Law Student Volunteer, Academic Year, Appellate Section

Full-time

No

Law Student Volunteer, Academic Year, Appellate Section
Criminal Division (CRM)
Appellate Section
Law Student Volunteer, Academic Year
Washington, DC 20530
United States
About the Office:

The Appellate Section prepares draft briefs and certiorari petitions for the Solicitor General for filing in the . Supreme Court; makes recommendations to the Solicitor General as to whether further review is warranted on adverse decisions in the district courts and courts of appeals; and prepares briefs and argues cases in the courts of appeals. The section also prepares and argues motions in significant district court cases. The Section assists . Attorneys and Division prosecutors in preparing briefs for the courts of appeals and provides advice on a variety of legal issues.

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:

Student interns assume substantial responsibility for researching and writing memoranda to the Solicitor General concerning whether he or she should approve an appeal, rehearing, or certiorari in criminal cases where there has been a ruling adverse to the United States. Interns are assigned to prepare these memoranda in a broad range of cases, including cases involving suppression of evidence, dismissals of indictments, post-verdict judgments of acquittal, and adverse sentencing determinations. The legal issues are quite varied, and often involve constitutional questions, questions of statutory interpretation, or the correct application of the Sentencing Guidelines. Interns also assist Section attorneys with researching and writing briefs to be filed in the Supreme Court and federal courts of appeals, and are invited to participate in moot courts. If the Supreme Court is sitting during the student’s internship, the intern will have the opportunity to attend at least one Court session.

The Section considers remote volunteer internships during the academic year for candidates who attend law school outside the DC area.

Application Process:

To apply for an internship, please submit a cover letter, resume, official or unofficial transcript, and writing sample (not to exceed ten pages) to . Please do not mail application materials.

Please submit all applications by the following deadlines:

Applications for summer internships must be submitted by December 7;

Applications for fall internships must be submitted by May 1;

Applications for spring internships must be submitted by October 1.

For more information, please see the Appellate Section's internship announcement, available at . **If applying for a spring or fall position, please see the Appellate Section's separate posting for Academic Year Law Student Volunteers.**
Number of Positions: 4 - 5

Department Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity: The . 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 . § )) 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
Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only . citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, . Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying . citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of . 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 . 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 (., 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 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 . 545 for district specific information.

Qualification and Experience The Appellate Section hires volunteer interns who have completed at least one year of law school. An offer of a position as a law student intern is contingent on completion of a security clearance.

Legal