U.S. Department
of Justice
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: | VCRS.Interns@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 organized crime groups in conjunction with Assistant United States Attorneys in U.S. Attorney's Offices around the country; prosecuting significant RICO, VICAR, 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 (VICAR) 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, violent crime, and international law enforcement strategies. | ||
| Projected No. Of Volunteers | Spring and Summer 2026: 2-3 for spring, 2-3 for summer | |
| Applications: | Spring 2026: Apply August 14, 2025 thru October 6, 2025. Summer 2026: Apply October 16, 2025, thru January 26, 2026. **Applications are considered on a rolling basis, so kindly submit your materials as soon as possible. Students must have successfully completed their first year of law and be enrolled in a law school program during the term of the internship to be eligible to apply. 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 (not to exceed two pages), law school transcript (official or unofficial) and legal writing sample. All materials should be submitted in PDF format. E-mail application materials to VCRS.Interns@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 2026 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/vcrs/about/ | |