Legal Careers
Legal Intern (Academic Year 2024-2025 and Summer 2024)
Washington, DC 20530 - United States
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, provides national leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. OVW administers more than 20 grant programs, which were established under VAWA and subsequent legislation. Since its inception, OVW has awarded over $9.5 billion in grants and cooperative agreements and has launched a multifaceted approach to implementing VAWA that accounts for the needs and interests of those most affected by these offenses. By forging state, local, and tribal partnerships among police, prosecutors, victim and community advocates, health care providers, faith leaders, and others, OVW grant programs help provide victims with the assistance, support, and services they need to pursue safe and healthy lives, while simultaneously enabling communities to hold offenders accountable for their violence.
In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW and its Director provide national leadership in the field of violence against women. Recent OVW policy initiatives have included promoting the reauthorization of VAWA, enhancing workplace violence policies, strengthening Departmental guidance on law enforcement responses to domestic violence and sexual assault, and enhancing responses to Native American victims. OVW also supports special initiatives to identify and disseminate promising practices, including the Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Demonstration Initiative. Pursuant to VAWA, OVW administers grant programs specifically designed to meet the needs of culturally specific, tribal, and rural communities, as well as individuals in later life, Deaf individuals and those with disabilities, and underserved populations. The office is comprised of individuals from many different backgrounds and encourages sharing ideas openly, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional development.
This law internship offers valuable hands-on experience in conjunction with formal education to provide the incumbent with the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities for Federal employment in the legal field. Selections are made based on many elements of a candidate’s background, including a demonstrated commitment to government service, academic achievement, leadership, law review or moot court experience, legal aid and clinical experience, past employment, and extracurricular activities that relate to the work of the Office.
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.
This internship offers students an excellent opportunity to perform extensive legal research, writing, and analytical skills, and to expand their knowledge on the administration of OVW and its grant programs.
Works with attorneys on a broad range of projects and studies related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, planning, and conducting special initiatives, studies, and projects.
Intern may also assist the General Counsel in their roles in representing OVW in different capacities such as Reviewing legislation affecting violence against women issues, draft or prepare a variety of documents to include legal memoranda, responses to routine inquiries, reports, letters, and other related documents.
First-year (second semester), second- and third-year law students. Students who will graduate prior to or during the course of the internship are NOT eligible.
Must be a U.S. citizen. A background check is required because of the sensitive nature of the work performed by the OVW. Selected Interns are subject to a background investigation because of the sensitive nature of the work performed by this office. Background materials must be submitted timely as directed in order to begin work on time.
Applications are accepted on a continuous basis and kept on file for six months. Please submit a resume and cover letter stating your interests to OVWintern@usdoj.gov including the semester for which you wish to be considered, the date you are available to start, and available working hours.
Applications must include the following materials:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Writing sample of no more than ten pages (not substantially altered by others)
- Official or unofficial law school transcript
- A list of three references (minimum of one academic reference preferred).
Note: Please compile all components of the application packet into one PDF file and email the application packet to OVWintern@usdoj.gov.
Subject line for email- Last Name, First Name- Legal Internship (Term- Fall, Spring or Summer).
Application deadlines for consideration are:
- Fall applications are accepted through May 1
- Spring applications are accepted through October 1
- Summer applications are accepted through March 1 each year
Questions about OVW's internship program may be submitted to OVWintern@usdoj.gov.
Internships are unpaid. Candidates must provide their own housing and have a clear understanding that this internship is on a volunteer, unpaid, basis. Students accepted for an internship may earn academic credit for working at OVW.
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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.
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.