Legal Careers
Law Student Volunteer (Summer 2025), FTCA Section
Washington, DC 20530 - United States
The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Section Staff handles litigation involving the FTCA, 28 U.S.C. § 1346(b), which provides a legal mechanism for individuals to seek compensation from the United States Government for tortious acts committed by federal employees within the scope of their employment. The FTCA Staff defends the United States in a wide variety of personal injury, property damage, and wrongful death cases, including complex medical malpractice, regulatory activities, law enforcement, personal injury, and maintenance of federal lands.
The FTCA Section Staff also serve as the principal point of contact for other Department of Justice components, such as the United States Attorneys' Offices. and other federal agencies. Our attorneys assist in litigation development and settlement strategy and have particular expertise in the evaluation and settlement of catastrophic injury cases.
In addition, the FTCA Section Staff make appeal recommendations on all adverse judgments entered in FTCA cases. They also provide comments on FTCA-related Congressional legislation that may have an impact on taxpayer liability. Further, the FTCA Section Staff are responsible for administrative adjustment of tort claims filed as a result of DOJ employee conduct nationwide.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
The FTCA Section is accepting applications for volunteer law students for Summer 2025. Interns are given substantive projects which are utilized in the office's practice. On average, a summer legal intern will have completed six to ten substantive assignments which often include issues involving federal rules of procedure, evidence, and a variety of state tort law issues. Volunteer legal interns receive close review of their assignments and candid assessments of their work product.
Interns working with the FTCA Section Staff will also participate in an extensive Summer Brown Bag Lunch Speakers' Series that features not only FTCA or Department of Justice lawyers but also federal judges, Superior Court of the District of Columbia judges, White House Staffers, a docent for the National Air and Space Museum, and former volunteer legal interns in public service such as Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Honors Program Attorneys, and federal agency counsel. Topics range from substantive talks on how to conduct discovery in a case to an overview of the FTCA and discussions about how NASA got to the moon. In addition, in-person activities can include a Potomac River cruise, a summer movie, a docent museum tour, and gatherings over coffee or meals.
Work Schedule
- Full-time (40 hours per week) for nine to ten weeks, minimum.
- Remote work options are available for this position.
- 1L applicants: Must have completed the first full year of law school by May/June 2025.
- All applicants: Must be in excellent academic standing. The office, however, considers the entire background and experience of applicants in assessing an application.
- Must be excellent writers and demonstrate strong research and analytical skills.
- Must be a U.S. citizen or national.
- Must be able to pass a background check.
For remote work (if applicable):
- Must have reliable high-speed Internet access and a private workspace suitable for handling sensitive government information.
- Must maintain regular communication during business hours and attend virtual meetings, as required.
- Must demonstrate the ability to work independently while collaborating with the team in a virtual environment.
Please send your application package in .pdf format and include the following:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Writing sample (no more than ten pages and mostly legal analysis)
- Law school transcript (official or unofficial)
- First year students: Submit fall semester transcript when available.
- Upper-class students: Submit the most recent transcript.
Email your application to Gail K. Johnson at civftca.internjobs@usdoj.gov with "Summer 2025 Law Student Volunteer" in the subject line.
Application Timeline:
- 1L students: Applications are accepted beginning December 1, 2024. Applications submitted before this date will not be considered.
- Upper-class students (not graduating Spring 2025): Applications accepted beginning November 1, 2024. Applications submitted before this date will not be considered.
- All applicants: The final deadline to submit applications is January 8, 2025.
- Applications are reviewed and offers are made on a rolling basis.
- Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply early as positions may be filled before the deadline.
- Unpaid; academic or work-study credit may be available depending on school requirements.
- Transit subsidy available for in-person commuting.
- Snacks provided.
Department Policies
The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.
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. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled 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.