Volunteer Law Student Summer 2027

Department of Justice

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys

United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Kentucky

Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit
www.justice.gov/usao/.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

An internship with the United States Attorney's Office provides an exciting opportunity for law students to get an overview of the federal legal system. This will be accomplished through working closely with Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs), observing court proceedings throughout the district, meeting with federal judges and federal law enforcement partners (including, but not limited to, the FBI, Secret Service, DEA, IRS, and ATF) and touring federal institutions such as the federal prisons in the district. The usual assignments for legal interns will be legal research, reviewing evidence, and drafting pleadings and responses to be used by an AUSA in federal court. This internship is uncompensated.

For the summer of 2027, there will be 3 intern positions in the Lexington office and 1 each in Ft. Mitchell and London branch offices. Interns in the Lexington office will have the opportunity to work with both criminal and civil AUSAs but will be asked to select which practice area they wish to be their primary focus. Interns in the London and Ft. Mitchell offices will work primarily on general criminal matters. Interns will be expected to travel within the district to other offices or courthouses on occasion.

The internship will begin approximately in late May and last a minimum of 10 weeks until August. Interns will be expected to work full-time and in-person during those 10 weeks.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must be a United States Citizen.
You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
Background investigation and credit check required.
You must be at least 16 years of age or older.
You must submit a law school transcript.

Qualifications

To be eligible for this internship ALL of the following requirements must be met:

Rising second- and third-year law school students may apply. First-year law students: Applications accepted starting December 1, 2026. Students who will graduate prior to or during the course of the internship are not eligible. Students must be U.S. citizens and pass a background check due to the sensitive nature of the work performed by the United States Attorney's Office. The background check requires substantial input from the candidate, and it is important that all security forms be completed and returned in a timely fashion as interns may not begin until the check has been favorably completed (which may take up to 8 weeks).

Student Status: An eligible student is an individual enrolled in law school pursuing a Juris Doctor degree. Successful candidates must have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills and be in good academic standing at his/her university. Student interns must be United States Citizens. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Grade Point Average: You must have at least a 2.5 GPA.

Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
Required: Cover letter (please note preferred location - Lexington, Ft. Mitchell, or London office), and the preferred practice area (Criminal or Civil), in bold in the upper left corner of the cover letter;
Required: Resume - two page limit;
Required: Current Unofficial law school transcript with GPA listed (if additional grades are released after the initial application, please supplement as the grades become available);
Required: One legal writing sample (20 pages or less);
Required: The best phone number and e-mail address for the applicant.

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre- accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.
OR
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at:
www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

A Benefits Package IS NOT authorized for this position.

Veterans' Preference - If you are entitled to Veterans' Preference, you must indicate the type of preference you are claiming by checking the appropriate box in the assessment questionnaire to indicate your preference and submit the required veterans' preference documentation as specified in the, "Required Documents" section of this vacancy announcement.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov, (http://www.sss.gov).

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with
disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by case basis.

EEO Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a parent, genetic information, disability, age, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism.
Diversity Statement: 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.

Diversity Statement: 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 it 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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine how well you meet the job qualifications listed on this
announcement.

Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).

Required: Cover letter (please note preferred location - Lexington, Ft. Mitchell, or London office), and the preferred practice area (Criminal or Civil), in bold in the upper left corner of the cover letter;

Required: Resume - two page limit;

Required: Current Unofficial law school transcript with GPA (if additional grades are released after the initial application, please supplement as the grades become available);

Required: One legal writing sample (20 pages or less.

Required: The best phone number and e-mail address for the applicant.

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 occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.)

3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account, or your application will be incomplete.

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online, please contact Bambi Merriman at 859-685-4897 or Bambi.merriman@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/08/2027 to receive consideration. Keep a copy of your proof of submission in the event verification is needed.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

Agency contact information

Bambi Merriman

Phone: 859-685-4897
Email: bambi.merriman@usdoj.gov

Address: Eastern District of Kentucky
260 West Vine Street
Lexington, KY 40507
US

Next steps

Once received, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the program requirements. Eligible candidates will be referred to the selecting officials for further consideration. After making a tentative offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit check. Please be advised that background investigations can take up to 6-8 weeks to process. Final offers are contingent upon receipt of a favorable background check.

Volunteer Law Student Summer 2027 Job