Volunteer Paralegal Student Job in Cleveland, OH

Vacancy No. 25-OHN-12730346-V Department Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys
Salary $0.00 to $0.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 4/29/2025 Close Date 5/31/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Cleveland, OH


Summary

The Northern District of Ohio is seeking outstanding volunteer paralegal candidates to assist in our mission. The start and end dates are negotiable, but we ask that our interns commit to at least 10 hours of work per week for a minimum of three months.

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

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Any United States Citizen/Naturalized U.S. Citizen who is enrolled at least as a half-time student and in good academic standing in an accredited college or university.

Duties

The paralegal intern can expect to assist Assistant United States Attorneys and Paralegal Specialists in the Civil Division with docket reviews, processing mail, preparing service copies, and opening and closing cases in the U.S. Attorney's Office case tracking database. In addition, the paralegal intern can expect the opportunity to gain knowledge of the court filing systems and may be asked to draft basic legal documents and assist with filings.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen or National.
  • You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
  • You must meet half-time student enrollment requirements.
  • You must submit a transcript or proof of enrollment with your application.
  • You must be at least 16 years of age or older.
  • You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
  • If selected, you may be required to serve a trial period.

Qualifications

To be eligible for this internship ALL of the following requirements must be met:
  • Paralegal/Legal Studies Student Status: Acceptance of applications for this announcement will be limited to students currently participating in a paralegal or similar legal studies program . Graduates of these programs are not eligible for student volunteer positions. An eligible student is an individual who is enrolled in an accredited college or university and is taking at least half-time academic course load. Successful candidates must have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills, and be in good academic standing at his/her university.
  • Grade Point Average: You must have at least a 2.5 GPA.
  • Citizenship: Student Interns must be United States citizens or owe permanent allegiance to the United States. (Currently, natives of American Samoa, Swains Island and certain inhabitants of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are the only groups that owe permanent allegiance to the United States.)Background Investigation: You must successfully complete a background investigation to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
  • Background Investigation: You must successfully complete a background investigation to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
  • VolunteerAgreement:All interns are required to sign the Participant Agreement (will be completed later during the security process if selected).

Education

You must be enrolled in an accredited college or university and must meet half-time student enrollment requirements.

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorize.

Selectees for this position are ineligible for life insurance, retirement (including the Thrift Savings Plan), long term care insurance, and within grade increases.

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 http://www.sss.gov.

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.

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, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.

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.

Review our 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 whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, you will be referred to the selecting official.

The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 5 minutes to complete.

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: Your resume showing relevant experience and dates Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Cover letters are optional. Please include tentative graduation date.
  • Required: Current Unofficial transcript or proof of current enrollment, e.g., recent letter from the registrar's office. (Note: If you are selected for this position, an official transcript will be required prior to your first day.)
  • Required, if applicable: Veterans' Preference documentation. (See also required Veterans' Preference Documentation below.) Please note, 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 documentation as specified below.
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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office by providing a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
  • Position title;
  • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
  • Agency; and
  • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

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.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/20/2025 to receive consideration.
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 is submitted prior to the closing date.)
3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, http://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.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12730346

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, contact Dana Smith at 2166223615 or dana.smith2@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.

Agency contact information

Dana Smith
Address
Northern District of Ohio
801 West Superior Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
US

Next steps

Once your completed application package is 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 and possible interview. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include credit check. Please be advised that background investigations can take up to 6 weeks to process. If selected, your initial security paperwork must be turned into the Northern District of Ohio no later than a week after being selected to ensure sufficient time for processing. Final offers are contingent upon receipt of a favorable background check.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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