Legal Careers
Law Student Volunteer, Spring 2026
The United States Trustee Program (USTP) is a litigating component of the Department of Justice (DOJ) whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders―debtors, creditors, and the public. As a national program with 21 regions consisting of 89 field offices, the USTP has broad administrative, regulatory, and enforcement authorities in bankruptcy cases, including chapter 7 and 13 consumer cases and complex chapter 11 corporate reorganizations. The USTP is the only participant in the bankruptcy process uniquely positioned to address multi-jurisdictional misconduct or other issues of national scope that give rise to systemic fraud and abuse, while also effectively combatting local matters affecting the integrity of the bankruptcy system. We invite you to visit the USTP's Web site at U.S. Trustee Program | Department of Justice.
Office of the General Counsel Interns:
The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is responsible for coordinating, directing, and developing legal policies, procedures, and litigating positions for the USTP in enforcing the Bankruptcy Code. OGC handles its responsibilities through four legal practice groups, each with a specialized focus: Appellate, Chapter 11, Consumer, and General and Administrative. OGC interns will conduct research and assist attorneys in each practice group area on a wide variety of matters. Interns may be drafting and editing memoranda, USTP guidance and policy papers, court pleadings, and appellate briefs. Interns may also be participating in moot courts to prepare attorneys for trial, working on Ethics, Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, Administrative Procedures Act matters, observing Congressional hearings, and preparing summaries for senior leadership. Interns must be available to work in-person at the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees (EOUST), the headquarters of the USTP in Washington, DC. An internship with OGC may be available for academic credit.
Field Office Interns:
There are 89 field offices located throughout the country. Field office interns assist attorneys in preparing for bankruptcy court appearances, developing bankruptcy fraud referrals, attorney misconduct, screening cases for debtor abuse of the Bankruptcy Code, reviewing documents in chapter 7, 11, and 13 cases, assisting with drafting and filing of motions and objections as appropriate, and monitoring section 341 meetings between debtors and creditors. Field Office interns may provide litigation support to attorneys, attend bankruptcy hearings, and 341 meetings. Internships may be available for academic credit, as determined by the individual field office.
Successful candidates will be rising second or rising third year law students who possess excellent research and writing skills, show attention to detail, have a desire to work as part of a small team of professionals, and are committed to fairness and integrity in the administration of the bankruptcy system. This is an excellent opportunity for students with a background and interest in bankruptcy, litigation, administrative law, policy, and legislation.
Interns must generally commit to 10 to 16 hours per week for at least 10 weeks, from September to December. However, specific hours will be determined by each office, and some flexibility is available.
Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, current law school transcript and legal writing sample (no more than 10 pages) via email to ustp.internships@usdoj.gov. All documents should be in one PDF.
Applicants must indicate their interest in being considered for employment among the listed Executive Office or any field office, in the subject line of the email and within their cover letter. Applicants may designate more than one office. The USTP field office locator is available at U.S. Trustee Regions and Offices | UST | Department of Justice.
The application period for the Spring 2026 session ends on August 31, 2025. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and positions may be filled prior to the final deadline.
Uncompensated student volunteer. Academic credit and transit subsidies may be available, as specified above.
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.