Legal Careers
Unpaid Law Student Volunteer (Fall 2025)
Washington, DC 20005 - United States
The Office of Foreign Litigation (OFL) within the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division, serves a vital role within the U.S. Department of Justice, representing the U.S. government and its interests in legal proceedings in foreign courts and advising U.S. government agencies and officials on foreign and international law issues. OFL’s mission is to protect U.S. interests and U.S. sovereignty in all litigation pending in foreign courts, whether civil or criminal, affirmative or defensive. OFL’s goal is to ensure that the United States’ wide range of activities, interests, agencies, and personnel are protected and vindicated in litigation.
The Office of International Judicial Assistance (OIJA) serves as the Central Authority for the United States under the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters, as well as for evidence requests concerning civil or commercial matters from non-Convention States received through diplomatic channels. OIJA serves as the Central Authority under the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters, the Inter-American Convention on Letters Rogatory, and the Additional Protocol to the Inter-American Convention on Letters Rogatory for purposes of service. OIJA also executes service requests received through diplomatic channels from non-Convention States.
The OFL/OIJA Offices are accepting applications for volunteer law students for Fall 2025.
Responsibilities include:
- Conducting legal research and analysis on complex international legal topics.
- Drafting memoranda and reviewing Letters of Request for judicial assistance.
- Evaluating judicial assistance requests for consistency with appliable treaties and preparing responses for foreign court requests.
- Assisting with legal and factual research related to foreign litigation.
- Preparing memoranda concerning issues arising from requests for judicial assistance in the context of foreign litigation.
Work Schedule:
- Part-time: Minimum 20 hours per week.
- Interns are expected to work for the full semester based on their school’s academic calendar.
- Only in-person opportunities are available.
- Applicants must be enrolled at least half-time and have completed at least one-semester of law school.
- Open to second and third year law students.
- Unfortunately, graduates are ineligible for this position.
- Strong research and writing skills are required.
- Completion of a basic international law course is preferred.
- Ability to work in the English language is essential.
- Foreign language proficiency is helpful but not required.
- Must be a U.S. citizen or national and pass a background check.
- Submit your application package in PDF format including:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Transcript (official or unofficial)
- Brief writing sample
- Email applications to: OFLIntern@usdoj.gov with "Fall 2025" in the subject line.
- The consideration of applications and interview process will begin April 21, 2025, and will proceed on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.
Unpaid; academic or work-study credit may be available.
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.