The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia has approximately 70 employees. These employees consist of the United States Attorney and 34 Assistant United States Attorneys, with the remainder being support staff. The support staff includes legal assistants, paralegals, and investigative, administrative and technical personnel. The office employs college students on a part-time basis and summer law clerks. The majority of the staff is assigned to the headquarters located in downtown Charleston, while small branch office locations in Beckley and Huntington employ a total of 10 employees.
 

Vacancies

Volunteer Student Internship Program (unpaid)

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia (USAO-SDWV) offers competitive student volunteer internship positions each academic semester for undergraduate students at our headquarters office in Charleston, West Virginia and two branch offices in Beckley and Huntington, West Virginia.  

These positions are volunteer (without compensation) but may be used for work-study credit if applicable. Interns gain a unique and exciting view of the work and mission of the USAO-SDWV. Interns provide general office clerical support to one or more professional, program, or technical staff members in the USAO-SDWV. Interns receive formal and/or on-the-job training as needed. 

Specific duties include:

• Answering the telephone and referring callers to staff members or taking messages as appropriate;
• Operating copy machine;
• Collating and stapling materials;
• Sorting and arranging materials for filing in alphabetical, numerical, or chronological order;
• Locating and retrieving materials;
• Stocking forms and other office supplies; and
• Making recurring and special messenger trips as necessary.

Additionally, interns may assist Assistant United States Attorneys and/or specialists in a variety of assignments, including conducting legal and factual research, preparing documents and exhibits, interviewing witnesses, summarizing depositions, analyzing records, and other case-related work. 

The Department of Justice is an equal opportunity/reasonable accommodation employer. The USAO-SDWV is committed to recruiting a talented and highly qualified workforce, and we welcome applications from all accredited law schools for our law school intern program and from all two- and four-year colleges for our undergraduate program.

Eligibility

Applicants must be U.S. citizens; dual citizens will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants further must meet the residency requirement. Specifically, for a total of three years (not necessarily consecutive years) of the five years immediately prior to applying for a position, the applicant must have: (1) resided in the U.S.; (2) worked for the U.S. overseas in a Federal or military capacity; or, (3) been a dependent of a Federal or military employee serving overseas.

Applicants must be students. The following students are eligible: undergraduate students who are enrolled at least half-time; public policy graduate students; first-year (second semester), second- and third-year law students; and law school graduates who are enrolled in graduate law programs (e.g., L.L.M. programs) at least half-time. All students must be in good academic standing and will be required to provide official documentation from their school. 

Qualifications

USAO-SDWV seeks eligible applicants with excellent interpersonal skills; strong written and verbal communication skills; strong research and analytical skills; and demonstrated interest or experience in the enforcement of civil rights laws.

How to Apply

Interested students should submit a resume, brief writing sample (no more than 10 pages of your own work), transcript (unofficial is acceptable), references, and a cover letter highlighting your qualifications, as well as, your interest and experience in the work of WVS, and indicating the dates/time period you are available to work. Any applicant eligible for veterans' preference is encouraged to include that information in your cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214 or other substantiating documents) to your submissions. Applications must be e-mailed to the email address provided below. 

Deadlines

Applications are considered on a rolling basis and applicants are encouraged to apply early in the process. If space remains after the deadlines indicated, the website will be updated to indicate which sections still have openings available.

The deadlines below are based on colleges/universities on a semester system.  If the college/university you attend is on a quarter system, please email the section you are interested in (using the email link below) to receive applicable deadlines for the term for which you wish to participate.

Students are encouraged to submit their applications by May 1, 2025, to patrick.reese@usdoj.gov. 

Read Our Equal Employment Opportunity Notice

and Our Anti-Discrimination Policy