Civil Rights Division Offices & Sections Employment Opportunities

Office of the Assistant Attorney General – Student Internship Opportunities

The Office of the Assistant Attorney General (OAAG) is comprised of the Division's senior leadership team and is responsible for the overall management and oversight of the Division. The OAAG regularly interacts with other components of the Department, federal agencies, Congress and stakeholders on issues within the Division's jurisdiction. Attorneys work on the full range of civil rights issues addressed by the Division, including housing, employment, disability rights, criminal civil rights violations, voting, veterans' rights, and education.

Volunteer interns are responsible for a wide assortment of tasks, including:

• Conduct legal research;
• Draft legal memoranda;
• Attend relevant congressional hearings; and
• Assist in preparing for congressional hearings

The OAAG desires highly motivated candidates with demonstrated interest or experience in civil rights law. The OAAG prefers spring and fall interns to work a minimum of 15-20 hours per week, for at least ten weeks; and prefers summer interns to work 40 hours per week for at least eight weeks.

For application procedures, click here.

In addition to these volunteer positions, the OAAG also accepts applications from interns who will work directly with the Division's Senior Counsel for Special Projects and Innovation. These candidates should be enrolled in J.D. or M.B.A. degree programs and will play a key role in designing and implementing innovative legal operations projects aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of CRT.

Appellate Section - Student Internship Opportunities

The Appellate Section represents the United States in both civil and criminal civil rights cases in the federal courts of appeals. Many of the Section's cases are appeals from district court judgments in cases originally handled by the Division's trial sections, and the Section works cooperatively with the trial sections in those cases. The Appellate Section also monitors federal civil rights cases in which the United States is not a party. If a private case involves novel or developing areas of civil rights law or an issue that may significantly affect the Division's enforcement responsibilities, the Section may file a brief as amicus curiae setting forth the government's position. In addition, the Section works with the Solicitor General's Office in developing the government's position in Supreme Court cases involving civil rights issues. The Section also provides legal counsel to other components of the Division and of the Department on issues affecting civil rights enforcement.

The Appellate Section hires summer interns. Rising second and third-year law students who can commit to working full-time for a minimum of eight weeks are eligible to apply, though rising third-year students (i.e., current 2Ls) are preferred. The Section does not consider applications from undergraduate students. The Section is particularly interested in candidates who have excellent research and writing skills; a strong interest in appellate litigation; and the ability to work independently. Among other things, volunteer interns may be asked to (1) conduct legal research and draft memoranda on constitutional, civil rights, and general litigation issues; (2) help attorneys prepare for oral arguments, including by participating in moot courts; (3) research and compile legislative histories; and (4) help proofread and cite-check appellate briefs and prepare record materials to be filed in court.

For application procedures, click here.

Criminal Section - Student Internship Opportunities

The Criminal Section prosecutes criminal civil rights violations, most notably charges of official misconduct; hate crimes; and involuntary servitude and human trafficking.  Law interns in the Criminal Section primarily conduct legal research and write memoranda on federal criminal civil rights laws, evidence or criminal procedure rules, or sentencing issues.  Interns sometimes write the first draft of federal trial pleadings, typically motions.  The Section is particularly interested in applicants with strong legal research and writing skills, and a demonstrated interest or experience in criminal law.  Additionally, the Criminal Section hires one or two undergraduate interns per term.  Undergraduate interns work on a variety of projects, including internet research, helping with some discovery tasks, listening to jail calls or watching body-cam, or other videos, responding to mail, etc.  Both law and undergraduate interns are supervised primarily by one of the intern coordinators.  The Section prefers interns to work 16-40 hours per week, for an average of 10 weeks.  Finally, the Criminal Section’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit (HTPU) also hires one or two law interns and, occasionally, one undergraduate per term.  If you are interested in applying specifically to the HTPU, please indicate as much in the subject line of your email and in your cover letter, and your application will be routed to the appropriate person.

For application procedures, click here.

Disability Rights Section - Student Internship Opportunities

The Disability Rights Section (“DRS”) is specifically charged with enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, State and local government services and telecommunications.

What Does a DRS Intern Do?

