USAJOBS connects job seekers with federal jobs across the United States and around the world as the official employment site for the federal government

This job is open to

Students

Current students enrolled in an accredited high school, college or graduate institution.

Clarification from the agency

All students enrolled at least half-time in an accredited law school program who are United States Citizens/Nationals.

Duties

An internship with the U.S. Attorney's Office offers a unique and challenging experience for the highly motivated student. This internship provides opportunity to work on some of the most significant, complex and visible cases being litigated today. Working with Assistant U.S. Attorneys and other staff, you will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty and property of citizens. The United States Attorney's Office serves as the principal litigator for its judicial district and is responsible for coordinating multiple agency investigations within the district. The United States Attorney has the responsibility and authority to prosecute violations of Federal criminal statutes, defend the government in civil actions, seek the enforcement of a variety of civil enforcement statutes, and institute proceedings for the collection of fines and penalties.

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

Practice Area:

Appellate Litigation
Civil Litigation
Criminal Litigation

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

You must be a United States Citizen or National.

Qualifications

To be eligible for this internship ALL the following requirements must be met:

Law Student Status: Acceptance of applications for this announcement will be limited to current first year (second semester) and second-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 his/her university.
Grade Point Average: You must have at least a 2.5 GPA.
Citizenship: Student 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 a federal internship.
Volunteer Agreement: All interns are required to sign the Participant Agreement (will be completed later during the security process if selected).

Education

You must be enrolled in an accredited law school and must meet half-time student enrollment requirements.

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at an institution that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov.

Foreign Education Note: You may use foreign education to meet qualification requirements if you send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency in with your transcript. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Veterans' Preference: If you are entitled to Veterans' Preference, you must indicate the type of preference you are claiming by checking the appropriate box in the assessment questionnaire to indicate your preference and submit the documentation as specified in the "Required Documents" section of this vacancy announcement.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

EEO Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a parent, genetic information, disability, age, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your complete application package (resume/supporting documentation, online questionnaire, and USA Hire Competency Based Assessment) will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, you may be referred to the selecting official or if Veterans' Preference must be adjudicated, your application will be placed in one of three grouping categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within each of these groupings, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. All CP/CPS preference eligibles that meet minimum qualification and eligibility requirements will be included in the "Best Qualified" grouping.

You will be rated on the following Competencies: Conscientousness.

Go to OPM Website for the definition of each competency.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Required Documents

Help

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
Required: Your cover letter, which must indicate whether you are applying to intern for the 2023 summer, the 2023-2024 academic year, or both.
Required: Resume.
Required: Your legal writing sample, which may not exceed 10 pages. If you are providing a writing sample that has been edited by someone else, please include a cover page indicating as such and affirming that the sample is nonetheless indicative of your writing skill and ability.
Required: Current Unofficial transcript or proof of current enrollment, e.g., recent letter from the registrar's office. (Note: If you are selected for this position, an official transcript will be required prior to your first day.)
Required, if applicable: Veterans' Preference documentation. (See also required Veterans' Preference Documentation below.) Please note, if you are entitled to Veterans' Preference, you must indicate the type of preference you are claiming by checking the appropriate box in the assessment questionnaire to indicate your preference and submit the required documentation as specified below.

Required Veterans' Preference Documentation:-In order to verify your Veterans' Preference entitlement, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); or if you are a current Active Duty member you must submit a certification on appropriate military branch letterhead that indicates: 1) your service dates, 2) expected discharge or release date from active duty with a release/discharge date no later than 120 days from the closing date of this announcement, and 3) the character of service (e.g., Honorable); or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
-In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower if a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," dated October 2013 and the required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Help

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 02/24/2023 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.)
3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, http://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11821955

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online, contact Rasheda Devaney at 612-272-8264 or Rasheda.Devaney@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.

Agency contact information

Rasheda Devaney

Phone: 612-272-8264
Fax: 612-664-5789
Email: Rasheda.Devaney@usdoj.gov

Address: District of Minnesota
300 S 4th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415
US

Next steps

Once your completed application package is received, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the program requirements. Eligible candidates will be referred to the selecting officials for further consideration and possible interview. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit check. Please be advised that background investigations can take up to 6 weeks to process. If selected, your initial security paperwork must be turned into the District of Colorado no later than May 13, 2019 to ensure sufficient time for processing. Final offers are contingent upon receipt of a favorable background check.

Required Documents

Help

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
Required: Your cover letter, which must indicate whether you are applying to intern for the 2023 summer, the 2023-2024 academic year, or both.
Required: Resume.
Required: Your legal writing sample, which may not exceed 10 pages. If you are providing a writing sample that has been edited by someone else, please include a cover page indicating as such and affirming that the sample is nonetheless indicative of your writing skill and ability.
Required: Current Unofficial transcript or proof of current enrollment, e.g., recent letter from the registrar's office. (Note: If you are selected for this position, an official transcript will be required prior to your first day.)
Required, if applicable: Veterans' Preference documentation. (See also required Veterans' Preference Documentation below.) Please note, if you are entitled to Veterans' Preference, you must indicate the type of preference you are claiming by checking the appropriate box in the assessment questionnaire to indicate your preference and submit the required documentation as specified below.

Required Veterans' Preference Documentation:-In order to verify your Veterans' Preference entitlement, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); or if you are a current Active Duty member you must submit a certification on appropriate military branch letterhead that indicates: 1) your service dates, 2) expected discharge or release date from active duty with a release/discharge date no later than 120 days from the closing date of this announcement, and 3) the character of service (e.g., Honorable); or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
-In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower if a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," dated October 2013 and the required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Help

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 02/24/2023 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.)
3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, http://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11821955

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online, contact Rasheda Devaney at 612-272-8264 or Rasheda.Devaney@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.

Agency contact information

Rasheda Devaney

Phone: 612-272-8264
Fax: 612-664-5789
Email: Rasheda.Devaney@usdoj.gov

Address: District of Minnesota
300 S 4th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415
US

Next steps

Once your completed application package is received, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the program requirements. Eligible candidates will be referred to the selecting officials for further consideration and possible interview. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit check. Please be advised that background investigations can take up to 6 weeks to process. If selected, your initial security paperwork must be turned into the District of Colorado no later than May 13, 2019 to ensure sufficient time for processing. Final offers are contingent upon receipt of a favorable background check.