Volunteer Law Clerk (Spring 2027)

Summary

The United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Florida (NDFL) represents the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the Northern District of Florida, which spans 23 counties in the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend.

This position is located in Gainesville, Pensacola, and/or Tallahassee.

Learn more about this agency

Summary

The United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Florida (NDFL) represents the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the Northern District of Florida, which spans 23 counties in the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend.

This position is located in Gainesville, Pensacola, and/or Tallahassee.

Learn more about this agency

Overview

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Accepting applications

Location

Few vacancies in the following locations:

Gainesville, FL

Pensacola, FL

Tallahassee, FL

No matching locations found.

Work site options

Telework eligible No Remote job No Relocation expenses reimbursed No Salary $0 - $0 without compensation Pay scale & grade

GS 00

Promotion potential 00

Learn more about pay scale and grade

Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.

Work schedule Part-time Travel Required Not required

Appointment type Temporary

Occupations and job series

• 0099 General Student Trainee

Supervisory status No Federal service type This job is in the Competitive Service Represented by a union No

Drug test Yes Security clearance Not Required Position sensitivity and risk Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.

Background check type

• National security

Financial disclosure required No

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number 27-FLN-13081422-DE Control number 887287800

This job is open to

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The public

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

Clarification from the agency

All United States Citizens and Nationals

Duties

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This legal internship opportunity offers highly qualified law students an immersive experience in federal legal practice, including criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits by and against the U.S. government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers.

Legal interns can expect daily interaction with Assistant United States Attorneys in the criminal, civil, and/or appellate divisions, and substantive assignments related to pending cases. Legal interns will gain practical experience in the application of the Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, the local rules of practice for the Northern District of Florida District Court, and the local and Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.

Assignments include, but are not limited to, drafting responsive motions, dispositive motions, memorandum of law, and appellate briefs. The interns become familiar with the Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, the local rules of practice for the Northern District of Florida District Court, and the local and Federal rules of Appellate Procedure. In addition, interns may attend depositions, meetings with Agents, and accompany attorneys to observe court proceedings.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• 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.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

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

• Student Status: Acceptance of applications for this announcement will be limited to second and third-year law students. 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.
• 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: Prior to entry on duty, all interns must undergo a suitability/fitness determination based on information provided in their pre-employment paperwork.

Volunteer Legal Intern/Extern Agreement: All interns are required to sign the Department-wide agreement established by OARM (will be completed later during the security process if selected).

Drug Testing: It is the policy of the Department of Justice to achieve a drug-free workplace. Employing offices have the discretion to require drug testing for volunteer legal interns.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

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: There is no statutory or regulatory provision that requires the application of veterans preference to unpaid law student intern candidates.

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.

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.

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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.

Benefits

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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.

Benefits

Help

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.

Required documents

Required Documents

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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: Current Unofficial transcript or proof of current enrollment, e.g., recent letter from the registrars office. (Note: If you are selected for this position, an official transcript will be required prior to your first day).
• Required: Cover letter directed to United States Attorney, John P. Heekin.
• Required: Your resume cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages - see USAJOBS for formatting requirements. Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job:
• Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade),
• Employer name and contact information,
• Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day, and year),
• Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
• A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

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.

• 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

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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 11/01/2026 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/13081422

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 Keishley Marin at 850-444-4049 or Keishley.Marin@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.

Agency contact information

Keishley Marin

Phone 850-444-4049 Email Keishley.Marin@usdoj.gov Address United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Florida

111 N. Adams Street

Fourth Floor

Tallahassee, FL 32301

US

Next steps

We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit check, and a drug test by urinalysis. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.

Fair and transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy

Financial suitability New employee probationary period

Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy

Selective Service Signature and false statements

Social security number request

Required Documents

Help

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: Current Unofficial transcript or proof of current enrollment, e.g., recent letter from the registrars office. (Note: If you are selected for this position, an official transcript will be required prior to your first day).
• Required: Cover letter directed to United States Attorney, John P. Heekin.
• Required: Your resume cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages - see USAJOBS for formatting requirements. Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job:
• Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade),
• Employer name and contact information,
• Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month, day, and year),
• Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
• A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

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.

• 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

Help

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 11/01/2026 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/13081422

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 Keishley Marin at 850-444-4049 or Keishley.Marin@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.

Expand Hide how to apply

Agency contact information

Keishley Marin

Phone 850-444-4049 Email Keishley.Marin@usdoj.gov Address United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Florida

111 N. Adams Street

Fourth Floor

Tallahassee, FL 32301

US

Next steps

We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit check, and a drug test by urinalysis. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.

Expand Hide next steps

Fair and transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy

Financial suitability New employee probationary period

Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy

Selective Service Signature and false statements

Social security number request