Legal Careers
Law Student Volunteer (Summer 2026)
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota investigates and prosecutes federal crimes and represents the interests of the United States in both criminal and civil cases and matters in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, as well as in the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
The office has three litigating divisions—Criminal, Appellate, and Civil. The Criminal Division prosecutes federal criminal violations, which include crimes in Indian Country, controlled substance violations, violent crime, organized crime, fraud, tax violations, white-collar crime, civil rights violations, crimes against children, and national security offenses. The Appellate Division handles the office’s appeals and provides guidance to Assistant U.S. Attorneys. The Civil Division is responsible for litigating matters in which the United States is a party, whether as plaintiff or defendant. Such cases include, for example, bankruptcy, collections, affirmative civil enforcement, federal tort claim defenses, EEOC matters, and prisoner petitions. Summer Law Volunteers will work from the Sioux Falls (headquarters), Rapid City, or Pierre offices. Remote or telework is not available.
The District of South Dakota is seeking outstanding candidates as Law Student Volunteers for the Sioux Falls, Rapid City, or Pierre, SD offices. The program is overseen by experienced Assistant U.S. Attorneys who provide daily supervision and coordinate work assignments. Substantive assignments Law Student Volunteers can expect in this role include:
- providing research on legal issues and stating findings orally and/or through written memoranda;
- assisting and/or preparing pre-trial and post-trial motions and responses;
- assisting in writing of trial and appellate briefs;
- observing various stages of federal proceedings (witness interviews, depositions, trials, sentencings, appellate arguments, etc.);
- assisting in the preparation of affidavits, exhibits, and notebooks for trial; and
- for those who qualify under the student-practice rules, participating in court hearings.
Other opportunities provided include:
- meeting with federal agencies (FBI, DEA, ATF, HSI, etc.);
- attending “Law Student Volunteer Panels” hosted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys; and
- receiving personal introductions to federal district judges.
The summer session runs from approximately June to August. For the best experience, Law Student Volunteers are expected to be in-person, 40 hours a week, for a minimum of 8 weeks.
To be eligible for this experience ALL of the following requirements must be met:
Law Student Status: Acceptance of applications for this announcement will be limited to students entering their second year of law school. Law school graduates are not eligible. An eligible student is an individual who is enrolled in law school pursuing a Juris Doctorate Degree and is taking at least half-time academic course load in an accredited university. Preferred candidates will have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills, and be in good academic standing with their educational institution.
Citizenship: Law Student Volunteers must be United States citizens or owe permanent allegiance to the United States. (Currently, natives of American Samoa, Swains Island and certain inhabitants of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are the only groups that owe permanent allegiance to the United States.)
Background Investigation: You must successfully complete a background investigation to determine your suitability for Federal selection.
Volunteer Agreement: All Law Student Volunteers are required to sign the Participant Agreement (will be completed later if selected).
Applicants must provide an application packet as one combined PDF attachment to:
USASD.Applications@usdoj.gov with a subject line of “Summer 2026 SLV”, no later than October 19, 2025, including the following elements:
- Cover letter including your contact information, the litigating division(s) you are interested in, location preference (Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and/or Pierre), and the dates you are available for the Law Student Volunteer position. We encourage you to address your interest in the USAO’s work and your ties to (or interest in) the District of South Dakota.
- Current resume (must not exceed 2 pages). Note this is a federal requirement.
- Current law school transcript (unofficial). If your most recent semester's grades are unavailable when you submit your application, you must provide them as soon as they become available.
- A legal writing sample (not to exceed 10 pages).
Those selected for interviews will be notified. We participate in on-campus interviewing (OCI) at the University of South Dakota Knutson School of Law. For students farther afield or when on-campus interviews are not feasible, arrangements will be made for interviews online or in person at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sioux Falls.
This is a voluntary position without federal compensation or benefits. Academic credit may be available. Students are required to coordinate eligibility and any associated requirements through their respective law school in advance.
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.