Legal Careers
Law Student Volunteer (Intern/Extern), Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026
The Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties (OPCL) supports the duties and responsibilities of the Department's Chief Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer (CPCLO). The CPCLO is a member of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, and the principal advisor to the Attorney General, Department Leadership, and components on issues involving privacy and civil liberties policy and compliance. Under the CPCLO’s leadership, OPCL is responsible for ensuring the Department’s compliance with privacy and civil liberties- related laws and policies, and appropriately minimizing related risks, including under the Privacy Act of 1974, Judicial Redress Act of 2015, and privacy provisions of the E- Government Act of 2002 and Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014, as well as administration policy directives issued in furtherance of those Acts. OPCL develops and provides Departmental privacy training; oversees the Department’s responses to data breaches; ensures the Department has adequate procedures to receive, investigate, respond to, and redress complaints from individuals who allege the Department has violated their privacy or civil liberties; prepares privacy-related reporting to Congress, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, and other appropriate entities; and reviews the information handling practices of the Department to ensure that such practices are consistent with the protection of privacy and civil liberties. Finally, OPCL is responsible for advising Department leadership and components concerning international data protection and privacy laws and policies. In this role, OPCL participates in international organizations charged with addressing these issues, and helps represent the Department in international negotiations designed to harmonize privacy related laws, policies and practices related to the Department’s law enforcement and national security missions, which increasingly must take place in an information ecosystem where the handling of personal data by one country is inextricably intertwined with that of others. OPCL also administratively supports the Data Protection Review Court, the second level of a two-level redress mechanism that is an essential pillar of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. For more information, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/opcl.
OPCL volunteer opportunities are available for qualified candidates interested in summer law internships or academic semester law internships (sometimes called "externships"). Law interns work directly with attorneys on cutting edge legal issues relating to privacy and civil liberties. Intern projects include: legal research and analysis in support of the Office’s privacy compliance and policy development responsibilities; reviewing proposed legislation; editing Department privacy documentation; assisting in publishing the Department of Justice’s Privacy Act Overview, including proofing, editing, cite-checking, and case law analysis; reviewing U.S. and international privacy-related legislation, regulations, and policies; preparing the CPCLO for public speaking engagements; and other duties as assigned.
Interns must be enrolled in an accredited law school and must have:
- a strong academic background;
- excellent research and writing skills;
- interest in privacy and civil liberties issues; and
- experience, knowledge, or interest in The Privacy Act of 1974, the E-Government Act of 2002, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, U.S. and international privacy issues, and/or administrative law.
Summer Interns must have completed at least one year of law school and be willing to commit 10-12 weeks (full-time) to OPCL. In special circumstances, OPCL may consider a shorter commitment.
Fall and Spring Semester Interns must have completed at least one year of law school and be willing to commit at least 15-20 hours a week to OPCL. In special circumstances, OPCL may consider a shorter commitment. OPCL will consider semester "full time" positions from law students who attend law schools with formal externship programs.
Because of the sensitive nature of the work, applicants must pass a background check before a formal offer for an internship can be extended.
Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, a short or partial writing sample (not to exceed 10 pages), and a law school transcript (when available) to privacy.employment@usdoj.gov.
- Summer: Apply by April 21
- Fall: Apply by June 1
- Spring: Apply by November 1
All internships are unpaid.
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.