The volunteer legal intern position involves assisting DRS in investigating allegations of discrimination against individuals with disabilities in violation of title I, title II, and title III of the ADA. In addition, the legal intern will be responsible for conducting legal research, compiling data, reviewing documents, drafting letters, and preparing legal memoranda and briefs. The volunteer undergraduate intern will provide support to our enforcement and regulatory work through research, analysis, and writing projects. Our ideal candidate has strong legal research, writing, and communication skills as well as a demonstrated commitment to civil rights. Interest or experience in disability rights law is a plus, but not required. Please visit www.ada.gov for more information about DRS.

How Do I Apply for a DRS Internship?

DRS accepts interns for every semester of the academic year, as well as the summer. For Spring and Fall internships, we hire 5-7 interns and we welcome interns who can work full time through an externship program during the school year or who can work for a minimum of 15 hours per week for at least a 10 week period. For Summer internships, we hire approximately 10 interns, and we prefer interns to work 40 hours per week for at least a 10 week period. The volunteer legal and undergraduate intern positions are both unpaid.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample (no more than 10 pages), three references (with current phone and email contact information for each individual) and transcript to crt.volunteervacancies-DRS@usdoj.gov, Stephanie.Berger@usdoj.gov, and Janelle.Geddes@usdoj.gov. DRS fills internship slots on a rolling basis. We accept applications as follows:  Fall internships – applications will be considered from March 1 through June 1. Summer Internships – applications from 2Ls will be considered from October 15 through February 1 (and from 1Ls from December 1 through February 1). Spring internships – applications will be considered from July 1 through October 1. These deadlines are based on colleges/universities on a semester system. If the college/university you attend is on a quarter system, please email crt.volunteervacancies-DRS@usdoj.gov to receive applicable deadlines for the term for which you wish to participate. 

Educational Opportunities Section - Student Internship Opportunities

Fifty years ago, in its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court held that the intentional segregation of students on the basis of race in public schools violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. Subsequent federal legislation and court decisions also mandate that school officials not discriminate against students on the basis of sex, national origin, language status, religion, or disability. The Educational Opportunities Section enforces federal civil rights laws in a diverse array of cases involving elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education. The current docket includes cases and matters addressing desegregation, services and access to education for English Language Learners and students with disabilities, harassment and bullying, sexual assault, the school to prison pipeline, and the rights of immigrant students.

Law student interns in the Section have the opportunity to assist attorneys in research and drafting of pleadings and briefs, in discovery and motions practice, in enforcement of consent decrees and agreements, in investigations, and in efforts to review and draft policy guidance. Interns receive assignments from different attorneys and across a range of substantive areas.

The Section hires part-time and full-time volunteer legal interns for the fall and spring semesters, and full-time volunteer legal interns for the summer. While the Section prefers applications from current law students, the Section will consider non-legal (undergraduate or graduate) applicants on a case-by-case basis. The Section prefers spring and fall legal interns to work at least 15 hours per week, for at least ten weeks; and prefers summer legal interns to work 40 hours per week for ten weeks (split-summer requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis). The Section is particularly interested in applicants with demonstrated interest or experience in education-related issues.

For application procedures, click here.

Employment Litigation Section - Student Internship Opportunities

The primary responsibilities of the Employment Litigation Section (ELS) are the enforcement of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). ELS enforces Title VII -- which prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, sex, religion, and national origin -- against state and local government employers nationwide. ELS enforces USERRA, which prohibits discrimination in employment based on a person's past, current or future military obligation, against both private employers and state and local government employers nationwide.

Law student interns assist in investigations and litigation under Title VII and USERRA, including completing legal research projects, reviewing and summarizing documents and depositions, drafting portions of briefs and memoranda, and preparing for witness interviews. Interns receive assignments from different attorneys and across a range of substantive areas.

ELS hires part-time and full-time volunteer law student interns for the fall and spring semesters, and full-time volunteer law student interns for the summer. ELS prefers spring and fall interns to work at least 15 hours per week for at least 10 weeks, and prefers summer interns to work 40 hours per week for 10 weeks. Split-summer requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but all summer interns must commit to a minimum of 8 weeks with the Section. ELS is particularly interested in applicants with demonstrated interest or experience in civil rights matters, including employment discrimination work. ELS is only accepting applications from current law students at this time. The Section does not have internship opportunities for undergraduate students.

