STUDENT TRAINEE (LAW) (LEGAL INTERN)

About the role

The DCSA Student Experience (DSE) ’27 Cohort is a temporary internship in the Office of the General Counsel. Interns support a Federal legal office with a national security mission by conducting research, drafting memos, and assisting attorneys across multiple practice areas.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and conduct studies of legal issues and cases encountered in the assigned area.
• Conduct research assignments given by agency counsel.
• Examine and evaluate the procedural and legal sufficiency of agency actions, policies, and practices.
• Analyze issues and actions related to national security law, civilian personnel law, equal employment opportunity matters, government information practices, administrative law, fiscal law, ethics, and acquisition law.
• Use manual and automated legal research methods to locate and apply relevant legal references, including Federal statutes, regulations and publications, DoW issuances, case law, articles, and legal treatises.
• Assist with the research and preparation of legal opinions on the full range of legal matters presented by agency operations and administration.
• Participate in defensive administrative litigation including depositions, mediation, negotiations, and hearings.
• Draft and edit legal and non-legal memoranda, research reports, and correspondence.
• Ensure proper processing of completed actions.
• Analyze facts and legal questions; organize and prepare research material for attorney review.
• Identify pertinent facts and issues for research and discussion; suggest legal interpretations of reference material; prepare initial summary recommendations for attorneys.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Selective Service Registration: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service (www.sss.gov).
• Must hold a bachelor’s degree and be currently enrolled as a full-time law student in a program leading to the first professional law degree.
• Must have successfully completed the 1st or 2nd year of law school by the end of May 2027, with the expectation of continuing law school studies in the fall of 2027.
• Must have and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale (rounded to one decimal place).
• Must be able to obtain and maintain an appropriate security clearance.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree and current enrollment in a full-time law program leading to the first professional law degree.
• GPA: Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale (rounded to one decimal place).
• Academic Standing: Must have completed the 1st or 2nd year of law school by the end of May 2027 and plan to continue studies in the fall of 2027.
• Transcripts: Submit undergraduate and law school transcripts (official or unofficial) demonstrating completion or anticipated completion of the 1st year of law school by the end of May 2027.
• Competencies Evaluated:
  • Communication: Written and oral communication sufficient to develop briefings, project papers, status reports, and correspondence.
  • Interpersonal Skills: Ability to build effective relationships, show empathy, and interact professionally with diverse individuals.
  • Teamwork: Encourages cooperation and fosters team spirit to achieve goals.
  • Problem Solving: Identifies and analyzes problems; uses sound reasoning to arrive at conclusions and find alternative solutions.
  • Attention to Detail: Thorough and conscientious in performing work; ability to research, analyze, and present information accurately.

Program Dates and Hours

Summer ’27 Cohort Start Date: 31 May 2027 (alternate: 14 June 2027); End Date: 20 August 2027. Students must attend for a minimum of 10 weeks (400 hours).

Selection and Clearance

A final or interim secret security clearance is required for appointment, but applicants are not required to have a clearance to apply. Selected students must send an official law school transcript with spring 2027 semester/quarter grades to Student Programs prior to their start date.

Conversion Opportunity

Students who successfully complete the program may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a permanent position after graduation if all requirements have been met, subject to funding availability and mission requirements.