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Internships

The United States Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace, and the candidate(s) selected will be required to pass a drug test to screen for illegal drug use. Volunteer Legal Intern opportunities are also contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation adjudicated by the Department of Justice.

Criminal Division
Violent Crime and Racketeering Section

United States Department of Justice
1301 New York Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005

Attn:

Julie Wuslich, Attorney

E-mail:

OCGSInterns@usdoj.gov

Fax:

(202) 305-1448

The Violent Crime and Racketeering Section oversees the Department's program to combat organized crime by: investigating and prosecuting the most significant domestic and international organized crime groups in conjunction with Strike Force Units and Assistant United States Attorneys in U.S. Attorney's Offices around the country; prosecuting significant RICO, VCAR and violent crime cases against the most dangerous street gangs operating on a regional and national level; exercising approval authority over all proposed federal prosecutions under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VCAR) statutes; advising and assisting on criminal investigations and prosecutions of federal crimes involving labor-management disputes, the internal affairs of labor unions in the private sector, and the operation of employee pension and welfare benefit plans; and contributing to the development of policy and legislation relating to numerous organized crime and gang related issues including gambling, firearms trafficking, human trafficking, violent crime, and international law enforcement strategies.

Projected No. Of Volunteers

Spring and Summer 2024: 2-3 for spring, 2-3 for summer

Applications:

Summer 2024:   Apply October 16, 2023, thru January 26, 2024                                               

**Applications are considered on a rolling basis, so kindly submit your materials as soon as possible. No split-term internships will be considered; commitment for full term required.

Internship Location:

Washington, DC
Application Materials:

Please submit the following: cover letter, resume, law school transcript (official or unofficial) and legal writing sample. All materials should be submitted in PDF format. E-mail application materials to OCGSInterns@usdoj.gov

Qualifications:

Excellent research and writing skills are required.  Classes in criminal procedure, criminal law, and evidence are recommended.

**Prior to finalizing an appointment, all interns are required to undergo a security check, which includes a name and fingerprint clearance with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a determination of suitability for employment based on the information a candidate provides in the security form.

Minimum Required: 16 hours per week for part-time; 35-40 hours per week for full-time.  A commitment to work full-time during Summer 2023 is required.
Salary:

Volunteer (without compensation) or work study credit 

Assignments: Position entails extensive research and writing on a variety of issues pertaining to federal criminal procedure and law, evidence, labor law, RICO, sentencing, legislative, and policy matters.
Websites:

www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vcrs/about-vcrs

www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vcrs/portfolio-expertise

www.justice.gov/criminal/sectionsoffices/map
Updated December 12, 2023