To qualify for this Law Clerk Internship under the DOT Pathways Internship Program, you MUST be a continuing Law Student enrolled or accepted for enrollment for the current/upcoming semesters for the duration of the internship as a condition of employment, taking at least a half-time course load. You will be required to provide documentation to support eligibility. Students will be employed throughout the academic year and can work full time in the summer.
Summary
To qualify for this Law Clerk Internship under the DOT Pathways Internship Program, you MUST be a continuing Law Student enrolled or accepted for enrollment for the current/upcoming semesters for the duration of the internship as a condition of employment, taking at least a half-time course load. You will be required to provide documentation to support eligibility. Students will be employed throughout the academic year and can work full time in the summer.
Applications will be accepted from Law School Students, who are U.S. Citizens. You must be a current second or third year law student enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a qualifying educational institution and in Law Student Status at least half-time for the full internship. This position is part of the DOT Pathways Internship Program.
This is a developmental position within the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of Transportation (DOT). The position is designed to provide interns with challenging assignments that will broaden their perspectives on issues facing the government and prepare them for future positions throughout the government.
The Student Intern (Law Clerk) will have the opportunity to work in one of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Offices and will assist higher-level staff with support in the coordination, facilitation, and implementation of the operations in the office to which they are assigned. This position will provide students an opportunity to be exposed to and participate in activities, innovations, and challenges facing the transportation industry today.
The Pathways Student Intern (Law Clerk) will:
Research and analyze law sources to prepare drafts of briefs or arguments for review, approval, and use by attorney.
Conduct research, collect, record, organize, and analyze data relative to legal issues to assist in the preparation of legal documents.
Assist the office by performing assigned technical tasks under immediate supervision of attorneys and other legal staff.
Research and verify points of law cited by attorneys in memoranda.
Prepare draft pleadings, correspondence, legal memoranda, opinions, briefs, and other documents.
Respond to requests for legal opinions at the direction of attorneys.
Assist in meetings with clients, conferences with opposing counsel, mediation and settlement discussions, and conferences with attorneys from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the local U.S. Attorney's office (AUSA) assigned to the FHWA's environmental cases or other cases.
The ideal Law School candidate is an individual with excellent legal research and writing skills, who can handle and prioritize multiple competing tasks and a diverse workload while maintaining collegial working relationships. This individual has a demonstrated interest in administrative law, environmental law, or transportation law. The ideal candidate will provide a cover letter (maximum two pages) explaining his/her specific interest in this position and highlighting his/her relevant work experience and educational background.
You must be in Law Student Status for the full internship.
You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet the requirements of the program.
You must be at least 16 years of age.
Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
PATHWAYS ELIGIBILITY - To be eligible for appointment to a position in the DOT Pathways Internship Program, throughout the duration of the appointment, as a baseline an individual must (see qualifications section for additional series/grade requirements):
Be accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree or certificate in a qualifying educational institution on a half to full-time basis (as determined by the educational institution).
Be seeking a degree that is relevant to this position. (For this internship you must be seeking a degree in Law.)
Be able to work at least 16 hours per week during the academic semester, depending on your academic schedule, and preferably full-time during the summer. This is not a summer only position.
Grade qualifications must be met prior to start date.
If selected, you:
must sign a Pathways Internship Program Participant Agreement;
must be willing to work throughout the academic year;
must maintain status as a current law student;
must maintain good academic standing, at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 grading scale;
must furnish course registration information at the start of each school term; and
must provide verification of academic status (transcript) at the end of each academic term.
UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP: Must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
DECLARATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT: Selectee is required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine suitability for federal employment.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Must complete a background investigation.
TRIAL PERIOD: The intern is in a trial period throughout the entire Pathways Internship appointment.
TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position may be approved for occasional telework. The number of telework days approved is determined by the agency policy, emergency situations, the approval of your immediate supervisor, and if applicable, approval of additional officials. You are required to report to the office on a regular basis since this is not a full-time telework position or approved as a remote work position.
Qualifications
Please be sure that you have read and meet the Pathways program requirements under the Requirements section. Then, to further meet the minimum qualifications for this position, review the following grade specific education requirements to determine full eligibility before applying.
Note that if you are graduating at the end of this current semester, and not continuing your education, you are not eligible for this internship. You must be enrolled as a Law student while employed as an intern.
Law Student Status: An eligible student is an individual who is enrolled in law school pursuing a Juris Doctor Degree or a LL. B Legum Baccalaureus Degree and is taking at least half-time academic course load in an American Bar Association accredited university. Successful candidates must have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills, and be in good academic standing at his/her university.
You must meet the following education requirements for each grade by the start of the internship (anticipated to start Fall 2024). You may use 2024 in-progress semester/quarter hours to qualify for a higher grade level. Qualifications will be determined based on completed and in-progress hours stated on your unofficial transcript submitted at the time of application. To be qualifying, you must successfully complete and receive credit for the courses and provide an updated official transcript before you enter on duty. Apply to the grade(s) that you will be eligible for and provide the applicable supporting documentation.
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must be a current second- or third- year law student whom has met the education requirements below for each grade which you are requesting consideration for. Transcript(s) are required for verification.
GS-07 - Completion of one academic year of graduate level education (above a bachelor's).
GS-09 - Completion of two academic years of graduate level education (above a bachelor's), or awarded a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree.
