Volunteer Law Student Spring 2026

Our mission is to enforce the law and defend the interests 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.

Duties

Assignments include, but are not limited to, drafting responsive motions, dispositive motions, memorandum of law, and appellate briefs. The interns become familiar with the Federal rules of Civil and Criminal procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, the local rules of practice for the Middle District of Florida District Court, and the local and Federal rules of Appellate Procedure. In addition, interns may attend dispositions, meetings with Agents and accompany attorneys to observe court proceedings.

Practice Areas:

• Appellate Litigation
• Civil Litigation
• Criminal Litigation

Those applying to the Tampa office should indicate their preferred practice area in their cover letter. Branch office applicants will be placed in the Criminal Division.

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.

Salary

• $0

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• You must provide a transcript or proof of enrollment from an accredited law school.
• You must be at least 16 years of age or older.

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 first-, second-, and third-year law students attending an accredited school. 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. Student interns must be United States Citizens.
• Grade Point Average: You must have at least a 2.5 GPA.
• 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 suitability review and receive a favorable determination based on information provided in their security forms, a credit report, and fingerprint check to determine suitability for Federal employment.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. Education All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov. OR Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Other Information

Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

A Benefits Package is not authorized for this position.

Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

EEO Statement: 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.

Required Documents

To be considered for this position, you must submit a complete application package by the closing date of this announcement. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. All application materials must be submitted through the USAJOBS website. Hard copy or emailed documents will not be accepted.

The following items are required documentation:

• Online Application Questionnaire: This is completed automatically when clicking "Apply Online" for this announcement.
• Cover Letter: Should include a personal statement reflecting your background and your interest in participating in this program. Those applying to the Tampa office should indicate their preferred practice area in their cover letter.
• Resume: Please include employment history, dates of employment (MM/DDDD), education history, volunteer activities, and awards/achievements (scholastic/professional).
• Proof of enrollment or unofficial college transcripts:Current Unofficial transcript or proof of current enrollment, e.g., recent letter from the registrar's office. Should clearly show the name of the academic institution, grades for completed coursework, cumulative GPA, and current academic standing. In addition, first year law students should include any undergraduate transcripts.
• Legal Writing Sample: Should be no longer than 25 pages.

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered

How to Apply

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

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/03/2025 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 Middle District of Florida at (813) 274-6043 or email at casey.austin@usdoj.gov, prior to the closing date of this announcement to request an alternate method of applying.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.