This position is established as a Student Trainee (Legal) at Peace Corps headquarters, Washington DC. This position description may be utilized within the Office of Inspector General or Office of General Counsel to participate in the Agency internship program. The incumbent will perform a variety of professional and technical duties designed to increasingly develop and apply knowledge the occupation relevant to the area of study of the incumbent's enrolled educational program.
Summary
This position is established as a Student Trainee (Legal) at Peace Corps headquarters, Washington DC. This position description may be utilized within the Office of Inspector General or Office of General Counsel to participate in the Agency internship program. The incumbent will perform a variety of professional and technical duties designed to increasingly develop and apply knowledge the occupation relevant to the area of study of the incumbent's enrolled educational program.
The incumbent will receive training in work processes, regulations and statutes in one of the functional areas designed to provide a career oriented introduction to the work in the assigned functional area. Assignments include developmental experiences to prepare the incumbent for increasingly more complex work in the assigned functional area. Assignments may be supplemented by on-the-job and/or formal training in the occupation.
Performs duties under the supervision of a higher graded attorney who gives instructions as to the objectives and results to be obtained and is available for guidance, as to methods and procedures to be followed, during progress of assignment, and compliance with policies, procedures and regulations.
The incumbent conducts legal, law enforcement and policy research, reviewing and revising manuals and policy, supporting documentation, drafts responses to requests and provides writing and editing support to the office. Drafts memoranda or reports outlining the facts and legal issues involved, application of legal principles and precedents.
Researches case files; Reviews available precedents relevant to cases under consideration for use in presenting case summaries; assists with interviews to obtain information; statistics and tabulations to provide leads and supportive data for case litigation. Assists attorney(s) during the progress of the case or legal issues, obtaining and developing further evidence and exhibits, providing administrative assistance, and maintaining exhibits, documents, and files.
The individual must have been accepted for enrollment or be enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution on a full or halftime basis. Interns must be at least 18 years of age.
If you are a student from a University that does not allow participation in paid internship programs you will be required to provide a letter from your school verifying that you are not allowed to be paid while in the program. Additionally, you will be required to sign a letter of exemption that you will not be paid while participating in the program.
Applicants must be a Undergraduate (Juniors and Seniors) or Graduate Student:
Students must be returning to school immediately following the internship in order to qualify for the program. In addition, students must attach an official or unofficial transcript to their application confirming they are a current student.
An individual enrolled in school and receiving credit toward their degree for participating in the Student Internship Program is also considered a student,
An applicant is considered a junior if he/she will have completed all sophomore credits (60 or more semester hours or 90 quarter hours) by the time the internship begins and will be entering at least the junior year immediately following completion of the internship
Have a minimum 3.0 GPA
If the school does not issue Grade Point Averages (GPAs), please work with your registrar office to understand the markings associated with each course on your transcript to use the GPA Calculation Table. Note: a GPA must be entered for your application to be complete and for you to be considered.
Applicants must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
This position requires a public trust background investigation.
Qualifications
Specialized Experience:
You must meet the specialized experience at the grade level(s) in which you choose to be considered by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 10/27/2022 (the closing date of the announcement). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To ensure full credit for your experience, please indicate dates of employment by month, day, and year and the number of hours worked per week in your resume.
This vacancy is being announced at two grade levels:
FP-5
Qualifying experience for the FP-5 level includes Completion of 2 academic years of law school.
FP-4
Qualifying experience for the FP-4 level includes Completion of 3 or more academic years of law school.
All qualification requirements must be met by 10/27/2022 (the closing date of this announcement). Qualification claims will be subject to verification.
Please note: Peace Corps employees are employed using the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale. The FP pay plan does not follow the same structure as the GS pay plan. In the FP pay plan, as the grade-level numbers decrease the level/pay for the position increases (e.g., the FP-09 is the lowest entry-level pay and the FP-01 is the highest senior-level pay).
Education
FP-5
Qualifying experience for the FP-5 level includes Completion of 2 academic years of law school.
FP-4
Qualifying experience for the FP-4 level includes Completion of 3 or more academic years of law school.
Additional information
Intelligence Background Information
Peace Corps Manual Section 611 is applicable to this position. This section prohibits the employment of certain persons previously engaged in intelligence activities or connected with intelligence agencies within the past 10 years. If you have ever worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), you are not eligible for employment at the Peace Corps in any capacity, and you should not apply for employment.
Acceptance of employment with Peace Corps precludes employment by certain intelligence organizations for a specific period of time, determined by the employing agency, after Peace Corps employment ceases.
