Legal Fellowship Program

Legal Fellowship Program

The Legal Fellowship Program at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia offers opportunities for recent law school graduates to serve as uncompensated Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in either the General Crimes Misdemeanor Unit or the Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Unit of the Superior Court Division.  The duration of the fellowship is six to twelve months.  While in the Superior Court Division, Legal Fellows will handle their own caseloads; argue bond and suppression motions, conduct numerous bench trials; advocate at sentencings; etc.  There is no difference between a regular AUSA and a Legal Fellow in terms of duties, responsibilities, and training.  Because the U.S. Attorney's Office also serves as the local prosecutor for the District, we prosecute thousands of cases each year.  Our misdemeanor-level caseloads can include simple assaults; threats; possession of prohibited weapons; drug possession; assaults on police officers; theft; destruction of property; hate/bias crimes; child abuse; credit card fraud; etc.  We do not handle traffic; DUI; or juvenile cases.  Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Required Qualifications:

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar

(any U.S. jurisdiction).

Preferred Qualifications:

At least one-year post-JD legal or other relevant experience and a minimum GPA of 3.0 is preferred. The ideal candidate will be committed to public service; possess superior communication and advocacy skills; exhibit exceptional research and writing ability; perform thorough legal and factual analysis; demonstrate an ability to work well with a wide variety of people; exercise good judgement; and function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment.

Additional information

Salary Information: None - This is a uncompensated position. Employee benefits for this position will be

limited.

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Type of Position: This is a temporary position not-to-exceed 1 year. This position may be extended

without further competition.

Benefits: This is a temporary position which does not offer benefits.

Travel: No travel required.

Conflicts: Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct

regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please

notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved

and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office

is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may

need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Political Appointees (Current or Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize

employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been

within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive

Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could

result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

Shadowing: Potential Legal Fellows may come to the Office to “shadow” D.C. Superior Court.  

How to Apply:  Please submit a resume, cover letter, law school transcript (unofficial or official), and writing sample to Katherine.Earnest@usdoj.gov.

Questions?  If you have additional questions about our program, please reach out to Katherine Earnest, Director of the Office of Professional Development and Training, at Katherine.Earnest@usdoj.gov or (202) 252-6840.