Legal Careers
Law Student Volunteer (Winter/Spring 2022)
Detroit, MI 48226 - United States
The United States Attorney's Office (USAO) has jurisdiction and responsibility in a broad range of areas, all of which involve representing the legal interests of the Federal government in a court of law. The Eastern District of Michigan consists of 34 counties in the eastern half of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, and employs approximately 130 Assistant U.S. Attorneys. More information regarding the USAO-MIE is available at www.usdoj.gov/usao/mie
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.
An internship with the U.S. Attorney's Office offers a unique and challenging experience for the highly motivated student: an opportunity to work on some of the most significant, complex and visible cases being litigated today. Working with Assistant U.S. Attorneys and other staff, you will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce federal criminal and civil laws that protect life, liberty and property of citizens. The United States Attorney's Office serves as the principal litigator for its judicial district and is responsible for coordinating multiple agency investigations within the district. The United States Attorney has the responsibility and authority to prosecute violations of Federal criminal statutes, defend the government in civil actions, seek the enforcement of a variety of civil enforcement statutes, and institute proceedings for the collection of fines and penalties.
The Eastern District of Michigan is seeking outstanding candidates for a Student internship to assist in our mission. The internship will begin in the Fall term of 2021. The start and end dates are negotiable, but we ask that our interns commit to at least ten weeks of service. The incumbent will perform variety of day-to-day clerical tasks in support of one or more clerical, technical or administrative staff duties. Assignments include but are not limited to:
- reviewing search warrants, social media accounts, and phone records
- operating copy machines
- answering telephones making recurring and special messenger trips as necessary
- sorting and arranging material for filing in alphabetical, numerical, or chronological order
- other duties as assigned
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a United States Citizen or National.
- Background Investigation, credit check, and drug test required.
- You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
- You must meet half-time student enrollment requirements.
- You must submit a transcript or proof of enrollment with your application.
- You must be at least 16 years of age or older.
- You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Qualifications
Student Status: Acceptance of applications for this announcement will be limited to eligible college students. An eligible student is an individual who is enrolled in a school pursuing a degree and is taking at least half-time academic course load in an accredited university. Successful candidates must have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills, and be in good academic standing at his/her university.
Citizenship: Student Interns 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 employment.
Volunteer Agreement: All interns are required to sign the Participant Agreement
Education
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at an institution that has obtained accreditation or pre- accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov
Additional information
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement
Required Documents
You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes the following required documents:
- Cover letter.
- Resume.
- Unofficial school transcript or proof of enrollment, e.g., letter from the registrar's office.
- If applicable: Veterans' Preference documentation. (see Other Information section for details)
Please note, if you do not provide all required information as specified this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
How to Apply
To view full announcement, please visit https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/617059000.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/14/2021 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.)
3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, http://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11180670
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online, contact Shams Kakoz at 313-226-9772 or shams.kakoz@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.
0.00
* * *
Department Policies
Equal Employment Opportunity: 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.
Reasonable Accommodations: 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.
Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: 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.
Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: 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.
Suitability and Citizenship: 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.
Veterans: 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).
USAO Residency Requirement: 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.