staffed by a director, civil rights analysts, and other
administrative personnel. They coordinate the Commission's
operations in their regions and assist the State
Advisory Committees in their activities. Students
interested in internship opportunities should send a cover
letter, resume and law school transcript to the regional
office in which they would like to work. For
information about regional offices visit - http://www.usccr.gov/
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT:
Summer Law Clerks:
Each regional office of the U.S. Department of Education hires
law students for summer internships. Interested
candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, and law school
transcript to the regional office in which the student wishes
to work. For detailed information about this agency
and contact information about regional offices visit - http://www.ed.gov
Graduating Law Students:
The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) of the Department of
Education is under the supervision of the General Counsel, who
serves as principal adviser to the Secretary on all legal
matters affecting Departmental programs and activities. The
OGC has three legal practice areas, each of which is headed by
a Deputy General Counsel, and an operations management staff,
headed by an Executive Officer. The Office's eight Divisions
are organized under these areas. Graduating students
interested in employment opportunities should forward a cover
letter and resume to: J. Carolyn
Adams, Executive Officer, Office of the General
Counsel, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue,
SW, Room 6E343, Washington, D.C. 20202-2110. For detailed
information about application procedures visit – http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ogc/index.htm
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION (EEOC):
Summer Law Clerks: The
EEOC hires first and second year law students to work on
employment discrimination investigations and cases.
Interested candidates must apply directly to the regional
office in which they would like to work. Deadline: Ongoing.
However, early submission is strongly advised. To
obtain the address for each regional office go to - http://www.eeoc.gov/contact.html
Graduating
Law Students: The Attorney
Honor Program recruits third year law students, who are hired
as Honors Attorneys, which is a permanent agency position. The
2004 Attorney Honor Program has not yet been authorized. If
the program is authorized for 2004, application booklets for
the 2004 Attorney Honor Program may be made available
beginning in late August or early September, 2003.
For detailed information about application
procedures visit - http://www.eeoc.gov/soars/jobs-honor.html
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI):
Summer Law Clerks:
Each summer, a special group of outstanding undergraduate and
graduate students are selected to participate in the FBI
Honors Internship Program in Washington, D.C. The program
offers students an exciting insider's view of FBI operations
and provides an opportunity to explore the many career
opportunities within the Bureau. Deadline: November 1st.
For detailed information about application
procedures visit – http://www.fbijobs.gov/231.asp
Graduating Law
Students: The FBI maintains highly detailed hiring
requirements and eligibility criteria. To obtain
information, please visit - https://fbijobs.com/
FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION (FEC):
Summer Law Clerks:
In this summer program, students will assist with
enforcement cases and participate in making recommendations
and presentations to the Commission regarding those cases.
Summer Law Clerks may also assist with litigation, drafting
regulations, and reviewing presidential committee audits.
Interested students should send a cover letter, resume, law
school transcript and writing sample to: Office of General
Counsel, Federal Election Commission, 999 E Street NW
Washington, D.C., 20463. Deadline: Early fall. For
detailed information about application procedures visit - www.fec.gov/pdf/recruit.pdf
Graduating Law Students: The FEC performs the
unique role of regulating the financial aspects of political
campaigns for Federal office. Law graduates who possess
excellent research, writing and analytical skills are hired to
work on complex campaign and election law issues. Interested
candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, law school
transcript and writing sample to: Office of General Counsel,
Federal Election Commission, 999 E Street NW Washington, D.C.,
20463. Deadline: Early fall. For detailed
information about application procedures visit - http://www.fec.gov/pages/jobs/jobs.shtml
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC):
Summer Law Clerks: The
FTC provides summer employment opportunities for law students
who possess an exceptional level of commitment to the public
interest to enforcing antitrust and consumer protection laws.
A background in economics or business is preferred, but not
required. Summer law clerks are given intellectually
stimulating projects, similar in complexity to those given to
junior attorneys, which afford them an opportunity to
demonstrate writing, analytical and advocacy skills.
