Volunteer Law Clerk

Summary For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit www.
justice.
gov/usao/ As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.
This job is open to The public U.
S.
Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.
S.
Clarification from the agency All enrolled rising Second- and Third-Year Law Students who are U.
S.
Citizens and Nationals.
Duties A summer law internship with the U.
S.
Attorney's Office offers a unique and challenging experience for the highly motivated law 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.
Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a United States Citizen or National.
Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication.
This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing.
Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Qualifications To be eligible for this internship ALL of the following requirements must be met: Student Status: Acceptance of applications for this announcement will be limited to rising second- and third-year law students.
An eligible student is an individual enrolled in law school pursuing a Juris Doctor degree.
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.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Additional information Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.
A Benefits Package is not authorized for this position.
Veterans' Preference - If you are entitled to Veterans' Preference, you must indicate the type of preference you are claiming by checking the appropriate box in the assessment questionnaire to indicate your preference and submit the required veterans' preference documentation as specified in the, "Required Documents" section of this vacancy announcement.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.
See www.
sss.
gov.
Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate.
Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly.
Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
EEO Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a parent, genetic information, disability, age, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism.
Diversity Statement: 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.
Benefits How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures.
Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement.
If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire.
If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.
If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified.
Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.
You will be rated on the following Competencies (see OPM Website for definitions): The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Required Documents You must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
Required: Your resume.
Required: Current Unofficial law school transcript.
Required: Your legal writing sample, not to exceed 15 pages.
Required, if applicable: Veterans' Preference documentation.
See Required Veterans' Preference Documentation below.
Please note, if you are entitled to Veterans' Preference, you must indicate the type of preference you are claiming in your application, check the appropriate box in the assessment questionnaire to indicate your preference, and submit the required documentation as specified below.
Required Veterans' Preference Documentation: -In order to verify your Veterans' Preference entitlement, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); or if you are a current Active Duty member you must submit a certification on appropriate military branch letterhead that indicates: 1) your service dates, 2) expected discharge or release date from active duty with a release/discharge date no later than 120 days from the closing date of this announcement, and 3) the character of service (e.
g.
, Honorable); or other official documentation (e.
g.
, documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
In addition, if you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, or widow/widower if a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" dated October 2013 and all the required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
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 are submitted prior to the closing date.
) 3.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, 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/12255280 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 Breanna McCants at breanna.
mccants@usdoj.
gov or 2514157138 as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/05/2024 to receive consideration.
Keep a copy of your proof of submission in the event verification is needed.
Current or Former Political Appointees: 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.
Agency contact information Breanna McCants Phone 2514157138 Email breanna.
mccants@usdoj.
gov Address Southern District of Alabama 63 South Royal Street Mobile, AL 36602 US Next steps We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed.
After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit check, and drug test by urinalysis.
We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.