Academic year definition: For qualification purposes, an academic year of graduate education is the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement for the GS-07; and 36 semester hours for 2 years of full-time study should be considered as satisfying the GS-09 requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.
When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard.
NOTE: If your law schools' definition of "academic year" differs from above, you must submit proof of this difference (e.g., copy of course catalog that defines an academic year). Absent this documentation, you will be screened for academic qualifications based on the academic hours as defined in the bullets above.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
Oral Communication - Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.
Research - Perform legal research with little or no direction.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Refer to the Qualifications and Requirements section for information pertaining to the Pathways Internship Program.
Additional information
WORK SCHEDULE: Pathways intern hours worked cannot interfere with academic studies. Interns may work either full-time or part-time hours.
This is an Excepted Service appointment. As a part of the Pathways Internship Program, the appointment may be extended until the selectee's educational program requirements have been completed. The student intern may be converted, without a break in service to a term (time-limited) or permanent appointment upon graduation, to a position that has a career ladder targeted up to the GS-14*, provided they are a US citizen who has worked at least 640 hours in an appropriate program and receive a favorable recommendation from the supervisor for retention. There is no guarantee of a permanent position following this internship. The selectee is on a trial period while on a Pathways Internship appointment.
*Initial conversion is to a term (time-limited of 13 months) appointment with further conversion eligibility to an excepted appointment to a position that has a career ladder targeted up to the GS-14 after passing of the Bar exam. You will be placed in a Law Clerk position pending admission to the Bar, at which time you will be eligible for conversion to an Attorney position. Failure to pass the Bar exam within 14 months of initial conversion appointment will result in termination of the appointment.
Refer to 'Next Steps' section for interview information.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation
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.
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level.
Once you complete and submit your application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the job. Qualified students will be referred to the hiring manager in unranked order by veteran preference status: (1) Preference eligible having a compensable, service-connected disability of 10 percent or more; (2) all other candidates eligible for 10-point veteran preference; (3) candidates eligible for 5-point veteran preference; and (4) candidates not eligible for veteran preference.
You will not be considered for the position if any part of the application or supporting documentation is incomplete. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or adverse action after hiring.
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.
RESUME: Your resume MUST contain specific information used to make a qualification determination that includes employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level. The resume should show relevant experience and education as well as support the required specialized experience. Formatted resumes may be uploaded later in the application process. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/
The following is a list of documents that are required based on the type of position and consideration for which you are applying. Please review each of the following sections to determine which, if any, additional documents you need to provide with your application.
Completed Questionnaire.
Acceptance Letter of Enrollment: A letter from the educational institution that confirms the following: The degree/diploma program in which you have been accepted and that you will be enrolled on at least a half-time basis in the upcoming semester (Fall 2024 or equivalent semester). Required from all applicants who have been accepted for enrollment and have not yet attended, therefore do not have a transcript to submit.
IMPORTANT: Students who are graduating at the end of this semester must provide proof of acceptance or enrollment (transcript or letter) for the next semester (or equivalent semester) to qualify for this internship position.
College Transcripts: Copies of your transcripts which include courses currently in progress. “Unofficial” transcripts are acceptable. (Prior to appointment, an official transcript will be required.) Required from all applicants who are currently enrolled.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - click here. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application.
VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. It need not be official.
If you are claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required.
WRITING SAMPLE: If selected for an interview, a writing sample may be requested.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
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.
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
DOT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Next steps
Once the application process is completed in its entirety, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualifications. Qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews.
If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
Interview Process: Applicants who advance through this process may be invited for one or more interviews and may be requested to provide additional information such as references, most recent performance appraisal, and writing samples (including a live writing or practical exercise following the interview).
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
RESUME: Your resume MUST contain specific information used to make a qualification determination that includes employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level. The resume should show relevant experience and education as well as support the required specialized experience. Formatted resumes may be uploaded later in the application process. For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/
The following is a list of documents that are required based on the type of position and consideration for which you are applying. Please review each of the following sections to determine which, if any, additional documents you need to provide with your application.
Completed Questionnaire.
Acceptance Letter of Enrollment: A letter from the educational institution that confirms the following: The degree/diploma program in which you have been accepted and that you will be enrolled on at least a half-time basis in the upcoming semester (Fall 2024 or equivalent semester). Required from all applicants who have been accepted for enrollment and have not yet attended, therefore do not have a transcript to submit.
IMPORTANT: Students who are graduating at the end of this semester must provide proof of acceptance or enrollment (transcript or letter) for the next semester (or equivalent semester) to qualify for this internship position.
College Transcripts: Copies of your transcripts which include courses currently in progress. “Unofficial” transcripts are acceptable. (Prior to appointment, an official transcript will be required.) Required from all applicants who are currently enrolled.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - click here. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application.
VETERANS: Your last DD214 (member 4 copy), Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. It need not be official.
If you are claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required.
WRITING SAMPLE: If selected for an interview, a writing sample may be requested.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
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.
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
DOT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Submit Application and Documents Online
1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR - 50
Washington, District of Columbia 20590
United States
Next steps
Once the application process is completed in its entirety, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualifications. Qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews.
If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
Interview Process: Applicants who advance through this process may be invited for one or more interviews and may be requested to provide additional information such as references, most recent performance appraisal, and writing samples (including a live writing or practical exercise following the interview).
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