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume,
law school transcript and writing sample to: Federal Trade
Commission, Employment Program Assistant, Human Resources
Management Office, Room 723, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, D.C. 20580. Deadline: Early fall. For
detailed information about application procedures visit - http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/oed/hrmo/jobops.htm
Graduating Law Students: The FTC annually
recruits for entry level attorney positions. Honors
Attorneys are hired at the GS-11 and GS-12 levels and
require completion of the J.D. Degree. Recent graduates are
placed in fourteen month positions as law clerks pending
admission to a bar. Attorneys must be licensed and authorized
to practice under the laws of a state, territory, the District
of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Interested
candidates should send a cover letter, resume, law school
transcript and legal writing sample to: Human Resources
Management Office, Attn: Employment Program Assistant, Federal
Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington,
D.C. 20580. Candidates may also reach the Human Resources
Department via the internet at HRMOEmployment@ftc.gov
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
DEPARTMENT (HHS):
Summer Law Clerks &
Graduating Law Students: The Office of the General
Counsel (OGC) is the legal team for HHS, providing quality
representation and legal advice on a wide range of highly
visible national issues. A team of almost 400 attorneys
and a comprehensive support staff, OGC is one of the largest
and most diverse and talented law offices in the country.
Many OGC lawyers are heavily involved in administrative and
federal court litigation. In collaboration with the Department
of Justice, OGC attorneys may have primary responsibility for
complex district court and appellate litigation, trying cases
and arguing appeals in the initial years of service. The OGC
team also writes and reviews proposed regulations and
legislation affecting significant issues of health and human
services. Students interested in either summer or
permanent employment must submit a cover letter, resume, law
school transcript, and writing sample to the regional office
in which they wish to work. For detailed contact
information visit - http://www.hhs.gov/careers/index.html
HOUSING AND URBAN
DEVELOPMENT (HUD):
Summer Law Clerks: HUD
offers summer employment to law students through its Legal
Intern Honors Program. This program is designed for
outstanding men and women and provides various mixtures of
formal training, developmental on-the-job assignments,
research assignments, workshops and seminars, and mentorships
that will develop the skills needed for professional success
and growth. Positions are available in Washington, D.C., as
well as in field locations around the country. Deadline:
Early January. For detailed information about
application procedures and the location of field offices visit
- http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/jobs/internship.cfm
Graduating Law Students:
The Office of General Counsel hires graduating law students to
work as Honors Attorneys and assist in enforcing
federal housing laws. This program is highly competitive and
selection is based on many factors including class rank,
academic achievement, law courses taken, participation on law
review or other publication work, moot court competition and
extra-curricular activities such as legal aid, legal clinic,
summer and part-time work experience. Interested
candidates should submit a cover letter, application form
(which can be obtained at http://www.hud.gov
), resume, official law school transcript with explanation of
law school’s grading system, and writing sample of at least
5 pages, double spaced, all of which must be collated and
stapled, to: Legal Intern Program, Director: Management and
Administrative Services Staff, U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Office of General Counsel, Room 10245, 451
Seventh Street, SW, Washington, D.C., 20410. Deadline:
End of December or early January of a students last year of
study. For detailed information about application
procedures visit - http://www.hud.gov/jobs/index.cfm
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT:
Summer Law Clerks:
The U.S. Department of the Interior is the Nation's principal
natural resources conservation and management agency. The
Office of the Solicitor is the general counsel's office for
the Department of the Interior, providing a full range of
legal services. It maintains five legal divisions in
Washington, D.C., and 18 regional and field offices around the
country. Many of its offices host law student
volunteers, on a part-time or full-time basis, during the
summer and the school year. Student volunteer interns receive
valuable work experience. Interested candidates must
submit a cover letter stating their interests and reasons for
wanting to work with the Department of the Interior, resume,
law school transcript, and the names and telephone numbers of
three references. Write directly to the Student
Volunteer Coordinator in the Division or any Regional or Field
Office in which you are interested. To obtain detailed
contact information visit - http://www.doi.gov/doijobs/employ5.html
Graduating Law Students:
The Office of the Solicitor hires law school graduates
for its Solicitor's Honors Program. Eligibility
includes academic ranking in the upper third of law
school graduating class; or work or achievement
of significance on your law school's official law review; or
high-level honors for academic excellence in law school; or
winning a moot court competition or membership on the moot
court team; or significant summer legal
experience. Application materials should be forwarded to:
Solicitor's Honors Program, Room 7456, Office of the
Solicitor, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
20240. Deadline: Early October. For detailed
information about application procedures visit - http://www.doi.gov/doijobs/doijobs.html
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT:
Summer Law Clerks: The
Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP*) is a highly competitive
program, where the Department reviews many elements of a
candidate's background before selecting him or her for
employment, including: academic achievement, law review
experience, moot court competition, legal aid and clinical
experience, specialized academic studies (including
undergraduate and post-graduate degrees), work experience and
extracurricular activities that directly relate to the work of
the Department. The majority of the students applying
for summer internships are in their second year of law school.
