Skip to main content

Legal Careers

Unpaid Law Student Volunteer, Civil Division OIL-GLA

Hiring Organization
Civil Division (CIV)
Hiring Office
CIVIL DIVISION, OFFICE OF IMMIGRATION LITIGATION (OIL), GENERAL LITIGATION AND APPEALS SECTION (GLA)
Location:
450 5th St NW
Washington, DC 20530 - United States
Application Deadline:
About the Office

The Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL) was established in 1983 within the U.S. Department of Justice to oversee civil immigration litigation. OIL is responsible for coordinating national immigration matters before federal district courts and circuit courts of appeals, handling both affirmative and defensive cases. The office provides support and counsel to all federal agencies involved in noncitizen admission, regulation, detention, and removal under U.S. immigration and nationality statutes. OIL works closely with U.S. Attorney's Offices on immigration cases and is divided into two main sections: the Appellate Section and the District Court Section.

The General Litigation and Appeals Section (OIL-GLA) is a component of OIL that focuses on litigating immigration cases originating in federal district courts, including appeals from those cases. OIL-GLA defends the government in petitions for review filed in the United States Courts of Appeals, handles cases transferred to district courts for nationality determinations, and files denaturalization complaints and other original actions related to the Immigration and Nationality Act. The section's attorneys write motions and briefs, try cases, present oral arguments, and coordinate with U.S. Attorney's Offices to ensure uniform application and defense of immigration laws. OIL-GLA also defends and advises various government departments and agencies involved in immigration matters, including the Department of State, the Executive Office of Immigration Review, and the Department of Homeland Security..

Job Description

The Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section (OIL-GLA) is seeking volunteer legal interns for Summer 2025. Interns will have the opportunity to:

  • Research and write briefs and other pleadings for submission in federal court under the guidance of attorney-mentors
  • Practice oral argument skills by mooting cases before panels of experienced attorneys
  • Attend various trainings, tours, and networking events
  • Participate in "first cuts" meetings where OIL-GLA leaders formulate recommendations on seeking further review in cases decided adversely to the government

Responsibilities include:

  • Conducting legal research and analysis on complex immigration law topics
  • Drafting memoranda on issues related to immigration, nationality, and civil-immigration detention
  • Assisting with case preparation for both district court and appellate litigation
  • Evaluating programmatic and class action challenges to visa determinations and related agency policies
  • Supporting attorneys in denaturalization proceedings and removability cases

Work Schedule

  • Expected Start Date: Week of May 27, 2025
  • Full-time: 40 hours per week with a minimum ten-week commitment spanning the full summer, aligned with the school's academic calendar
  • In-person/office opportunities only
Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

  • Must be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited law school
  • Must be a 2L law student who has completed at least four semesters of law school at the time of the internship
  • Must be in good academic standing
  • Must be a U.S. citizen and pass a background check

Key Skills & Experience:

  • Strong research, analytical, and writing skills
  • Interest in immigration law and policy
  • Ability to manage multiple assignments and meet deadlines effectively
  • Coursework or experience in immigration law is preferred but not required
  • Foreign language proficiency is helpful but not required
  • Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion

Internships at OIL-GLA are highly sought after due to the level of responsibility and valuable experience they offer in federal litigation and immigration law.

Application Process

To apply for the Summer 2025 OIL-GLA Volunteer Legal Internship, submit your application package in PDF format, including:

  1. Cover letter
  2. Resume
  3. Law school transcript (official or unofficial)
  4. Writing sample (5-10 pages, demonstrating your legal research and analysis skills)

Email your complete application package to: oil-app.internprogram@usdoj.gov

Subject line: "Summer 2025 OIL-GLA Internship Application - [Your Full Name]"

Important Notes:

  • Application Deadline: March 5, 2025
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered
  • Applicants must have completed at least 2 years (four semesters) of law school by the internship start date
  • Only selected candidates will be contacted for interviews

Selection Process:

  1. Initial application review
  2. Possible phone or video screening
  3. In-person or virtual interview with OIL-GLA attorneys
  4. Reference checks
  5. Final selection and offer

Successful candidates will be notified of their selection and will need to complete a background check before the internship start date.

Salary

Unpaid; academic or work-study credit may be available.

Number of Positions
4
Travel
Not required.
Relocation Expenses
N/A

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. 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.

Updated February 27, 2025