Legal Careers
Law Student Volunteer, Term Spring 2025 and Summer 2025
Arlington, VA 22202 - United States
The Office of Chief Counsel provides legal services and guidance to all components of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in matters that arise in the conduct of DEA's enforcement mission. Chief Counsel attorneys provide legal support to DEA Special Agents, Diversion Investigators, Intelligence Analysts, and other DEA employees by analyzing the legal implications involved in policy decisions, including the creation of policies, programs, and enforcement operations; advising and training DEA personnel worldwide on criminal, civil, and regulatory issues; drafting and reviewing potential legislation and regulations impacting DEA's authorities and operations; and representing DEA in civil and administrative litigation.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
Our Spring 2025 program will be a part-time in-person program requiring 15 – 20 hours per week. In limited circumstances, situational telework may be approved pursuant to DEA telework policy and operational need.
Our Summer 2025 program will be a full-time in person program, with the ability to telework two times per week pursuant to DEA telework policy after the completion of all required new hire onboarding and training.
DEA's Office of Chief Counsel strives to provide student interns with the opportunity to work closely with attorneys on cutting edge legal questions, meet with clients and agency stakeholders, and engage in meaningful work to allow a glimpse into real day-to-day government attorney work. Interns receive assignments from any practice area within Chief Counsel, filtered and managed through the Intern Program Director, while also working closely with an assigned attorney mentor. Assignments often arise from law and policy relating to domestic & foreign criminal programs & investigations; technology & privacy; intelligence; asset forfeiture; civil litigation, including employment and personnel issues, diversion regulatory matters, Freedom of Information Act and information law, and e-litigation; as well as legal training. Interns are expected to conduct research, draft memoranda, motions, and correspondence, create and give presentations, interact with agency officials, and perform other tasks as required. The program strives to assist interns in developing life skills as attorneys, building lasting relationships, and drafting one or more polished and releasable writing samples.
The program provides opportunities for interns to meet and interact with a variety of personnel with the federal legal and law enforcement system. Past events, subject to future availability, have included “Quantico Day," where interns participate in Use of Force and Special Response Team training with our Special Agents, and lab outings with our Chemists at the Clandestine and Special Testing Labs. **Please note this is a law enforcement-oriented internship. **
Applicants must be currently enrolled in law school, have a strong academic background, excellent research and writing skills, experience with or a demonstrated interest in public service, and mature judgment. Applicant must be a U.S. Citizen and will be subject to a security background investigation due to the sensitive nature of the work, including a drug use questionnaire.
NOTE: Applicants who are found, through investigation or personal admission, to have experimented with or used narcotics or dangerous drugs, except those medically prescribed, will not be considered for employment with DEA. Exceptions to this policy may be made for applicants who admit to limited youthful and experimental use of marijuana. Such applicants may be considered for employment if there is no evidence of regular, confirmed usage and the results of the other steps in the process are otherwise favorable. Compliance with this policy is an essential requirement of the position. All applicants must complete and submit the DEA Drug Questionnaire with their application package.
Send a cover letter describing your interest in working with the DEA, resume, unofficial transcript, writing sample, and DEA Drug Questionnaire, via email, to DEALawClerk@DEA.gov attention Jonathan Lee, Assistant Intern Program Director.
The DEA Drug Questionnaire, DEA Form 341, OMB No. 1117-0043, is available online. Please initial each box and sign using a wet signature, not electronically.
Please submit one email with each supporting document attached as a separate pdf. Note your name on each pdf document. Do not include all documents in one pdf attachment.
If your transcript is not available at the time of your application, please supplement your package when received.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
Application Deadline:
Spring 2025: All Students – October 15, 2024
Summer 2025:
For Current 2L Students – November 15, 2024
For Current 1L Students – December 15, 2024
The position is uncompensated; however, if your law school offers interns academic credit, work study or a stipend, we will work with you to meet school requirements whenever possible.
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Department Policies
Equal Employment Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.
Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement.
Suitability and Citizenship: It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.
Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
USAO Residency Requirement: Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
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This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.