Deadline: September 15th. For
detailed information about application procedures and to
obtain an online application visit - http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/arm/sp/sp.htm
* The U.S. Attorneys' Offices
do not hire summer interns through SLIP. Students
interested in working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office must
apply directly. For detailed information about
employment opportunities go to http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/employment/index.html
Graduating Law Students:
Attorney
General's Honors Program – This program is the only
way the Department hires graduating law students. It is
a highly competitive program, where many elements of a
candidate's background are reviewed including: academic
achievement, law review or moot court experience, clinical
experience, and summer employment, as well as specialized
academic studies, work experience, and extracurricular
activities that directly relate to the work of the Department.
Deadline: September 15th. For detailed information
about application procedures visit -http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/arm/hp/hp.htm
Bristow Fellowship - Applicants must be law school
graduates with excellent academic records. They typically come
to the Fellowship after completion of a one-year judicial
clerkship, most frequently with a federal appellate-court
judge. The Solicitor General's Office is interested in
receiving applications from a diverse group of graduates of
law schools throughout the United States. The Fellowship
has a one-year term. Deadline: Mid-October. For
detailed information about application procedures visit - http://www.usdoj.gov/osg/opportunities/bristapp.html
LABOR DEPARTMENT:
Summer Law Clerks: The Office
of the Solicitor hires law students each summer, who will be
exposed to all aspects of the enforcement of the laws under
the Department's jurisdiction through litigation and to
provide a full range of legal services to the Secretary of
Labor and the numerous agencies and bureaus that comprise the
Department of Labor. Interested candidates should fax a
cover letter, resume, and law school transcript to:
Judith Kramer, Deputy Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor,
Office of the Solicitor, Room S-2002, 200 Constitution Ave.,
NW, Washington, D.C., 20210. Fax: (202) 693-5787. Deadline:
Early Fall.
Graduating Law
Students: The Honors Program of the Office of
the Solicitor is designed for attorneys with exemplary records
who are completing law school or judicial clerkships and are
interested in handling a broad range of labor and employment
matters in one of the preeminent legal offices in government. You
may submit an Optional Application for Federal Employment
(OF-612), a resume or any other written application you
choose, including a Standard Form (SF) 171. There are a
limited number of positions available for the program, so
early application will ensure that your application is given
consideration for one of the positions. Mail, E-mail, or
FAX your application to: Judith Kramer, Deputy Solicitor, U.S.
Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor, Room S-2002, 200
Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, D.C., 20210, (202) 693-5260
TDD: (202) 693-5441, Fax: (202) 693-5787, E-mail: kramer.judith@dol.gov.
Deadline: November 1st. For
detailed information about application procedures visit - http://www.dol.gov/sol/honorsprogram.htm
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD (NLRB):
Summer Law Clerks: Summer positions are
limited and subject to budgetary constraints. To be considered
for employment in one of the NLRB’s field offices, students
must supply all of the information required in OPM Form OF
510, OPM Form OF 306, as well as the specific additional
information outlined at http://www.nlrb.gov/about_us/careers/job_descriptions_and_listings/index.aspx.
Interested candidates may also submit a resume OR OPM Form OF
612 "Optional Application for Federal Employment."