ELS accepts applications in the following time frames: Fall internships – applications accepted March 1 - June 1; Spring internships – applications accepted July1 - October 1; Summer internships – applications accepted October 15 - February 1 (and December 1 - February 1 for 1Ls). Please note, however, that ELS reviews applications and extends offers on a rolling basis and may fill positions prior to the end of these application periods.

For application procedures, click here.

Federal Coordination and Compliance Section

We would like to cordially invite you to apply for an internship with the Federal Coordination and Compliance Section (FCS) of the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division.

FCS is interested in applicants with experience with, or interest in, civil rights issues relating to race or national origin such as language access or environmental justice; familiarity with other federal agencies' Title VI programs or Department of Justice funding recipients, including courts, law enforcement, corrections, and prosecutorial agencies; or experience working with language minority populations.

FCS is entrusted with enforcing numerous federal laws, regulations, and executive orders, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Safe Streets Act of 1968, and Executive Orders 12250 and 13166, which collectively protect persons seeking to benefit from federally funded programs, activities, and services from discrimination based on race, color, national origin (including language), religion, and sex.  FCS investigates and resolves administrative complaints against Department of Justice recipients, including law enforcement agencies, detention facilities, and courts, pursuant to Title VI and the Safe Streets Act.  As part of FCS's coordinating responsibilities, we work closely with the civil rights offices of numerous federal agencies to ensure a uniform application of civil rights laws.

Legal interns will assist with legal research and writing projects related to ongoing investigations, federal agency coordination, and technical assistance. Legal interns may have the opportunity to assist with investigations, including on-site witness interviews, conducting document reviews, writing document requests, and participating in negotiations. They may assist with training presentations for federal agencies and recipients.

Non-legal, which include undergraduate and graduate, interns will perform similar duties not including legal research. The specific tasks assigned to any intern will vary according to the needs of the office at the time.  Interns will work closely with attorneys and staff and are assigned a mentor upon their arrival.

For the spring and fall semesters, FCS prefers full-time interns but will consider applicants able to work for a minimum of 16 hours per week. We prefer summer interns to work full time for at least ten weeks. Applications are considered on a rolling basis.

For application procedures, click here.

Housing and Civil Enforcement Section - Student Internship Opportunities

The Housing and Civil Enforcement Section (HCE) is a dynamic office with an active docket, including initiatives related to sexual harassment, redlining, and places of worship.

HCE enforces five federal civil rights statutes:

• the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing;
• the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibits discrimination in credit;
• Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in certain places of public accommodation, such as hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and theaters;
• the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which prohibits local governments from adopting or enforcing land use regulations that discriminate against religious assemblies and institutions or which unjustifiably burden religious exercise; and
• the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which provides for the temporary suspension of judicial and administrative proceedings and civil protections in areas such as housing, credit and taxes for military personnel while they are on active duty.

Interns have the opportunity to become part of a team and get hands-on experience in investigating and litigating civil rights cases under the diverse array of laws that HCE enforces. In the past, legal interns have contributed to the work of the Section by performing tasks including:

• interviewing witnesses;
• researching legal issues;
• participating in litigation strategy sessions;
• analyzing evidence;
• attending mediations and depositions;
• participating in site visits; and
• drafting memoranda, complaints, motions, and briefs under the supervision of attorneys.

Interns are assigned an attorney-mentor, and they also work closely with the attorneys for whom they complete assignments.

HCE accepts legal interns for each semester (or equivalent) of the academic year and for the summer. HCE does not have internship opportunities for undergraduate students at this time. For academic semester internships, HCE prefers applicants who can commit at least 20 hours per week for a minimum of ten weeks. For summer internships, HCE asks that applicants commit 40 hours per week for a minimum of ten weeks.

For application procedures, click here.

