Law Student Volunteer Academic Year- 2024

Profile

This is an open and continuous vacancy announcement for unpaid law student internships at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.  We seek law student interns for the fall, spring, and summer.  While the application period closes on September 21

st

 for the spring, February 21

st

 for the summer, and on May 21

st

 for the fall, the application period for any position may close at  any time

 once a sufficient number of selections are made.  Accordingly, apply as soon as possible following the instructions below.

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado represents the United States and its agencies in civil and criminal litigation before the United States District Court for the District of Colorado and on appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. The office prosecutes federal criminal offenses, litigates affirmative and defensive civil lawsuits, and collects judgments and restitution for victims and taxpayers.

The office values a diverse workforce and welcomes applicants who reflect our country’s range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives arising from differences of culture and circumstance, and it seeks to provide an inclusive, rewarding work environment for all employees. The office encourages applications from all qualified individuals.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

Job Description:

Assignments include, but are not limited to, drafting responsive motions, dispositive motions, memoranda of law, and appellate briefs. Interns become familiar with the Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, the local rules of practice for the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, and the local and Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. In addition, interns may attend depositions, meetings with agents, and accompany attorneys to observe court proceedings

Qualifications:

The District of Colorado is seeking outstanding candidates for legal internships to assist in our mission. The start and end dates are negotiable, but we ask that our interns commit to at least 6 weeks of service.

To be eligible for an internship, ALL of the following requirements must be met:

Law Student Status

: Acceptance of applications for this announcement will be limited to first-year (second semester), second-year, and third-year law students. Law school graduates are not eligible for law student volunteer positions. An eligible student is an individual who is enrolled in law school pursuing a Juris Doctor Degree and is taking at least half-time academic course load in an accredited university. Successful candidates must have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills, and be in good academic standing at their university.

Citizenship:

 Interns must be United States citizens or owe permanent allegiance to the United States.  (Currently, natives of American Samoa, Swains Island, and certain inhabitants of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are the only groups that owe permanent allegiance to the United States.)

Background Investigation: 

You must successfully complete a background investigation to determine your suitability for Federal employment.

Volunteer Agreement: 

All interns are required to sign the Participant Agreement (will be completed later during the security process if selected).

Salary:

None. This is a volunteer position and is uncompensated. Course credit and/or work-study credit are possible depending on school requirements.

Travel:

None

Application Process:

Positions are filled on a rolling basis based on the schedule below.  Send your complete application to the Law Clerk Committee at  usaco.internships@usdoj.gov

Application packages must include (1) a cover letter, (2) resume, and (3) law school transcript or proof of law school enrollment.  In each cover letter, applicants should indicate to which program the applicant is applying (i.e., spring, summer, or fall).  Additionally, applicants may, if they choose, address this voluntary question briefly in their cover letter:

Because the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office covers everyone in Colorado, rich and varied perspectives among the office’s members contribute significantly to that mission.  The varied values, interests, experiences, and aspirations of AUSAs, law clerks, and staff help shape how we carry out that mission.  How might your unique values, interests, experiences, or aspirations contribute to the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office?

[ No answer to this question is required, and

  there is no penalty for not including an answer to this question in a cover letter.

Application documents should be submitted in PDF format. Vacancies will close when positions are filled or by 11:59p.m. (MST) of the application deadlines below, whichever comes first

Application Deadlines:

Spring

: September 21st 

Summer

: February 21st

Fall:  

May 21st

If selected to advance, applicants should be prepared to provide a legal writing sample.

Relocation Expenses:

Relocation expenses will not be authorized

Number of Positions:

Varied

Updated May 23, 2023

Department Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity

:  The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.  Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor.  The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full  EEO Statement

Reasonable Accommodations

:  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.

Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities

:  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

Suitability and Citizenship

:  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.

Veterans

:  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).

USAO Residency Requirement

:  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.

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Department of Justice - United States Attorneys' Office District of Colorado
Website : http://www.justice.gov/usao/co/