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PATHWAYS INTERN STUDENT TRAINEE (LEGAL)

General Services Administration
Office of Inspector General

Summary

We are seeking highly qualified and motivated students to hire into the Pathways Intern Program, in our Office of Counsel, located in Washington, DC.  This program facilitates the college-to-career transition by providing opportunities in a variety of career tracks. 

Office of Inspector General (OIG)
Office of Counsel to the Inspector General (JC)
1800 F Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20405 

We are currently filling two vacancies, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/11/2026 to 02/24/2026
Salary
$57,736 to - $91,815 per year

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

Pay scale & grade
GS 07 - 09
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
2 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is full-time in the office. In rare instances, situational telework may be approved on a case-by-case basis.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Internships - The job is temporary and will not become permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
NA - Position does not have promotion potential as the internship is for 8-10 weeks.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
JC-2026-02-IN
Control number
857393100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current students enrolled at least half-time in an accredited law (J.D.) program at an American Bar Association (ABA) law school in good academic standing as determined by the educational institution, but typically a Grade Point Average of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Duties

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The General Service Administration (GSA), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Office of Counsel (JC), seeks rising law students to serve as an Intern. You will perform duties and gain knowledge in areas specific of the OIG Counsel’s Office to include: government contracting and procurement; fiscal law; civil and criminal investigations; False Claims Act; employment law; ethics; administrative subpoenas; and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) matters. Typical duties may include any of the following:

  • Performs legal research in support of mission
  • Reviews subpoenas for legal compliance.
  • Briefs senior officials orally and in writing on projects assigned.
  • Tracks and inputs legal documents using a case management system; and
  • Writes or assists in drafting legal memoranda.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citzenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
  • Register with the Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959
  • Direct Deposit of salary check to financial organization required.

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

  • Register with the Selective Service, if you are a male born after 12/31/1959
  • Provide an up-to-date official transcript prior to entry on duty, for verification of course completion, academic standing, and proof of continued academic enrollment.
  • Have completed at least one year of law school by the summer intern program start date.
  • Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 1 investigation level).
  • Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA OIG employee.  We will use the Department of Homeland Security’s e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
  • Serve in a trial period for the entire duration of the internship appointment.
  • Complete a financial disclosure report to verify that no conflict, or an appearance of conflict, exists between your financial interest and this position.
  • Signed participant agreement is required for employment under this Program.
  • Work full-time for a period of at least 8 weeks but no more than 10 weeks. This block of time must take place between May 2026 through September 2026.

Qualifications

The GS-07 salary range starts at $57,736 per year. The GS-09 salary range starts at $70,623. If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

Qualification requirements must be met prior to entry on duty. You are required to submit unofficial transcripts with your application.

GS-9 LEVEL QUALIFICATIONS
To qualify, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level or higher in the Federal service.  Specialized experience is defined as experience assisting attorneys in preparing information and documents to support discovery and trial preparation; setting up files, both electronic and paper to manage cases, legal opinions, and other matters; and assembling, collecting and summarizing comprehensive legal reference materials and data for use in answering questions and indexes such materials; and compiling legal research relating to court decisions, regulations, statutes, Executive Orders, and other documents.  

OR

Completion of 2 academic years of graduate level education, or a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree. 

GS-7 LEVEL QUALIFICATIONS
To qualify, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level or higher in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience assisting in the activities of a law office by researching information, reviewing legal files to obtain pertinent information at the request of attorneys, entering data concerning legal matters into computer databases, and preparing routine correspondence or form letters relating to legal matters. 

OR

Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate level education;

OR

Eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement Provision and completion of a bachelor's degree.

Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) at the baccalaureate level is fully qualifying at the GS-7 level.  To claim SAA, submit documentation of one of the following:

1.      Class standing -- You must be in the upper third of your graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Require to submitting unofficial transcripts with application. 

2.      Grade-point average (rounded to one decimal point) of:

    1. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of your curriculum; or
    2. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in your major field or the required courses in your major field completed during your final 2 years of the curriculum.

3.      Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies.

Education

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications 

Additional information

Internship will be full-time for a period of at least 8 weeks but no more than 10 weeks. This block of time must take place between May 2026 through September 2026.

Bargaining Unit status: This position is ineligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit.

Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility. 

This position is full-time in the office. In rare instances, situational telework may be approved on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants are encouraged to make their resume searchable in their USAJOBS.gov profile. This will allow Federal hiring specialists and hiring managers across agencies to find their resume as part of agency recruitment campaigns or staffing searches.

If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the OIG HR point of contact listed on this vacancy announcement.

Additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area as needed; through other means; or not at all.

For information on temporary and term appointments go to USAJOBS Help Center - Appointments.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will assess your application to make sure you:

  • are eligible to apply, e.g., a current student enrolled at least half-time in an accredited law (J.D.) program at an American Bar Association (ABA) law school in good academic standing; and
  • meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements, which are described in the Qualifications section.

If you meet the criteria above, you will be referred to the selecting official.

Additional hurdle assessments, including narrative responses and/or structured interviews, may be administered to applicants who meet the requirements of the first hurdle, e.g., the minimum qualification requirements.

You will be evaluated on narrative and/or interview responses, which will measure your possession of the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities:

  • Knowledge of legal terminology, research techniques and legal concepts.
  • knowledge of legal reference material, such as reference systems, directives, issuances, regulations, executive orders, precedential decisions, court decisions.
  • Knowledge, skill, and ability to use computer programs such as Microsoft Office products, email, and other electronic software and systems.

We will verify your answers to the questions in your resume. If your resume does not substantiate the experience reflected in your responses, you may be deemed ineligible. Among qualified applicants, veterans will receive selection priority over non-veterans.


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