Career Opportunities

Full Time Positions

Attorney positions are advertised on DOJ's Legal Careers website.. For positions of other types, consult the Office of Personnel Management's USAJobs website (https://www.usajobs.gov/).

Legal Intern Positions

The Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) protects the American public and U.S. interests by investigating and prosecuting complex international immigration and violent crime cases over which the U.S. has jurisdiction, specifically against: (1) leaders and members of criminal networks and cartels responsible for prolific international alien smuggling, human trafficking, and related immigration fraud crimes; (2) persons who have committed genocide, torture, war crimes and other atrocities outside the United States, including those who then flee to the United States seeking safe harbor or commit immigration fraud by concealing their past crimes; and (3) persons who committed violent crime abroad where a U.S. citizen is a victim or perpetrator.

HRSP investigates and prosecutes complex immigration offenses that undermine the integrity of our nation's borders and our national security. HRSP targets international criminal networks and cartels involved in smuggling of aliens, placing particular emphasis on prosecuting the leaders and organizers of those organizations to eliminate those international networks that terrorists and other criminals could exploit to enter the United States without detection.  HRSP also prosecutes human trafficking crimes. The office leads Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), an inter-agency partnership between DOJ and DHS that combines dedicated prosecutors, agents, and analysts with specialized expertise from across the country to build criminal cases against leaders, organizers, and facilitators of human smuggling and trafficking crimes. JTFA targets criminal networks operating along the southern and northern borders and the Caribbean that smuggled aliens into the United States.

Where U.S. federal jurisdiction exists, HRSP seeks to prosecute persons who have committed atrocity crimes abroad under the federal criminal statutes proscribing torture, war crimes, genocide, female genital mutilation, and recruitment or use of child soldiers. The Section also prosecutes human rights violators under other statutes as appropriate, including U.S. criminal and civil immigration and naturalization laws in order to revoke U.S. citizenship or other legal status and obtain criminal penalties as appropriate.  HRSP is also part of a coordinated, interagency effort to deny safe haven in the United States to human rights violators, working closely with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State, among other agencies, to identify such individuals and prevent them from entering the United States.

HRSP prosecutes certain other cases of crimes of violence committed abroad, particularly crimes that fall under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA). In its MEJA enforcement work, HRSP coordinates and participates in investigations and prosecutions of individuals employed by or supporting United States military forces overseas who commit murder, sex crimes, and other federal felony offenses. Similarly, HRSP investigates and prosecutes cases involving violent crimes that fall under the Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States.

HRSP is part of a coordinated, interagency effort to deny safe haven in the United States to human rights violators.  HRSP works closely with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State, among other agencies, to identify such individuals and prevent them from entering the United States. HRSP participates in various domestic and international initiatives that pertain to its mission.  The Section works with other DOJ components and other federal agencies to enhance the security of the United States.  

Job Description

Law interns will conduct substantial Legal research and writing assignments in the areas of international, criminal, and immigration Law. Law interns will also conduct factual research, review, and organize documents, and work on policy matters. This internship requires students to work a minimum of 15-20 hours per week (Fall/Spring) or 10 weeks (Summer) in the Washington-D.C. office of HRSP.

Qualifications

Rising second-and third-year Law students; full-time International or Comparative Law LL.M. candidates who are not employed while pursuing their advanced degree.

Applicants must have: (1) a strong academic background; (2) excellent research and writing skills; and (3) experience or interest in criminal and international law.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens. The U.S. 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. Internship opportunities are also contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation adjudicated by the Department of Justice.

Application Process

Please submit a single PDF file via e-mail that contains a cover letter (including dates available), resume, writing sample (not to exceed 10 pages), transcript (official or unofficial), and three references.  All applications must be emailed to HRSP.Interns@CRM.USDOJ.GOV with your name and the semester and year that you are applying for (for example Watkins, Patrick-Fall 2024).

Application Deadlines:

Summer: January 15

Fall: June 15

Spring: October 15

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Minimum weeks required:

Summer: 10 weeks or more; in special circumstances, HRSP may consider a shorter commitment.

Fall/Spring: Full semester (15 to 20 hours per week; full time externships are also available)

Salary

Volunteer (without compensation) or work-study credit only.

Undergraduate and Graduate Intern Positions

Criminal Division
Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 6746
Washington, D.C. 20530

ATTN:  Dr. Jeffrey S. Richter

Email:  hrsp.undergradintern@usdoj.gov

The mission of the Human Rights and Specials Prosecutions Section is to enforce federal laws relating to: (1) complex immigration and border crimes; (2) international human rights violations; and (3) certain federal crimes of violence committed outside the United States.

Internship Location(s):  Washington, D.C.

Application Materials:  Please submit via email a cover letter (including dates of availability), resume, writing sample (not to exceed 25 pages), a transcript (official or unofficial), and a list of at least five references (professors or employers or other individuals who can vouch for your skills and abilities).

Qualifications:

Applicants must be currently enrolled full-time at a college or university

All applicants must have: (1) a strong academic background and (2) excellent research and writing skills. Applicants should also have experience or interest in foreign cultures and history and foreign language proficiency.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens.

Application Deadline:

Summer: February 15
Fall: June 15
Spring: September 15

Minimum Weeks Required:

Summer: 8 weeks or more between early June and mid-August
Fall/Spring: Full semester (15 to 20 hours per week)

Salary:  Volunteer (without compensation) only. Successful applicants are encouraged to seek academic credit and/or financial support through the career services centers of their individual campuses.

Assignments:  Undergraduate and graduate interns will assist HRSP staff by conducting research, analyzing and organizing materials, and summarizing and cataloguing documents acquired by the section, including materials written in various foreign languages.

The U.S. 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. Internship opportunities are also contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation adjudicated by the Department of Justice.