Law Student Volunteer (Summer 2026)

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana strives to promote professional development and to build a legacy of excellence. Our mission is to enforce the law and defend the interest of the United States, provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime, seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior, and to administer and enforce the Nation's laws to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. www.justice.gov/usao-wdla

Duties

Our law student volunteers conduct research, draft/write motions, responses and various pleadings. The law student volunteers may assist in debt collection, trial preparation, assemble exhibits, interview witnesses and provide trial support. To ensure that all interns finish the summer with a good writing sample, every intern will work under the guidance of an AUSA to prepare documents to be filed with the court. Interns will also be given assignments in as many different divisions and units as possible, providing exposure to a wide variety of practice areas and a number of AUSAs. Our goal is to introduce our interns to the federal legal system, to develop their legal skills and, above all, to enjoy their summer.

Salary

• $0

Conditions of Employment

• 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. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• You must be at least 18 years of age or older.

Qualifications

To be eligible for this position ALL of the following requirements must be met:

• You must be considered in good academic standings, and be an enrolled first-year (second semester), second or third year Law Student.
• You must have at least a 2.5 GPA.
• Must possess superior research and writing skills, an eye for detail, a desire to work as part of a small team of professionals, and a commitment to fairness and integrity is essential.
• Must be able to commit to 8 to 10 weeks in the summer.

Education Must be a first-year (second semester), second- and third-year law student. Law school graduates are not eligible for summer positions. 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. Other Information Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized. 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 Department of Justice is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment for all employees and applicants. See U.S. Department of Justice Equal Employment Opportunity Policy for complete details. 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. 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 - Resume - Your resume cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages. Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job:
  • Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade),
  • Employer name and contact information,
  • Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day and year),
  • Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
  • A list of duties performed and accomplished.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

• Required - Writing sample - Not to exceed 10 pages
• Required - Unofficial law school transcript
• Required, if applicable - To get Veterans' Preference, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire and you must submit the appropriate supporting documentation. See the "How you will be Evaluated" section for details regarding what is appropriate Veterans' Preference documentation. It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter or resume.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/17/2026 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 are submitted prior to the closing date.)

3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://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.

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. However, should you not be able to apply online, please contact Western District of Louisiana at 318-676-3624 or email at Keshia.Carey@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.

Benefits A Benefits Package is not authorized for this position. Selectees for this position are ineligible for life insurance, retirement (including the Thrift Savings Plan), long term care insurance, and within grade increases.