Immigrant and Employee Rights Section - Student Internship Opportunities

The Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) enforces a federal statute to protect U.S. citizens and work-authorized immigrants from immigration-related employment discrimination. The student volunteer position involves assisting IER in litigating and investigating allegations of discrimination, such as conducting legal research, reviewing documents, compiling data, drafting letters, preparing legal memoranda, and sitting in on and/or conducting witness interviews, as well as policy-related work, such as preparing comments on proposed regulations and draft legislation, and attending interagency meetings. IER interns may also work on outreach and education initiatives, including drafting written outreach materials and working on outreach proposals.

IER accepts fall, spring and summer interns. IER prefers fall and spring applicants who can commit to at least 15-20 hours per week for a minimum of ten weeks during each academic semester. IER prefers summer applicants who can commit to 40 hours per week for a minimum of ten weeks. IER is particularly interested in applicants with demonstrated interest or experience in immigration or employment discrimination issues. IER typically has between three and five law interns and one to two undergraduate interns during the spring and fall semesters, as well as during the summer.

For application procedures, click here.

Policy and Strategy Section - Student Internship Opportunities

We would like to cordially invite you to apply for an internship with the Policy and Strategy Sections (POL) of the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division.

POL is interested in applicants with experience in a broad array of civil rights issues, as well as applicants with a public policy or legislative background.

POL helps coordinate the legislative and policy initiatives of the Civil Rights Division in close collaboration with other sections in the Division, in addition to playing a key role on certain Department-wide civil rights initiatives, including the Hate Crime Enforcement and Prevention Initiative.  POL reviews and/or prepares legislative proposals, testimony, and reports to be presented to Congress.  POL also coordinates CRT’s review of and response to legislative, regulatory, and policy proposals promulgated by the Executive and Legislative branches of government, working closely with DOJ’s Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) and Office of Legal Policy (OLP), as well as other federal agencies and civil rights stakeholders.

Legal interns will assist with legal research and writing projects related to ongoing policy projects and develop proposals for new projects.

Non-legal interns, which include undergraduate and graduate students, will perform similar duties not including legal research. The specific tasks assigned to any intern will vary according to the needs of the office at the time.  Interns will work closely with staff and are assigned a mentor upon their arrival.

For the spring and fall semesters, POL prefers full time interns but will consider applicants able to work for a minimum of 20 hours per week. POL prefers summer interns to work full time for at least ten weeks. Applications are considered on a rolling basis.

For application procedures, click here.

Professional Development Office (PDO) - Student Internship Opportunities

The Professional Development Office (PDO) is the Division's training office. PDO develops training programs for attorneys and other staff in a number of areas, including skills-based trainings on investigating, advocating, and litigating, and assists with the on-boarding of new employees.  The PDO is seeking a student with undergraduate or graduate experience in instructional design or adult learning who can assist with planning and coordinating training programs.  You may assist with planning new programing, working with presenters, helping to design effective materials and systems for training evaluations, developing e-learning programs, or other learning and development related tasks. For school-year internships, you must commit to work for a minimum of 8 hours per week for at least six weeks. For summer internships, you must commit to work for a minimum of 16 hours per week for at least six weeks.

For application procedures, click here.

Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative – Student Volunteer Internships

About the Office:

The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020, H.R. 8354, permanently established the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative, or "SVI", within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. SVI addresses the unique challenges that servicemembers face while on active duty, that veterans face upon returning home, and that families face when a loved one is deployed. The Initiative focuses on three areas: enforcement, education and access to justice. In terms of enforcement, the Initiative seeks to extend the expertise and resources needed to enforce the civil and criminal statutes protecting the rights of servicemembers, veterans, and their families to lawyers and investigators throughout the Department of Justice. We also promote information sharing among federal, state, and local enforcement agencies, so that they too can use all of the tools at their disposal. With regard to education, we are expanding our website, servicemembers.gov, which provides informational materials for both the military community and legal practitioners. We also facilitate regular outreach events, where servicemembers, veterans, and their families are informed about their rights and who to contact in the event that those rights are violated. And finally, in terms of access to justice, the Initiative uses grants and other resources to support the efforts of courts and other organizations to respond to the specialized circumstances of servicemembers and veterans in the justice system.

How to Apply:

The ideal candidate will have 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 servicemember and veterans issues.  The law student intern for the office will assist the directors of the initiative in prosecuting cases on behalf of servicemembers, researching cutting edge servicemembers-related legal issues, providing input on suggested legislation to assist servicemembers and veterans, and providing support for intragovernmental meetings and base visits organized by the initiative. 

