The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) is seeking motivated students for Student Internship Program. This opportunity offers meaningful work experience, professional development, and prepares students for a potential career in public service. Interns benefit from networking with fellow interns, AO staff, and professionals across the federal government. This opportunity is ideal for students interested in federal service.
Summary
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) is seeking motivated students for Student Internship Program. This opportunity offers meaningful work experience, professional development, and prepares students for a potential career in public service. Interns benefit from networking with fellow interns, AO staff, and professionals across the federal government. This opportunity is ideal for students interested in federal service.
Relatives of current federal judicial branch employees are not eligible. All students in the AO Internship Program must have completed one full year of post-secondary education by the closing date of this announcement. Please note that a full year of post-secondary education is defined as 30 semester or 45 quarter hours.
This internship position is in the Office of General Counsel (OGC). OGC provides legal counsel and services to the Director and AO staff, the Judicial Conference and its committees, and judges and staff of the U.S. Courts.
All internship opportunities are onsite at the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building. Telework is not permitted.
This specific internship will be in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The intern will be exposed to a wide variety of legal practice areas, which may include employment law, financial disclosure regulations, procurement and appropriations-related matters, federal rule-making issues, judicial conduct and disability, ethics, and other legal issues related to court administration.
Duties include, but are not limited to:
Researching case law, agency decisions, statutes, federal regulations, and other sources.
Compiling data and drafting memoranda and other legal documents.
Cite checking and reviewing memoranda, judiciary forms, and other legal documents.
Working with judicial branch employees in connection with OGC-related tasks.
All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed. Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
All new AO interns will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check.
New interns to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit https://www.e- verify.gov/.
All new AO interns are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment.
Qualifications
All students in the Student Internship Program must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree-seeking student, taking at least a half-time academic or technical course load in an accredited 2 year or 4 year program, or in a post-secondary level program. Students must also be in good academic standing, maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Additional Qualification Requirements: In addition to meeting the basic qualification requirements, applicants must also:
Work well in a team environment.
Have strong research, writing, analytical, and communication skills.
Be detail-oriented and have initiative to see projects through completion.
Have a working knowledge of computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft SharePoint.
Have a working knowledge of legal research platforms such as Westlaw and LexisNexis.
Be able to organize a variety of assignments simultaneously and meet tight deadlines.
The Student Internship Program requires all participants to be active students. Therefore, third year law students graduating at the end of the current semester will not be considered unless they are continuing to pursue advanced studies as a degree-seeking student at the beginning of the next semester.
Education
All students in the Student Internship Program must be enrolled in an accredited school and must be working toward a degree, diploma, certificate, etc. on a full-time or part-time basis. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. You can receive credit for education received outside the United States if you provide evidence that it is comparable to an accredited educational institution in the United States. A transcript is required at the time of application for proof of enrollment and education.
Additional information
The AO is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Benefits: Student interns are eligible for up to $340 of commuting benefits cost to travel to and from their AO internship.
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.
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.
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.
We will review your resume and supporting documentation and compare this information to your responses on the occupational questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this job, we will evaluate your application package, to assess the quality, depth, and complexity of your accomplishments, experience, and education as they relate to the requirements listed in this vacancy announcement.
You should be aware that your ratings are subject to evaluation and verification. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume and/or narrative responses, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Failure to submit the mandatory narrative responses will result in not receiving full consideration and/or rating credit. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you, withdrawing an offer of the internship opportunity, or dismissal after the internship begins.
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.
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.
As indicated above, to apply for this position, you must complete an Application Package, which includes:
Your resume - including your college, major/area of study, and anticipated graduation date.
Citizenship - include country of citizenship on resume.
A completed Occupational Assessment Questionnaire.
Transcripts showing you are currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree-seeking student in either an undergraduate or graduate level program and must have completed at least one year of undergraduate education beyond high school. The transcript must show an overall GPA of at least 3.0.
The complete application package must be submitted by 03/23/2026 to receive consideration.
Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement..
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Office of General Counsel
One Columbus Circle NE
Washington, DC 20544
US
Next steps
After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and referral to the hiring official if determined qualified. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
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.
As indicated above, to apply for this position, you must complete an Application Package, which includes:
Your resume - including your college, major/area of study, and anticipated graduation date.
Citizenship - include country of citizenship on resume.
A completed Occupational Assessment Questionnaire.
Transcripts showing you are currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree-seeking student in either an undergraduate or graduate level program and must have completed at least one year of undergraduate education beyond high school. The transcript must show an overall GPA of at least 3.0.
The complete application package must be submitted by 03/23/2026 to receive consideration.
Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement..
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Office of General Counsel
One Columbus Circle NE
Washington, DC 20544
US
Next steps
After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and referral to the hiring official if determined qualified. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
