Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

LAW CLERK (LEGAL HONORS INTERN)

Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of General Counsel
Office of General Counsel
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Office of General Counsel (OGC). There are 10 vacancies open that can be filled in the following locations:

Boston, MA
Chicago, IL
Kansas City, KS
New York, NY
Philadelphia, PA
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Washington, DC

Note: When applying, please ONLY select up to 3 locations that you are interested in on a permanent basis. You will not be able to change locations if converted to a permanent appointment.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
10/13/2020 to 11/02/2020
Salary
$64,660 to - $101,503 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Locations
10 vacancies in the following locations:
San Francisco, CA
Washington, DC
Chicago, IL
Kansas City, KS
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - Not to Exceed 14 months
Work schedule
Full-time - Excepted - Not to Exceed 14 months
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
20-HUD-2454-X
Control number
581386200

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals; No prior Federal experience is required.

Duties

Help

LEGAL HONORS PROGRAM

HUD’s Legal Honors Program is designed for law students graduating from J.D. and LLM programs, and recent law school graduates completing a judicial clerkship. The Legal Honors Program is HUD’s only hiring program for entry-level attorneys.

Legal Honors are assigned either to Headquarters or a Regional Office.  During the program, all Legal Honors are given the opportunity to complete rotations across OGC functions and within other Federal agencies if elected.  Rotations may include:  Assisted Housing, Community Development, Fair Housing, Insured Housing, Legislations and Regulations, Litigation, Mortgage Backed Securities, Personnel and Ethics, Procurement Law, Program Enforcement, and Real Estate and transactional work.  Legal Honors will receive their permanent work placement upon successful completion of the 14-month appointment and bar admission.  Legal Honors are assigned mentors, receive training, and participate in monthly discussions to enhance their experience and professional development.  The target position upon conversion is a GS-12 Trial Attorney or Attorney Advisor with a full performance level of GS-14. 

The program is highly competitive and candidates are selected on the basis of merit. Selection considerations include many factors such as: academic achievement; law review and other publication work; extracurricular activities such as moot court competitions and legal clinics; employment history; and participation in activities related to HUD’s mission.

Additional information regarding the legal honors law clerk program can be found at: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/general_counsel/legalhonorsprogram

As a LAW CLERK (LEGAL HONORS INTERN), you will:

- Prepare and handle both affirmative and defensive litigation cases involving all programs and participates with private attorneys in handling cases involving HUD funded activities. 
- Participate in matters affecting HUD programs and administration in the regional office, field office or HUD Headquarters jurisdiction and exercises clear and precise judgment and discretion in formulating responses to legal issues with the assistance of the senior level attorney
- Prepare all pleadings, motions, briefs, and memorandum of law to be filed in cases. As appropriate, these documents are reviewed by a senior level attorney.
- Perform legal research and prepare memoranda of law based upon the products of his or her research.
- Conducts discovery, including examination or cross-examination of witnesses by deposition.
- Handle necessary programmatic transactional work related to real estate and housing.
- Provide advice and guidance on legal issues that arise in connection with the program responsibilities of the Department.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals

This position is located in the Office of General Counsel (OGC). OGC is the chief legal officer of the Department, the principal legal adviser to the Secretary and staff of HUD, and the head of the Departmental Enforcement Center.  OGC provides legal opinions, advice, and services with respect to all Departmental programs and activities, and assists in the development of HUD programs and policies.  OGC also provides functional legal counsel on defensive and affirmative litigation and the development of legislation and regulations. 

The Legal Honors Program will begin in September 2021. If selected, you MUST be able to start work and report for duty on or before August 30, 2021.

Candidates will be selected for a job assigned to one of the official duty stations listed in this announcement. Failure to report to duty at the location for which the candidate is selected may be grounds for a disciplinary action, including removal.

Qualifications

Law Clerk Program GS-11: To be considered for the Law Clerk Program, applicants MUST meet the following criteria:
(1) Third-year law students who will earn their J.D. by June 2021; OR
(2) Graduate law (LL.M) students in their last year of study who will graduate by June 2021; OR

(3) A law school graduate holding a current judicial law clerk position whose clerkship ends no later than September 2021. 

AND

(4) Must NOT have been admitted to the bar of any State, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or territories of the United States.
AND
(5) Applicants must have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 based on a scale of 4.0 or Academic standing in the upper 1/3 of the law school graduating class.
AND
(6) Only United States citizens can be admitted to the Law Clerk Program, and each person selected for the program must undergo a complete security/background investigation and be granted a security clearance.

Education

(1) Third-year law students who will earn their J.D. by June 2021; OR
(2) Graduate law (LL.M) students in their last year of study who will graduate by June 2021; OR
(3) A law school graduate holding a current judicial law clerk position whose clerkship ends no later than September 2021.

For positions with an education requirement, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. The transcript must be submitted with the law school’s grading system explanation attached. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. If you are a 3rd year law student, , please ensure your transcript includes final semester grades through Spring 2020. If you are a graduate law (LL.M) student in your last year of study, you must submit a copy of your JD and LLM transcript.

Additional information

- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. 
- Relocation expenses will not be paid.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- This position is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
- HUD offers alternative and flexible work schedules.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
- A 2-year trial period is required and begins if/when converted to a permanent position.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9.  Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.

HUD employees are subject to a number of government-wide and HUD specific ethics laws and regulations, including restrictions on outside employment. To review applicable ethics rules, please visit https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/general_counsel/ethics

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your résumé may result in a “not qualified” determination.

1. Minimum Requirements: Your application must show that you meet all requirements, including the education and/or experience required for this position. You will be found "not qualified" if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position. If your application is incomplete, we will rate you as ineligible.
2. Referral:  Since this is an Excepted Service position, a non-rated method of evaluation will be used. Eligible applicants that submit all of the required documents will be referred to HUD for a panel review to be rated and ranked. Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Public Service, Academic Activities, Related Coursework, Work Experience, Leadership Potential, Communication & Writing Skills, and Overall Grade Point Average. We will evaluate your application by comparing your description of your work experience, level of responsibility, and accomplishments with the requirements of the position to determine whether you meet all the qualification requirements. Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference-eligibles will be listed at the top and considered before non-preference-eligibles. Candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements will be referred to the selecting official for consideration and possible interview.


To preview questions please click here.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.