The Northern District of Ohio is seeking outstanding volunteer paralegal candidates to assist in our mission. The start and end dates are negotiable, but we ask that our interns commit to at least 10 hours of work per week for a minimum of three months. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.
Duties
The paralegal intern can expect to assist Assistant United States Attorneys and Paralegal Specialists in the Civil Division with docket reviews, processing mail, preparing service copies, and opening and closing cases in the U.S. Attorney's Office case tracking database. In addition, the paralegal intern can expect the opportunity to gain knowledge of the court filing systems and may be asked to draft basic legal documents and assist with filings.
Salary
Qualifications
To be eligible for this internship ALL of the following requirements must be met: Paralegal/Legal Studies Student Status: Acceptance of applications for this announcement will be limited to students currently participating in a paralegal or similar legal studies program . Graduates of these programs are not eligible for student volunteer positions. An eligible student is an individual who is enrolled in an accredited college or university and is taking at least half-time academic course load. Successful candidates must have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills, and be in good academic standing at his/her university. 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 background investigation to determine your suitability for Federal employment. Background Investigation: You must successfully complete a background investigation to determine your suitability for Federal employment. Volunteer Agreement: All interns are required to sign the Participant Agreement (will be completed later during the security process if selected).
Education
You must be enrolled in an accredited college or university and must meet half-time student enrollment requirements.
Other Information
Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorize. Selectees for this position are ineligible for life insurance, retirement (including the Thrift Savings Plan), long term care insurance, and within grade increases. 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 http://www.sss.gov. 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. 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, 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
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 showing relevant experience and dates (for full consideration you must include month/day/year) of employment and work schedule for each (e.g., part-time XX hours per week or full-time). 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. (cover letter optional) Required: Current Unofficial transcript or proof of current enrollment, e.g., recent letter from the registrar's office. (Note: If you are selected for this position, an official transcript will be required prior to your first day.) Required, if applicable: Veterans' Preference documentation. (See also required Veterans' Preference Documentation below.) Please note, 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 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); 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 the required documentation identified on the reverse side of the SF-15 to support your preference claim. 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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office by providing a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title; Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee); Agency; and Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
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. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/24/2025 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 is submitted prior to the closing date.) 3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, http://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/12771466 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 Dana Smith at 2166223615 or dana.smith2@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.
