Legal Careers
Law Student Volunteer, Civil Division, National Courts Section (Spring 2026)
Washington, DC 20005 - United States
The National Courts Section is one of the largest, oldest, and most active litigating sections in the U.S. Department of Justice. Its primary mission is to protect taxpayer dollars in lawsuits brought against the United States Government.
The Section’s caseload is both broad and complex, including:
- Government contracts
- International trade and tariff matters
- Constitutional claims
- Government pay and personnel suits
- Veterans’ and other federal benefits appeals
Attorneys represent the United States before:
- The United States Court of Federal Claims
- The United States Court of International Trade
- The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (collectively, the “national courts”)
In effect, the National Courts Section acts as the “U.S. Attorney” for these specialized courts of national jurisdiction. Owing to the nationwide reach of these courts, Section attorneys often travel outside of Washington, D.C. for trials and other proceedings. The Section also manages select matters in other federal district and appellate courts, as well as before administrative tribunals.
Law Student Volunteers will:
- Research and draft appellate briefs
- Prepare dispositive trial court motions (such as motions to dismiss under Rule 12(b) and motions for summary judgment under Rule 56)
- Write legal memoranda
- Assist attorneys in all phases of trial preparation
- Attend depositions, moot courts, oral arguments, and mediations
- Work on a broad and diverse range of federal claims, trade, contracts, constitutional, and benefits matters
- Be part of a litigation team with real responsibility, visibility, and importance
Volunteer students work directly with National Courts Section attorneys on high-profile federal cases, gaining hands-on experience in civil litigation before the nation’s specialized federal courts.
Interns must work in person at the Washington, D.C. office; no telework or remote work options are available.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a U.S. citizen
- Must be a rising second or third year law student, joint degree candidate, or LL.M.
- Enrollment in an accredited undergraduate, graduate, or law program is required
- Successful completion of a background investigation is necessary
- Must commit to at least 15 hours per week for a minimum of 10 weeks per semester
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong legal research, writing, and analytical skills
- Top third of class preferred
- Demonstrated interest in federal litigation
Note: Applications from first-year law students will not be considered.
Submit the following materials as a single, combined PDF titled “[Last Name, First Name] Spring 2026 Internship Application” to nationalcourts.interns@usdoj.gov with the subject line “[Last Name, First Name] Spring 2026 Internship Application”:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Law school transcript (official or unofficial) demonstrating completion of at least one year of law school
- Brief writing sample
Additional Information
- Applications must be submitted by the deadline.
- Please do not apply if you are unavailable to work in person for the full internship period.
- Candidates are encouraged to apply early as positions may be filled before the application period closes.
- Selected candidates will be required to complete security forms and a background check.
- Applications from first-year law students will not be considered.
Positions are unpaid. Interns may receive academic credit or funding through external programs such as Federal Work Study, if applicable. Transit subsidy available for in-person commuting.
Department Policies
The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. To learn more, please visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement.
It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.