Applications should be sent to the NLRB field office nearest
to where the applicant wishes to work. Deadline: Early
fall. For detailed information about application
procedures visit - http://www.nlrb.gov/about_us/careers/job_descriptions_and_listings/index.aspx
Graduating Law Students:
NLRB Attorneys are assigned cases, which they read and
then familiarize themselves with the record, the formal
documents and the briefs. They ascertain, analyze, and discuss
the issues and research the law. Attorneys orally present
cases for the Board's consideration and, after the case has
been decided, pursuant to instructions from the Board Members,
they prepare a draft of the final decision. Although each
Board Member has authority to hire attorneys for his or her
own staff, all applications are initially considered by a
hiring committee. To be considered for an appointment as
a staff counsel, candidates must supply all of the information
required in OPM Form OF-510, "Applying for a Federal
Job," as well as a resume, OR OPM Form OF-612
"Optional Application for Federal Employment. "
If applicants choose to use a format other than OPM Form
OF-612, they may find it helpful to utilize that form as a
guide to ensure that all relevant information is included in
their application. Please submit applications to Enid
Weber, Associate Executive Secretary, NLRB Office of the
Executive Secretary, 1099 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C.
20570. For detailed information about application
procedures visit - http://www.nlrb.gov/about_us/careers/job_descriptions_and_listings/index.aspx
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION (NRC):
Summer Law Clerks: The Office of General Counsel
periodically sponsors summer internships for law students. For
more information about summer opportunities visit - http://www.nrc.gov/who-we-are/employment/student-prog.html
and see the Office
of General Counsel Internship Program page
for more information on how to apply for the program. For
general information about the OGC Internship Program, see Contact
Us About Employment, and select "OGC Law
Interns" from the dropdown list. Deadline: Early
January. For additional information visit - http://www.nrc.gov/who-we-are/employment/student-prog.html
Graduating Law Students:
The NRC is a point of convergence for issues of law,
technology, energy policy, environmental concerns, and the
role of the public in decision-making. NRC's Honor
Law Graduate Program offers graduating law students or
judicial law clerks an opportunity to join NRC's team of
attorneys working on these issues. Interested candidates
must submit a cover letter, resume, references, law school
transcript (explaining your school's grading system if
available), and an unedited legal writing sample to:
Honor Law Graduate Program Coordinator, Office of the General
Counsel, Mail Stop O-15 D21, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 Deadline:
Applications are accepted between July 15th
– October 15th. For detailed information
about application procedures visit - http://www.nrc.gov/who-we-are/employment/honor-law.html
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC):
Summer Law Clerks: The
SEC gives first and second year law students the opportunity
to become acquainted with the regulation of the securities
markets and the activities of the Commission. The
program allows students to work in the Commission’s
headquarters in Washington, D.C. or in one of its 11 regional
and district offices nationwide. This program is highly
competitive and selection is based on many factors including
class rank, academic achievement, prior relevant work
experience, participation on law review or other publication
work, or moot court experience, as well as extra-curricular
activities such as participation in clinical programs.
Interested candidates must submit a resume, cover letter,
undergraduate transcript, graduate transcript (if applicable)
and law school transcript, list of current courses and a 5 to
10 page legal writing sample to the office in which the
student wishes to work. Deadline: 2L’s = postmarked
by October 31, 2003; 1L’s = postmarked by March 1, 2004. Note:
Selections are made on a rolling basis, thus early submission
is strongly recommended. For detailed
information about application procedures and the addresses of
SEC headquarters and/or regional offices visit - http://www.sec.gov/jobs/
Graduating Law Students:
The SEC's Advanced
Commitment Program is designed for
third-year law students, graduating LLM students, and judicial
law clerks. Office headquarters will hire between 30 and 40
Law Clerks, another 25 to 30 will be selected for vacancies in
the SEC's regional and district offices. Interested candidates
must submit a cover letter, resume, law school transcript and
5-10 page legal writing sample to the district office where
the candidate wishes to work. Deadline: Early fall.
For detailed information about application procedures
and the location of regional and district offices visit - http://www.sec.gov/jobs.shtml
STATE DEPARTMENT:
Summer Law Clerks: The
U.S. Department of State provides students with an opportunity
to get an inside look at foreign affairs. Some students
work in Washington, D.C., or have the opportunity to work at
an embassy overseas. Positions are both paid and unpaid, and
available during spring, summer or fall. Interested
candidates must submit three copies of the following: a
completed Application Form for Employment; a one-page
statement of interest, describing their motivation for
pursuing an internship, transcripts documenting their
education, and a financial aid transcript or Student Aid
Report, if they wish to be considered for a paid internship. Deadline:
November 1, 2003. For detailed information about
application procedures visit - http://www.careers.state.gov/student/programs/index.html
Graduating Law
Students: The
State Department hires graduating law students through its Presidential
Management Program (PMI), where a student is
“nominated” by his or her law school in September of the
student’s last year of study. The PMI
Application form will be posted online at www.pmf.opm.gov
in mid-September, and will remain online until October 31st.