Applicants who are found to be otherwise qualified will be required to submit upon request in the future a completed Intelligence Background Questionnaire, or narrative signed statement, indicating whether the applicant has been involved in or has had any connection with intelligence activities or related work and, if so, the nature and dates of his or her involvement. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the applicant being rated ineligible for further consideration. If you have any other type of possible intelligence connection, your application will not be further considered until you submit this form. Except when the CIA or the National Security Agency (NSA) is involved (see below), if your connection with an Intelligence Agency involves an immediate family member who works or has worked in intelligence, the immediate family member should complete the form, not the applicant. Usually relying on memory is sufficient to answer most if not all of the questions.
If you have an immediate family member who works or has worked for the CIA, you should not give them this form to complete. Please contact your relative in person-not by phone, email, social networking, or any other means that is not in person- and ask him or her to contact the Office of General Counsel at the CIA.
If you or an immediate family member have been employed by or associated with the NSA, you or your family member must contact the NSA Prepublication Review Office at 443-634-4095.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application will be evaluated based on your resume, attached supporting documentation, and your responses to the self-assessment questionnaire. Your materials will be evaluated to validate your possession of any required knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies. The following competencies will be evaluated in the self-assessment questionnaire:
Please note that a complete application is required for consideration, including any documentation that is being used for qualifications. A Human Resources Specialist will review your resume and supporting documentation, which must support the answers you provided. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for disqualification.
National service refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through national service programs such as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, as well as other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, community, student).
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package, including:
a detailed resume,
a completed electronic self-assessment questionnaire,
an SF-50 (for current and former Federal employees, including internal employees), and
the submission of any other required documents.
All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 10/27/2022 (the closing date of this announcement).
Resume: Include relevant work experience including job title, duties and accomplishments, employer name and address, supervisor name and phone number, start and end dates, hours per week and salary. If you are a current Federal employee or former Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series, and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09).
Veterans Documents: If you are using your 30% or more disability rating to be considered, you must attach all required documentation, including a DD-214 reflecting the type of discharge, the SF-15, and a VA Letter. Proof of a service-connected disability is required at the time of application. For more information regarding veterans' preference, please review the OPM Vet Guide.
Qualifications Based on Education or a Combination of Education and Experience: If you are qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, you must submit a copy of your transcript(s) or an appropriate course listing with a diploma. Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be used towards qualifications. Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by recognized institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at this website.
Note: All applicants (including internal) are required to submit the applicable documents listed above as verification of eligibility. If you fail to provide the information requested, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for these positions.
1. Click "Apply Online" to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
2. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload the required documents.
3. Please ensure you click the "Submit My Answers" button to submit your application.
4. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 10/15/2021 to receive consideration.
5. Check your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account. Return to an incomplete application by clicking Apply Online in the vacancy announcement and re-selecting your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account..
Office of Human Resources
1275 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20526
US
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and by going to the "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status". For a more detailed update of your application status, you may go to "more information" under the individual vacancy.
USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to provide status updates for applicants. You can elect to activate the status updates from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process.
If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package, including:
a detailed resume,
a completed electronic self-assessment questionnaire,
an SF-50 (for current and former Federal employees, including internal employees), and
the submission of any other required documents.
All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 10/27/2022 (the closing date of this announcement).
Resume: Include relevant work experience including job title, duties and accomplishments, employer name and address, supervisor name and phone number, start and end dates, hours per week and salary. If you are a current Federal employee or former Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series, and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09).
Veterans Documents: If you are using your 30% or more disability rating to be considered, you must attach all required documentation, including a DD-214 reflecting the type of discharge, the SF-15, and a VA Letter. Proof of a service-connected disability is required at the time of application. For more information regarding veterans' preference, please review the OPM Vet Guide.
Qualifications Based on Education or a Combination of Education and Experience: If you are qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, you must submit a copy of your transcript(s) or an appropriate course listing with a diploma. Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be used towards qualifications. Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by recognized institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at this website.
Note: All applicants (including internal) are required to submit the applicable documents listed above as verification of eligibility. If you fail to provide the information requested, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for these positions.
1. Click "Apply Online" to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
2. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload the required documents.
3. Please ensure you click the "Submit My Answers" button to submit your application.
4. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 10/15/2021 to receive consideration.
5. Check your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account. Return to an incomplete application by clicking Apply Online in the vacancy announcement and re-selecting your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account..
Office of Human Resources
1275 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20526
US
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and by going to the "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status". For a more detailed update of your application status, you may go to "more information" under the individual vacancy.
USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to provide status updates for applicants. You can elect to activate the status updates from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process.
If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
