The Office of the Solicitor (SOL) of U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) is seeking to hire multiple law students through the Summer Pathways Internship for positions located in the National and Regional offices through separate postings. Incumbents will learn the operations of a Federal government law office and DOL's enforcement programs, including civil litigation practices, client advisory services, rulemaking practices, and development of regulations.
Summary
The Office of the Solicitor (SOL) of U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) is seeking to hire multiple law students through the Summer Pathways Internship for positions located in the National and Regional offices through separate postings. Incumbents will learn the operations of a Federal government law office and DOL's enforcement programs, including civil litigation practices, client advisory services, rulemaking practices, and development of regulations.
Eligible students from qualifying educational institutions. Refer to the "Qualifications and Evaluations" section of this announcement for more information.
In addition to the SOL Front Office, there are 10 divisions in the Washington, D.C., headquarters. These divisions are primarily organized by program specific areas (e.g., the Division of Occupational Safety and Health) and they are structured to provide the client agencies with a single servicing office to the extent possible. Each division is headed by an Associate Solicitor and a Deputy Associate Solicitor.
To learn more about SOL National Divisions, please click on the hyperlink as well read the major duties below for internships:
Division of Black Lung and Longshore Legal Services - The Division of Black Lung and Longshore Legal Services (BLLLS) primary practice involves appellate litigation before the Benefits Review Board and the U.S. Courts of Appeals in cases under the Black Lung and Longshore Acts. BLLLS also does extensive regulatory and legal advice work. Interns may work in any of these areas, but would primarily aid in our appellate litigation practice.
Division of Civil Rights and Labor-Management - The Pathways intern will assist the Civil Rights and Labor-Management Division (CRLM) in providing legal services to several components within the Department as they administer and enforce a variety of civil rights, EEO, and labor laws. Duties will include significant legal research and writing in connection with advice, litigation and/or rulemaking projects for client agencies, such as drafting memoranda, analyses, and briefs, and may include attending meetings with the client agencies and other SOL divisions as appropriate.
Division of Employment and Training Legal Service - The intern will spend approximately 80% of their time on the Trade Development Act Child Labor Report, which compares foreign laws to international standards on child labor. The remaining time is spent on a writing sample, usually related to international law or immigration. International law interest or experience and foreign language reading skills (particularly Spanish) are preferred.
Division of Federal Employees' and Energy Workers' Compensation - This position is in the Federal Employees’ and Energy Workers’ Compensation Division, providing advice to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs on Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) matters and assisting in litigation under FECA and the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Division of Fair Labor Standards - The summer intern will complete challenging legal research and writing assignments on issues arising under the wide range of statutes that FLSD helps the Wage and Hour Division administer and enforce, as well as under numerous federal whistleblower laws. Projects may range from providing client advice on cutting edge legal issues, to working on an ongoing Department rulemaking, to assisting with briefs being filed in the federal courts of appeals.
Division of Management and Administrative Legal Services - The Management and Administrative Legal Services Division serves as the Department’s general counsel’s office, providing legal advice on a wide variety of issues, including internal employment law matters, appropriations, procurement, the Freedom of Information Act, and the Privacy Act of 1974. Interns will have the opportunity to work on both litigation and advice projects supporting DOL’s operations.
Division of Mine Safety and Health - Interns in the MSH Division work with attorneys who assist MSHA with rulemaking, provide legal advice in a wide variety of situations, and perform nationwide trial and appellate litigation. Projects include: writing litigation and research memos, attending strategy sessions with MSHA, seeking injunctions in federal district court, preparing cases for trial and trying cases before ALJs, writing appellate briefs, and preparing attorneys for oral arguments.
Division of Occupational Safety and Health - Interns will work with OSH attorneys on a variety of assignments, which may include assisting with the research and writing of legal briefs, preparing legal memoranda, and providing research, analysis and other support to a rulemaking team, and will also shadow OSH attorneys at meetings with OSHA and/or other Departmental partners.
Division of Plan Benefits Security - The Plan Benefits Security Division ("PBSD") of the Solicitor's Office handles federal district court and appellate cases involving all types of employee benefit plans, including pension and health plans. PBSD’s regulations section addresses important pension and health care policy questions. Pathways interns will have the opportunity to work on litigation and regulatory projects.
Assignments will also vary in accordance with each student’s level of skill, demonstrated interest, and needs of the assigned office.
To apply for intern positions in the SOL Regional Offices, please apply to announcement number PW-23-SOL-02.
U.S. Citizenship and must be at least 16 years of age.
Please carefully read and follow the HOW TO APPLY instructions.
Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
Requires a trial period if converted to a permanent position.
Appointee must be a U.S. citizen in order to be eligible for conversion to a permanent position in the competitive service upon completion of the Pathways program.
Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.
This is a temporary student internship appointment, not to exceed 10 weeks.
Notification Concerning COVID-19 Vaccinations. As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal executive branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to submit documentation of proof of vaccination or to be in the process of requesting an exception to the vaccination requirement before appointment or onboarding with the agency. The agency will provide additional information regarding which forms of documentation can be accepted and how you can request to be considered for a legally required exception from this requirement.
Currently, implementation and enforcement of Executive Order 14043 has been suspended pursuant to an injunction pending further litigation.
Qualifications
You must currently be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a student to be eligible for this position AND qualify based on one of the following:
For GS-5 Grade Level:
1.) EDUCATION: Completion of four academic years of post-high school study leading to a bachelor’s degree or four academic years of pre-professional study.
-AND-
2.) EXPERIENCE: Specialized experience is experience that equips the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position. Experience at this level must include all of the following: The incumbent must be enrolled as a student in an accredited law school; have completed one year of law school by their start date; and possess strong research, writing, and analytical skills.
For the GS-7 Grade Level:
1.) EDUCATION: Completion of one academic year of graduate level education.
-or-
Bachelor’s degree with Superior Academic Achievement as defined in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook.
-AND-
2.) EXPERIENCE: Specialized experience is experience that equips the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position. Experience at this level must include all of the following: The incumbent must be enrolled as a student in an accredited law school; must have completed two years of law school by their start date; and possess strong research, writing, and analytical skills.
To be eligible for appointment, you must be currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis at an accredited law school.
Education
Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.
If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.
Additional information
Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers. As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflect the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and model a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered.
You must sign a Pathways Internship Program Participant Agreement; furnish course registration information at the start of each school term; and provide verification of academic status (transcript) at the end of each academic term.
The Solicitor’s Office is committed to achieving and sustaining a diverse and inclusive work environment. The Solicitor’s Office considers diversity as the unique experiences, characteristics, capabilities, and perspectives of its employees, including, but not limited to, age, religion, disability, race, color, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, political affiliation, language, family structure, marital status, socio-economic status, geographical background, education, and professional experience. Click here for more information on SOL’s Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
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.
Applicants meeting the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements will be evaluated against the competencies described below and will be placed into one of the following quality categories, based on responses to the vacancy questionnaire:
Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying the critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity.
Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies by this position.
Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualifications requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.
Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:
Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the Office of Human Resources (OHR) may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.) Referrals will be made in accordance with applicable reemployment priority and/or veterans’ preference requirements. Click Application of Veterans Preference for Category Rating Jobs for more information.
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.
The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Warning: If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission. Also, do not upload password-protected documents.
The following documents are required from ALL applicants:
- Resumes are required - provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and the number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
- Proof of Enrollment: Academic transcript or other official documentation from the educational institution proving your status as a student who is currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis at a qualifying educational institution. See “Qualifications” and “Evaluations.”
- Qualifications: Academic transcripts sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, as described in this announcement, where you are seeking to qualify based on education. See "Qualifications" and "Evaluations."
The following documents are required if applicable:
- Veterans Documents (if applicable): To be considered as a 5-point preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD214. Your DD-214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. To claim 10-point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD214; an Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference, SF15; and the proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. (For active duty service members expecting to be honorably discharged or released within 120 days, click Active Duty) Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference. For more information, go to https://www.fedshirevets.gov.
- Cover Letters are not mandatory, but may be submitted and are encouraged. We encourage applicants to address their interest in each office for which they have applied.
Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, including submission of the required documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section.
Follow the steps below to apply. Your application and ALL required supplemental documents MUST be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date to receive consideration. Paper applications and supplemental documents submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the vacancy contact will not be considered. Click here for information on Reasonable Accommodations.
SAVE your information before the 30 MINUTE TIMEOUT! For help, go to USAJOBS Help Center.
STEP 1 - Create USAJOBS Account on www.usajobs.gov, including Resume and Saved Documents Your resume must provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the self-assessment vacancy questions. If not, HR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the competency indicated by resume content. FOR EACH EMPLOYMENT PERIOD, include: start/end month & year and note full-time or part-time (if part-time, include # of hours worked per week); otherwise, your application may be considered incomplete.
STEP 2 - Complete the 1st part of the application process (USAJOBS) Once you have identified a job on USAJOBS that you wish to apply for, click on the title and click the "Apply" button. For questions about the vacancy, contact the Agency Contact at the bottom of the announcement. Click “Start Application” and proceed through the 5 steps noted at the top of the USAJOBS page. You will be able to select a resume and documents from your USAJOBS Account that you can submit as a package as part of your DOL application. At Step 5, click “Continue to Agency Site”.