After you have received a nomination from an
appropriate official, YOU must submit your signed PMI
Application with your typed resume. Additional forms are
required for those claiming Veterans or Native American
preference. Letters of recommendation are not
necessary, and will not be considered. You may apply to
the program only once. Further information is available
by writing to: U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Presidential Management Program, William Green, Jr. Federal
Building, 600 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Be
sure to read the Program Overview section of the web site, www.pmf.opm.gov,
before submitting your application.
TRADE REPRESENTATIVE, U.S. (USTR):
Summer Law Clerks - The
student intern program at USTR is a volunteer program where
students gain knowledge and experience on U.S. trade policy
and, in many cases, earn college credit at the same time.
Assignments range from research, analyses, statistics,
briefing books, report preparation, meeting and conference
planning, letter writing, to covering Hill meetings, hearings,
and markups as necessary. Students are required to
submit a resume, writing sample, and a letter stating period
of availability. Students may wish to include their
particular area of interest (i.e., Asia, Western Hemisphere,
Europe). Each resume must include date and place of birth,
social security number, current address, and telephone number.
All applicants must be United States citizens.
Application information must be submitted in writing to:
Deborah Tidwell, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative,
Human Resources - Intern Coordinator, 600 17th Street, NW -
Winder Building, Washington, D.C. 20508. Deadlines
for Summer internships: March 15th.
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT:
Summer Law Clerks:
The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) of the Department of
Transportation is comprised of seven divisions: general
litigation, international law, legislation, general law,
military records, regulation & enforcement or aviation
law. Interested candidates must send a cover letter,
resume and legal transcript to the attorney in-charge of
recruitment for a particular division. Deadline: Early
fall. For detailed information about application
procedures and the names and addresses of division recruiters
visit - http://www.dot.gov/ost/ogc/org/interns.html
Graduating Law Students: The Office of General
Counsel hires graduating law students to participate in its Honors
Program, where attorneys emerge from the program with a
firm understanding of the workings of the Department, as well
as excellent substantive legal experience. Candidates
should be bright self-starters who have a strong commitment to
public service, can communicate well orally and in writing,
and can operate productively in a large organizational
environment. Interested candidates should send a
cover letter and resume to Honors Program Coordinator/Hiring
Coordinator, Office of the General Counsel, Department of
Transportation, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, D.C.
20590. E-mail address: honors.attorney@ost.dot.gov.
Applications for the Honors Attorney Program should be sent
between August 10, 2003 and October 10, 2003.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT:
Summer Law Clerks: Law
students selected for this program will work in one of the
offices of the Legal Division and will be given the
opportunity to improve research and writing skills, to observe
the practice of law in a major cabinet agency, and to learn
about substantive areas of the law by dealing with issues
faced by Treasury lawyers and their clients. Because of budget
constraints, Honors clerks generally are not compensated.
Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume
via electronic mail to honorsprogram@do.treas.gov.
Deadline: Early fall. For detailed
information about application procedures visit - http://www.ustreas.gov/legaldiv/honrpage.htm
Graduating Law Students: Law graduates, including
judicial clerks, are given a unique opportunity to practice
law in a major cabinet department through the Law Graduate
Honors Program. Honors Program Attorneys may rotate
through a broad range of offices or, if they are interested in
a particular field, they may select rotations that focus
primarily on one of three areas: banking and finance,
international affairs, or legislation and litigation
oversight. The program involves a two-year commitment,
although many Honors Attorneys have accepted regular positions
at the Treasury Department before the end of their commitment.
Those who are invited in for interviews will be asked to bring
a transcript with them but need not submit one with the
initial application. Interested candidates must submit a cover
letter, resume and writing sample via electronic mail to honorsprogram@do.treas.gov.
Deadline: November 1st. For detailed
information about application procedures visit - http://www.ustreas.gov/legaldiv/honrpage.htm
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