Summary
The work of the office provides legal advice, counsel, and services with respect to issues that arise in connection with the programs, activities, and operations of the Peace Corps. Legal Interns will join a team of highly dedicated and exceptionally skilled attorneys who are committed to the Peace Corps' mission of promoting world peace and friendship.
*This internship is for the Spring 2025 semester
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
This position is part of the Peace Corps Internship Program and is open to current students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a qualifying educational institution and enrolled at least half-time. This public notice is to gather applications for the Peace Corps Internship Program that may or may not result in a referral or selection.
Duties
This position is established as a Legal Student Intern (Legal Intern) at Peace Corps Headquarters, in Washington DC and assigned to the Office of General Counsel (OGC). OGC provides legal advice, counsel, and services with respect to the full range of issues that arise in connection with the programs, activities, and operations of the Peace Corps, including:
- Providing written and verbal opinions;
- Consulting and negotiating with persons inside and outside the federal government;
- Drafting and reviewing legislation, regulations, international agreements, and other legal documents and policy statements;
- Representing the Peace Corps in litigation and administrative proceedings;
- Liaising with other federal agencies on legal matters;
- Engaging with foreign legal systems and attorneys regarding criminal and civil matters; and
- Managing the agency's Peace Corps Manual revision process and public rule making.
The Legal Intern will be expected to provide support to the legal staff with respect to the functions listed above. Such support may include legal research, drafting legal memoranda and correspondence, researching legislative history, assisting in discovery and trial preparation, coordinating responses to requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act, helping to coordinate a variety of OGC program activities, and performing assigned administrative functions for OGC.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.
- You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet the requirements of the program.
- You must be at least 18 years of age.
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. For additional information, see www.sss.gov.
- All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
- Telework eligible positions do not guarantee telework. As a reminder - If you are selected for a position, you are responsible for reporting to your designated POD (location) on the negotiated start date or as directed by management.
- This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- You must complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
- Applicants must go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies.
- Applicants must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination. This position requires a Public Trust security clearance.
- This position requires a public trust background investigation.
- Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.
Qualifications
All qualification requirements must be met by 09/20/2024 (the closing date of this announcement). Qualification claims will be subject to verification. You must have been accepted for enrollment or be enrolled and seeking a degree in a qualifying educational institution on a full or halftime basis.
- If you are a student from a university that does not allow participation in paid internship programs, you will be required to provide a letter from your school verifying that you are not allowed to be paid while in the program. Additionally, you will be required to sign a letter of exemption that you will not be paid while participating in the program.
- Applicants must be current law students:
- Students must be returning to school immediately following the internship to qualify for the program. In addition, students must provide an official transcript with their application confirming enrollment status.
- An individual enrolled in school and receiving credit toward their degree for participating in the Student Internship Program is also considered a student.
- Have a minimum 3.0 GPA:
- If the school does not issue Grade Point Averages (GPAs), please work with your registrar office to understand the markings associated with each course on your transcript to use the GPA Calculation Table. Note: a GPA must be entered for your application to be complete and for you to be considered.
- FP-04 - Applicants must have completed or will have completed 2 full academic years of law school for consideration at the FP-4 grade level. You must attach your transcripts (Official or Unofficial) for verification. OR eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement* provision, as defined in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Operating Manual for Qualification Standards.
- FP-05 -Applicants must have completed 1 full academic years of law school for consideration at the FP-5 grade level. You must attach your transcripts (Official or Unofficial) for verification.
*Superior Academic Achievement (Bachelor's degree) - In the upper one-third of graduating class; OR a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of 4.0, as recorded on official transcript, or based on courses completed during final 2 years of curriculum; OR a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of 4.0, based on average of required courses completed in major or required courses in major completed during the final 2 years of curriculum.
Education
Undergraduate and Graduate Education:
Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, in an accredited college or university, meets the GS-5 level requirements for many positions. One full academic year of graduate-level education is creditable for GS-7; 2 years or a master's or equivalent graduate degree is creditable for GS-9; and 3 years or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree is creditable for GS-11.
Transcripts must be submitted with your applicationSuperior Academic Achievement S.A.A. (S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. The full provision for Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) is described in the OPM General Schedule Operating Manual.
- 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.
- 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. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.
- Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society--Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed in the Association of College Honor Societies: Booklet of Information (1992-95) and/or Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1991). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (UNOFFICIAL OR OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
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.
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.
We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:
1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications
Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification/education requirements. You will be rated as ineligible if your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements. If, after reviewing your application material and any supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications that is cause for disqualification, and you will lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification/education requirements.
2. Rating and Ranking
If you are found to meet the requirements, we will assess the quality of your application package by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the student programs questionnaire.
3. Referral and Selection
If you are found to be eligible and qualified, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.
You may preview the questionnaire for this vacancy here:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12539027
Required Documents
As described below, your complete application includes: a) your resume b) official or unofficial transcripts or College acceptance letter if you are not yet enrolled and c) answers to the online questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility questions and other relevant information. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.1. A detailed RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including job title and duties performed. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information must be provided in your resume: full name and address of the employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
- If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
2. Other Supporting Documents: Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. You must meet the requirements listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.
- Transcripts: There is a basic education requirement for this position. Check the Education section above to see what is allowed and what is required. Any claims you make in your resume or questionnaire regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by submitting with your application official or unofficial transcripts or list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, official transcript(s) will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position. Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be used towards qualifications. Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by recognized institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at this website.
- Acceptance Letter of Enrollment (if required): A letter from the educational institution that confirms the following: The degree/diploma program in which you have been accepted and that you will be enrolled on at least a half-time basis in the upcoming semester (fall 2023 or equivalent semester). Required from all applicants who have been accepted for enrollment and have not yet attended, therefore do not have a transcript to submit.
All required documents listed above, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 09/20/2024 (the closing date of this announcement). Note: All applicants (including internal) are required to submit the applicable documents listed above as verification of eligibility. 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
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/20/2024 to receive consideration.
- To begin, click "Apply Online" to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, the assessment questionnaire, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Please ensure you click the "Submit My Answers" button to submit your application.
- It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume received and processed will be reviewed.
- Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process so please plan appropriately. You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
- Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
Next steps
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to provide status updates for applicants. You can elect to activate the status updates from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process.
If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration.
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