This is an excellent opportunity for students with a background and interest in civil rights law and legislation.  Candidates must be U.S. citizens and able to commit a minimum of 20 hours per week for eight to ten weeks in the summer.  The initiative is seeking rising second- and third-year law students, or joint degree or L.L.M. students. All students must be in good academic standing and will be required to provide official documentation from their school. Please submit a single PDF document with your resume, cover letter indicating skills and interest in the initiative, transcript (official or unofficial), and one reference.

Applicants should email a resume and a cover letter indicating their skills and interest in the initiative to servicemembers@usdoj.gov. Candidates will be informed if an interview will be requested. Further information on the initiative may be found at servicemembers.gov.

Special Litigation Section (SPL) - Student Internship Opportunities

The Special Litigation Section is one of several sections in the Civil Rights Division.  We work to protect civil rights in the following areas:

1. the rights of people who interact with state or local police or sheriffs’ departments;
2. the rights of individuals with disabilities to receive services in their communities, rather than in institutions;
3. the rights of people in state or local institutions, including: jails, prisons, juvenile detention facilities, and health care facilities for persons with disabilities;
4. the rights of youth involved in the juvenile justice system;
5. the rights of people to have safe access to reproductive health care clinics; and
6. the rights of people to practice their religion while confined to state and local institutions.

We also act on behalf of people at risk of harm in these areas.  In each of these areas, we enforce civil rights statutes through investigations, negotiations, litigation, and monitoring and enforcing compliance.  Most of our work involves patterns or practices of unlawful conduct.  For example, our investigations include a police misconduct investigation into the Baltimore Police Department, an investigation into Louisiana’s system of care for people with serious mental illness, and an investigation into sexual abuse of women prisoners in Alabama.

We can also file Statements of Interest on behalf of the United States in private litigation that involves legal issues in the areas above.  The Special Litigation Section’s website, http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/spl/, provides additional information about the Section’s work.

Volunteer interns with the Special Litigation Section must be law students.  They have opportunities to gain significant hands-on experience across each of our practice areas.  Interns assist attorneys in conducting preliminary inquiries, investigating, litigating, and monitoring compliance with agreements.  Assignments for interns may include conducting legal and factual research, making presentations, participating in case strategy sessions, and drafting memoranda, motions, and reports.  Spanish language proficiency is desirable but not required.  Students indicating proficiency may be tested.

Attorney mentors work with each intern to ensure that the internship is a productive and rewarding experience.  Mentors can review interns’ work, provide feedback on assignments, give advice, and sponsor opportunities to network with Section and Division colleagues.  Interns are encouraged to participate in brown bag lunches and other events sponsored by the Special Litigation Section and other sections with in the Civil Rights Division, in addition to the many programs for summer interns in Washington, D.C.

For the summer, we prefer that students work full time at least ten weeks.  For the fall and spring semesters, we prefer candidates who can work at least 15 hours per week.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample of 10 pages or less, three references, and your most recent transcript.  1Ls who do not yet have law school transcripts should indicate this and should provide the transcript upon receipt.  Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please email your application to:  crt.volunteervacancies-SPL@usdoj.gov.  

Voting Section (VOT) - Student Internship Opportunities

The Voting Section has enforcement responsibility for the civil provisions of the federal voting rights laws, including Voting Rights Act, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, and certain provisions of the Civil Rights Acts that relate to voting.  To carry out its mission, the Section brings lawsuits against states, counties, cities, and other jurisdictions to remedy denials and abridgements of the right to vote.

Interns will assist by conducting legal and factual research regarding ongoing investigations and litigation, as well as other general research.

The Voting Section accepts interns for every semester of the academic year, as well as the summer. The Section accepts both law interns and undergraduate interns.  During the academic year, the Section prefers law interns to work for a minimum of 15-20 hours per week for at least eight weeks, and undergraduate interns to work for 32-40 hours per week for at least eight weeks.  For the summer, the Section prefers interns to work full time for at least eight weeks.  The Section is particularly interested in applicants with demonstrated interest or experience in voting rights work.

For application procedures, click here.