The USAID Internship Program (Summer 2025) is designed to provide Interns with substantive work assignments, which expose them to the benefits of a Federal career. This position is in the Office of the General Counsel (GC). The program provides valuable opportunities for law students to gain hands-on experience in international development and to form professional relationships with USAID attorneys.
Summary
The USAID Internship Program (Summer 2025) is designed to provide Interns with substantive work assignments, which expose them to the benefits of a Federal career. This position is in the Office of the General Counsel (GC). The program provides valuable opportunities for law students to gain hands-on experience in international development and to form professional relationships with USAID attorneys.
All U.S. citizens who are accepted for enrollment or are currently enrolled and seeking a law degree in a qualifying educational institution on a full time basis.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer is required.
Min. GPA 3.0 in Graduate program
Must sign pathways agreement, if selected.
Qualifications
As a Law Intern you will assist GC in providing USAID leadership and USAID Bureaus, Independent Offices, and Missions with sound and timely legal research on all aspects of the Agency's mission, and promoting the efficiency and effectiveness of USAID's foreign assistance programs and operations, while ensuring compliance with statutes, regulations, and policies and upholding principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
Law Interns will typically be assigned to one or two of the following GC Divisions depending on agency/office needs: Acquisition and Assistance; Africa; Asia/Europe & Eurasia; Development, Democracy and Economic; Ethics, Employment, and Information Law; Global Health; Latin America and the Caribbean/Middle East; Legislation, Administration and Fiscal Law; Litigation and Enforcement; and Relief, Response and Resilience. Applicants must indicate which of the GC divisions listed above they are interested in pursuing as part of their required cover letter.
Legal Interns will be assigned a grade level based on their satisfaction of the corresponding eligibility criteria at the time they apply for the internship.
Education
Eligibility Requirements:
To be considered for the position, you must meet the following candidate eligibility requirements:
Enrolled in an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school on a full or half-time basis and in good standing.
You must submit your resume and cover letter addressed to the General Counsel
Must have a GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent) or above.
Must have completed one year of law school at the time of application.
GS-07: Completed the first year of law school. GS-09: Completed the second year of law school (or one year of law school plus another year of graduate level coursework).
College Transcripts: Please include a copy of your most recent Law school transcript (unofficial** or official) that demonstrates that you meet the education requirement listed above. Please ensure that all documentation is legible clearly listing the school name, students name, GPA, law school courses, and the number of credit hours completed.. If you do not include this information before the closing date of the announcement, your application will be marked as incomplete unless you provide a copy of a SF-50 that shows you are currently participating in a Pathways Internship program in the 0999 job series.
Unofficial transcripts will be accepted; however, should you be selected, official transcripts will be required before your appointment date.
PROOF OF ENROLLMENT FOR THE CURRENT OR UPCOMING SEMESTER. This may be documented on your official/unofficial transcripts, a course schedule, an acceptance letter from your university for future enrollment, or an official letter of enrollment from the university registrar's office or a university counselor, as long as your enrollment for the current or upcoming semester is clearly documented. If you do not provide proof of enrollment for the current or upcoming semester, you will be disqualified from further consideration. 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.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit:http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
Note:Your answers to the assessment questionnaire must be supported in your resume.
This position is based in Washington, DC. Legal interns may be eligible for telework pursuant to USAID's telework policy. This position is not eligible for remote work.
This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
These are Testing Designated Positions (TDP's) under the Agency's approved Drug-Free Work Place Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency.
Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer is required.
Moving and relocation expenses are not authorized.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: USAID is committed to equal employment opportunity; therefore, reasonable accommodations are available to applicants and employees with disabilities. If you need an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Reasonable Accommodation Division in the Office of Civil Rights at reasonableaccommodations@usaid.gov. Reasonable accommodation decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more about the Reasonable Accommodation Division, please visit our website at: https://www.usaid.gov/careers/reasonableaccommodations.
It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual's employment experience will be used only to determine the person's qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual's personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applications will be reviewed to ensure eligibility under this program. Applications of eligible students will be forwarded to hiring managers for consideration. You should submit a separate application for each internship of interest.
Applications will be reviewed for how an applicant:
Specifically and clearly addresses their experience with, or abilities to do, the following:
conduct sound and timely legal research
communicate complex matters clearly and concisely in writing and orally
ensure compliance with statutes, regulations, and/or policies
uphold principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
Explains how interning with USAID will result in mutual benefit to both USAID and the applicant.
If selected for an interview, applicants will be evaluated on:
Their ability to clearly and concisely elaborate on the information contained in their cover letter and resume.
Their ability to clearly and concisely respond to the questions of USAID interviewers posed during the interview.
Their ability to demonstrate knowledge of USAID's foreign assistance programs and operations.
The applicant's availability during the time period of the prospective internship opportunity, including on a daily and weekly basis
You maybe asked to provide one or more writing samples at any point in the process and be evaluated based on the writing samples as shown below:
The quality of the writing samples, including the legal research underpinning the sample, the use of proper grammar and spelling, and the sample's clarity and conciseness. Applicants may provide a cover letter for their writing sample of no more than one page to provide context for the writing sample.
How much editing, if any, occurred by anyone other than the applicant. It is strongly encouraged that the writing samples be the sole work of the applicant.
Applicants will also be evaluated on their professionalism throughout the application process from the submission of the application through the conclusion of the process.
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 which includes:
Cover Letter- No more than 1 page &Please include the GC Division you would like to pursue.
Your resume shows your work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed.
Law School Transcript (please see below for more information)
If applicable, veterans' preference documentation: If you are a veteran and you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. For spouses claiming derived veterans' preference, proof of marriage is also required. For more information on veterans' preferences and possibly other supporting documents that you may have to submit, please visit the Department of Labor's Veterans' Preference Advisor.
Law School Transcript: Applicants must submit a copy of their most recent law school transcript that lists the school's name, student's name, GPA, law school courses, and the number of credit hours completed. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted; however, should you be selected, official transcripts will be required before your appointment date. If your law school transcript does not list all of this information, you must provide supplemental documentation from your educational institution that specifies the information missing from your transcript. Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.
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 complete the online application/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below to apply for this position. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12606234
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement's closing date to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you must create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
The system will take you to the online application you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and apply.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Office of Human Capital and Talent Management
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20523
US
Next steps
You will receive a notification if you are referred to a hiring manager for further consideration. Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond individually to application status inquiries. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS' "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status."
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 which includes:
Cover Letter- No more than 1 page &Please include the GC Division you would like to pursue.
Your resume shows your work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed.
Law School Transcript (please see below for more information)
If applicable, veterans' preference documentation: If you are a veteran and you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. For spouses claiming derived veterans' preference, proof of marriage is also required. For more information on veterans' preferences and possibly other supporting documents that you may have to submit, please visit the Department of Labor's Veterans' Preference Advisor.
Law School Transcript: Applicants must submit a copy of their most recent law school transcript that lists the school's name, student's name, GPA, law school courses, and the number of credit hours completed. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted; however, should you be selected, official transcripts will be required before your appointment date. If your law school transcript does not list all of this information, you must provide supplemental documentation from your educational institution that specifies the information missing from your transcript. Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.
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 complete the online application/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below to apply for this position. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12606234
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement's closing date to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you must create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
The system will take you to the online application you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and apply.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Office of Human Capital and Talent Management
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20523
US
Next steps
You will receive a notification if you are referred to a hiring manager for further consideration. Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond individually to application status inquiries. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS' "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status."
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
