PATHWAYS STUDENT INTERN (Law Clerk)

Summary

This is a Law Student Internship position under the DOT Pathways Internship Program.

To qualify for this Law Student Internship, you MUST be a continuing Law Student enrolled or accepted for enrollment for the current/upcoming semesters for the duration of the internship as a condition of employment, taking at least a half-time course load. You will be required to provide documentation to support eligibility. Students may be employed throughout the academic year.

This job is open to

The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Students
Current students enrolled in accredited educational institutions from high school to graduate level. Includes internships, pathways and other student programs.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from Law School Students, who are U.S. Citizen’s. You must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a qualifying educational institution and in Law Student Status at least half-time for the full internship. This position is part of the DOT Pathways Internship Program. Additional information can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=Program-Fact-Sheets

This is not a Bargaining unit position.

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Duties

The Pathways Student Intern (Law Clerk) will:

Research and analyze law sources to prepare drafts of briefs or arguments for review, approval, and use by attorney.
Conduct legal research to assist in the preparation of legal documents.
Collect, record, organize, and analyze data relative to research of legal issues.
Assist the office by performing assigned technical tasks under immediate supervision of attorneys and other legal staff.
Research and verify points of law cited by attorneys in memoranda.
Prepare draft pleadings, correspondence, legal memoranda, opinions, briefs, and other documents.
Respond to requests for legal opinions at the direction of attorneys.
Research and downloads data from the computer, reviewing, and extracting information from technical materials, including correspondence, reports, procedural guides, and instructions.
Initiate complex research papers and projects for attorneys.
Perform related duties as assigned using previous files, legal research or other resources.
Assist in meetings with clients, conferences with opposing counsel, mediation and settlement discussions, and conferences with attorneys from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the local U.S. Attorney’s office (AUSA) assigned to the FHWA’s environmental cases or other cases.

The ideal Law School candidate is an individual with excellent legal research and writing skills, who can handle and prioritize multiple competing tasks and a diverse workload while maintaining collegiate working relationships. This individual has a demonstrated interest in administrative law, environment law, transportation law. The ideal candidate will provide a cover letter (maximum two pages) explaining his/her specific interest in this position and highlighting his/her relevant work experience and educational background.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be in Law Student Status for the full internship.
You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet the requirements of the program.
You must be at least 16 years of age.
Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

PATHWAYS ELIGIBILITY – To be eligible for appointment to a position in the DOT Pathways Internship Program, throughout the duration of the appointment, as a baseline an individual must (see qualifications section for additional series/grade requirements):

Be accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree or certificate in a qualifying educational institution on a half to full-time basis (as determined by the educational institution).
Be seeking a degree that is relevant to this position. (For this internship you must be seeking a degree in Law.)
Be able to work at least 16 hours per week, depending on your academic schedule, and preferably full-time during the summer.
Grade qualifications must be met prior to start date.

If selected you:

must sign a Pathways Internship Program Participant Agreement;
may be employed throughout the academic year;
must maintain status as a current law student;
must maintain good academic standing, at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 grading scale.
must furnish course registration information at the start of each school term; and
must provide verification of academic status (transcript) at the end of each academic term.

For more information on the Pathways Program, please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=Program-Fact-Sheets

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP: Must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
DECLARATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT: Selectee is required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine suitability for federal employment.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Must complete a background investigation.
TRIAL PERIOD: The intern is in a trial period throughout the entire Pathways Internship appointment.
TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY: This position is approved for occasional telework. The number of telework days approved is determined by the agency policy, emergency situations, the approval of your immediate supervisor, and if applicable, approval of additional officials. You are required to report to the office on a regular basis since this is not a full-time telework position, or approved as a remote work position.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the start of the internship. Anticipated start date is 06/04/2023. Note that if you are graduating at the end of this current semester, and not continuing your education, you are not eligible for this internship. You must be enrolled as a Law student while employed as an intern.

Law Student Status: An eligible student is an individual who is enrolled in law school pursuing a Juris Doctor Degree or a LL.B Legum Baccalaureus Degree and is taking at least half-time academic course load in an American Bar Association accredited university. Successful candidates must have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills, and be in good academic standing at his/her university.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the education requirements below for each grade which you are requesting consideration for. Transcript(s) are required for verification.

GS-07 – Completion of one academic year of graduate level education (above a bachelor’s); OR awarded a Bachelor’s degree with Superior Academic Achievement*.

*Superior Academic Achievement is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. (In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.)
- 1. Class standing Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
- 2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B” or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B+” or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

GS-09 – Completion of two academic years of graduate level education (above a bachelor’s), or awarded a master’s degree or equivalent graduate degree.

Academic year definition: At the graduate level, one year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full time study requirement for GS-07. And 36 semester hours for 2 years of full-time study should be considered as satisfying the GS-09 requirement. When academic credit is expressed in units or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the institution.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

Written Communication – Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.
Oral Communication – Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.
Research – Perform legal research with little or no direction.

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.

