Legal Careers
Law Student Volunteer, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section
The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section's (MLARS) mission is to take the profit out of crime and protect the U.S. financial system. To accomplish its mission, MLARS pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving financial facilitators and third party money launderers who conceal profits for cartels, drug traffickers, and other criminal organizations; financial institutions and their officers and employees who engage in money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, and sanctions violations; and international money laundering schemes and complex international forfeitures related to money launderers who support transnational organized crime.
MLARS is also responsible, in partnership with the Justice Management Division's Asset Forfeiture Management Staff, for management of the Department's asset forfeiture program (AFP) and the Assets Forfeiture Fund (AFF). MLARS ensures the integrity of the AFF and AFP and maximizes the law enforcement potential of asset recovery Department-wide. MLARS administers the Department's asset forfeiture victim compensation program, which has provided over $12 billion in compensation for victims between 2000 and 2024, and the Department's equitable sharing program supporting 6,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.
MLARS provides expert guidance to Department leadership and expert advice to the Department's components in prosecuting money laundering, financial institution cases, and asset recovery matters. The Section provides assistance to the Department, other agencies, and Congress by initiating, coordinating, and reviewing statutory proposals to enhance the Department's ability to take the profit out of crime. MLARS coordinates with federal, state, local, and foreign jurisdictions on money laundering and asset recovery enforcement matters.
For more information, please visit MLARS’ website here.
Law student volunteers work directly with MLARS trial attorneys on cutting-edge issues relating to section cases involving domestic and international asset forfeiture, money laundering, transnational criminal organizations, narcotics, and criminal violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and IEEPA. Assignments will vary but may include legal research, drafting pleadings and motions, analyzing policy issues, and drafting section publications. Law student volunteers also may participate in local section-sponsored training, as well as training programs offered by the Department for volunteers.
Requirements or preferences for the internship program are as follows:
- Internships are open to first (second semester only), second, and third-year law students.
- Internships typically last between ten and twelve weeks. The Section generally requires a minimum commitment of eight weeks for any internship.
- Summer legal internships are full time. The Section also encourages applications for full-time positions during the academic semesters, though most semester-based legal internships are part-time and require a minimum commitment of 16 hours per week.
- Because of the sensitive nature of the work, internship opportunities are contingent upon successful completion of a suitability review and a favorable determination based on information provided in their security forms, a credit report, and fingerprint check.
Applicants must submit via email a single PDF file that contains a cover letter (including dates available), resume (not to exceed two pages), writing sample (not to exceed 10 pages), transcript (official or unofficial), and two references.
All applications must be emailed to MLARS.Hiring@usdoj.gov with your name and the semester and year that you are applying for in the subject line (for example - Smith, Brandon - Spring 2026).
Applications are reviewed and positions offered on a rolling basis. The following are deadlines for each semester/summer term:
Summer: January 15
Fall: June 15
Spring: October 15
Volunteer (without compensation). Academic or work-study credit possible.
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.