STEP 3 – Complete the 2nd part of the application process (DOL) On the Department of Labor (DOL) page, create a DOL Account if you have not already and click “APPLY TO THIS VACANCY”. Continue through the 7 progress steps indicated by circles at the top of the DOL page. The 3rd progress step is where you answer the vacancy specific questions. The 4th progress step "Documents" is where you submit required documents (only if applicable to you) specified in the "Required Documents" section of this vacancy. If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission.
STEP 4 – On the “Review and Submit” step, click “Submit Application” The last “Confirmation” step will turn green noting that your application was submitted successfully.
STEP 5 - Edit Application as needed by 11:59 pm ET of Closing Date by returning to USAJOBS, clicking the vacancy, then “Update Application”.
Labor, Office of the Solicitor
200 Constitution Ave., NW
Rm. N2419
Washington, District of Columbia 20210
United States
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and refer candidates for selection consideration. Candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome. A selection is expected to be made within 30 calendar days from the issuance date of the certificate.
For instructions on how to check the status of your application, go to: USAJOBS Help Guide.
USAJOBS will no longer send status alert email notifications. You can check your application status in the TAS by logging into USAJOBS and in the Applicant Dashboard, click the hiring agency Talent Acquisition System (TAS). If the TAS does not provide application tracking information, contact the agency point of contact on the job announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Warning: If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission. Also, do not upload password-protected documents.
The following documents are required from ALL applicants:
- Resumes are required - provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and the number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
- Proof of Enrollment: Academic transcript or other official documentation from the educational institution proving your status as a student who is currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis at a qualifying educational institution. See “Qualifications” and “Evaluations.”
- Qualifications: Academic transcripts sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, as described in this announcement, where you are seeking to qualify based on education. See "Qualifications" and "Evaluations."
The following documents are required if applicable:
- Veterans Documents (if applicable): To be considered as a 5-point preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD214. Your DD-214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. To claim 10-point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD214; an Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference, SF15; and the proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. (For active duty service members expecting to be honorably discharged or released within 120 days, click Active Duty) Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference. For more information, go to https://www.fedshirevets.gov.
- Cover Letters are not mandatory, but may be submitted and are encouraged. We encourage applicants to address their interest in each office for which they have applied.
Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, including submission of the required documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section.
Follow the steps below to apply. Your application and ALL required supplemental documents MUST be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date to receive consideration. Paper applications and supplemental documents submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the vacancy contact will not be considered. Click here for information on Reasonable Accommodations.
SAVE your information before the 30 MINUTE TIMEOUT! For help, go to USAJOBS Help Center.
STEP 1 - Create USAJOBS Account on www.usajobs.gov, including Resume and Saved Documents Your resume must provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the self-assessment vacancy questions. If not, HR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the competency indicated by resume content. FOR EACH EMPLOYMENT PERIOD, include: start/end month & year and note full-time or part-time (if part-time, include # of hours worked per week); otherwise, your application may be considered incomplete.
STEP 2 - Complete the 1st part of the application process (USAJOBS) Once you have identified a job on USAJOBS that you wish to apply for, click on the title and click the "Apply" button. For questions about the vacancy, contact the Agency Contact at the bottom of the announcement. Click “Start Application” and proceed through the 5 steps noted at the top of the USAJOBS page. You will be able to select a resume and documents from your USAJOBS Account that you can submit as a package as part of your DOL application. At Step 5, click “Continue to Agency Site”.
STEP 3 – Complete the 2nd part of the application process (DOL) On the Department of Labor (DOL) page, create a DOL Account if you have not already and click “APPLY TO THIS VACANCY”. Continue through the 7 progress steps indicated by circles at the top of the DOL page. The 3rd progress step is where you answer the vacancy specific questions. The 4th progress step "Documents" is where you submit required documents (only if applicable to you) specified in the "Required Documents" section of this vacancy. If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission.
STEP 4 – On the “Review and Submit” step, click “Submit Application” The last “Confirmation” step will turn green noting that your application was submitted successfully.
STEP 5 - Edit Application as needed by 11:59 pm ET of Closing Date by returning to USAJOBS, clicking the vacancy, then “Update Application”.
Labor, Office of the Solicitor
200 Constitution Ave., NW
Rm. N2419
Washington, District of Columbia 20210
United States
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and refer candidates for selection consideration. Candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome. A selection is expected to be made within 30 calendar days from the issuance date of the certificate.
For instructions on how to check the status of your application, go to: USAJOBS Help Guide.
USAJOBS will no longer send status alert email notifications. You can check your application status in the TAS by logging into USAJOBS and in the Applicant Dashboard, click the hiring agency Talent Acquisition System (TAS). If the TAS does not provide application tracking information, contact the agency point of contact on the job announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