For additional information about applying to Federal Pathways Internship Positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=GS-PIP

Education

Refer to the Qualifications and Requirements section for information pertaining to the Pathways Internship Program.

Additional information

This is an Excepted Service appointment. As a part of the Pathways Internship Program, the appointment may be extended until the selectee’s educational program requirements have been completed. The student intern may be converted, without a break in service to a term (time-limited) or permanent appointment upon graduation, to a position that has a career ladder targeted up to the GS-14*, provided they are a US citizen who has worked at least 640 hours in an appropriate program and receive a favorable recommendation from the supervisor for retention. There is no guarantee of a permanent position following this internship. The selectee is on a trial period while on a Pathways Internship appointment.

*Initial conversion is to a term (time-limited of 13 months) appointment with further conversion eligibility to an excepted appointment to a position that has a career ladder targeted up to the GS-14 after passing of the Bar exam. You will be placed in a Law Clerk position pending admission to the Bar, at which time you will be eligible for conversion to an Attorney position. Failure to pass the Bar exam within 14 months of initial conversion appointment will result in termination of the appointment.

Refer to ‘Next Steps’ section for interview information.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level.

Once you complete and submit your application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the job. Qualified students will be referred to the hiring manager in unranked order by veteran preference status: (1) Preference eligible having a compensable, service-connected disability of 10 percent or more; (2) all other candidates eligible for 10-point veteran preference; (3) candidates eligible for 5-point veteran preference; and (4) candidates not eligible for veteran preference.

You will not be considered for the position if any part of the application or supporting documentation is incomplete. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or adverse action after hiring.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have – whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.

ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and was created within USA Jobs Resume Builder and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy.

Transcripts and/or Enrollment Verification is REQUIRED to verify grade 7 and/or grade 9 education requirements and Law Student status:
- Transcript(s): You may provide an unofficial transcript at the time of application, but it must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. However, you will need to provide an official transcript prior to finalizing an internship offer.
- Acceptance Letter of Enrollment: A letter from the educational institution that confirms the following: The law degree/diploma program in which you have been accepted and that you will be enrolled at least on a half-time basis. Required from all applicants who need to verify enrollment per the stated education requirements if transcript does not meet the enrollment requirements.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education’s website – click here. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application.

VETERANS: Provide your last DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. It need not be official.
- If you wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy).
- If you are claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required.
WRITING SAMPLE: If selected for an interview, a writing sample may be requested.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

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
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.
- To begin, click the “Apply Online” button on the job announcement posting.
- Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
- You may review your saved application(s) at https://my.usajobs.gov.
If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at Transjobs@dot.gov.

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office

Phone

000-000-0000

Email

TRANSJOBS@dot.gov

Address

DOT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION Submit Application and Documents Online 1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR – 50 Washington, District of Columbia 20590 United States

Next steps

Once the application process is completed in its entirety, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualifications. Qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews.

If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.

INTERVIEW PROCESS: Applicants who advance through this process may be invited for one or more interviews and may be requested to provide additional information such as references, most recent performance appraisal, and writing samples (including a live writing exercise following the interview).
Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request

Required Documents

ALL Applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and was created within USA Jobs Resume Builder and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy.

Transcripts and/or Enrollment Verification is REQUIRED to verify grade 7 and/or grade 9 education requirements and Law Student status:

Transcript(s): You may provide an unofficial transcript at the time of application, but it must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. However, you will need to provide an official transcript prior to finalizing an internship offer.
Acceptance Letter of Enrollment: A letter from the educational institution that confirms the following: The law degree/diploma program in which you have been accepted and that you will be enrolled at least on a half-time basis. Required from all applicants who need to verify enrollment per the stated education requirements if transcript does not meet the enrollment requirements.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education’s website – click here. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application.

VETERANS: Provide your last DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, that shows the type of discharge and all dates of active duty is required to verify your eligibility. It need not be official.

If you wish to be considered as a preference eligible, you need to submit a copy of your DD214 (member-4 copy).
If you are claiming preference eligibility as a disabled veteran, you must submit proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally a valid letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. An SF-15 is desired, but not required.

WRITING SAMPLE: If selected for an interview, a writing sample may be requested.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

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

You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement.

To begin, click the “Apply Online” button on the job announcement posting.
Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
You may review your saved application(s) at https://my.usajobs.gov.

If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at Transjobs@dot.gov.

Agency contact information

Automated Staffing Office

Phone

000-000-0000

Email

TRANSJOBS@dot.gov

Address

DOT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION Submit Application and Documents Online 1200 New Jersey Ave SE / HAHR – 50 Washington, District of Columbia 20590 United States

Next steps

Once the application process is completed in its entirety, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualifications. Qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews.

If you are selected for an interview, the hiring agency will contact you directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.

INTERVIEW PROCESS: Applicants who advance through this process may be invited for one or more interviews and may be requested to provide additional information such as references, most recent performance appraisal, and writing samples (including a live writing exercise following the interview).

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
Reasonable accommodation policy
Financial suitability
Selective Service
New employee probationary period
Signature and false statements
Privacy Act
Social security number request

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