The United States Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office - Eastern District of New York
STUDENT VOLUNTEER INTERNSHIP SECURITY FORMS
Welcome to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York! If you have received and accepted an offer to participate in the Student Volunteer Internship Program (Law School and other Student Intern Programs) in our district, you will be required to complete a security clearance application. It can take several weeks to obtain your clearance once you submit your application. Please see the last page of this document for reasons that may require additional processing time.
You must complete an online security form (SF-85) in a system called E-Qip and complete and return materials in security package, as instructed below. The security package, which will also contain a set of three (3) fingerprint cards, is also being mailed to you.
1) In order for you to access the E-qip online application you will need to contact Gloria Johnson, Human Resources Specialist by email at Gloria.Johnson@usdoj.gov as soon as possible and give her the following information: Full Name (Last, First, Middle); Social Security #; Date of Birth; and Place of Birth (include City, County, State and Country). She will register you in the E-Qip system and send you confirmation by email. E-Qip is a secure website located at http://www.opm.gov/e-qip/index.asp You can check this website for general and technical information about the online form.
2) The completed security package, including signature pages that you print from the online SF-85 form in E-Qip should be returned by overnight or federal express mail to:
Gloria Johnson
U.S. Attorney’s Office-Eastern District of NY
271 Cadman Plaza East
Brooklyn, NY 11201
A checklist with a link to all required forms (except fingerprint cards, which are in package that is mailed to you) is listed below.
If you would like to drop off your application you may also arrange to have your fingerprints taken, but you need to contact Gloria Johnson directly to schedule this. Ms. Johnson can be reached at (718) 254-6203.
It is important that you complete this application as soon as possible, as the security process takes several weeks for completion and you will not be allowed to begin your internship until your clearance has been approved.
PLEASE FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY!
CHECKLIST OF REQUIRED FORMS
-SF-85 Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions
You will need to be registered in the on-line security system called E-Qip. A hardcopy version of the SF 85 is included in your package (or you download a copy from this link, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF85.pdf but please note the form must be completed in E-Qip only) so that you can familiarize yourself with the questions that you must complete in E-Qip. Please email Gloria.Johnson@usdoj.gov as soon as possible with the following information: Full Name (Last, First, Middle); Social Security #; Date of Birth; and Place of Birth (include City, County, State and Country) so she can register you in E-Qip. You will receive an email to confirm that you are registered in E-Qip and be given answers to 3 “Golden Questions.” You should retain this email and refer to it when accessing the E-Qip web site. Initially, please review the “Quick Reference Guide for the Applicant” and the “Frequently Asked Questions about E-Qip.” You may need to set up your personal computer as shown in the Web Browser Requirements and Getting Started sections of the “Quick Reference Guide” before completing the form online.
Quick Reference Guide for E-Qip: http://www.opm.gov/e-qip/reference.asp
Frequently Asked Questions about E-Qip: http://www.opm.gov/e-qip/faq.asp
- If you cannot access the e-QIP website or are experiencing other technical problems, please call the OPM Help Desk at 1-866-631-3019. (Hours of operation: 6:30 am to 10:30 pm EST Monday - Friday and 7:30am to 3:00pm EST on Saturday.)
Carefully follow the on-screen instructions and remember the information you provide will be used by investigators to conduct your security clearance.
All blocks must be completely filled out with accurate and up-to-date names, dates, addresses, and telephone numbers. You must not leave any gaps of time in the five year periods required for completing the residence and employment sections of this form. For example, if you sign the form on June 1, 2007, you must provide information not only for the present, but all the way back to June 1, 2002. If you were a full-time student for any period of time and were not employed you are considered to be unemployed for that period and must indicate a verifier. To verify periods of unemployment, you are permitted to have a relative or friend serve as the verifier. Do not use your law school as a verifier.
Please follow the instructions for the SF 85 carefully, print and sign all signature pages. These should be sent with your completed package with additional documents as listed below.
- Copy of Birth Certificate and/or Passport
- Copy of Resume
- Parent Information – If your internship program will be up to 1 year, on a separate sheet of paper please provide complete names of your father and mother, including mother’s maiden name and their social security numbers.
- OF-306 - Declaration of Federal Employment - If you answer YES to any of the questions from 9 through 13, please provide a letter of explanation. Ms. Johnson will contact you to advise you about additional documentation that may be required. Please sign and date this form.
- DOJ-555 - Disclosure and Authorization Pertaining to Consumer Reports Pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act . A credit check will be conducted for each applicant. The last line of the form requesting Current Organization Assigned, should be filled out as DOJ EDNY.
- DOJ-612 – Application for Federal Employment. Please attach your resume to this form and indicate this in response to Question # 9.
- I-9 Employment Verification Form – Please note that the only documents that can be submitted are either a copy of your birth certificate or U.S. Passport. Secondary identifications are not acceptable.
- Selective Service Registration Certification - Complete this form and include your registration number if you are a male born after 12/31/1959 and are at least 18 years of age. You can call the Selective Service office at (847) 688-6888 if you cannot recall your registration number.
- Dual Citizenship & Loyalty Statement - Fill out if applicable. Applicant certifies s/he is a dual citizen with the U.S. & another country. Submit this form with a letter of explanation stating why you maintain dual citizenship with the U.S. & another country.
- Foreign Born Relatives or Associates Statement - You must include any relative or associate who was born in a foreign country even if they currently hold U.S. citizenship. If this form does not apply to you, please write N/A and sign the bottom.
- OFI-36 - Complete this form only if you have immediate family members who are foreign born, a foreign born spouse, and/or a cohabitant (regardless of citizenship).
- Certification for Non-Sensitive Positions – Sign and date.
- Student Volunteer Agreement Forms (2 Forms)
Complete these forms and include the name of your law school and the (printed) name of your school’s designated representative (career services office staff; registrar; bursar, or clinical professor, etc.) on the first page. This form must be signed and dated by your school’s representative on the second page. - SF-87A - Fingerprint Cards
Fingerprint cards will be mailed to you. You can be fingerprinted at any local police precinct or law enforcement agency or call (718) 254-6203/ or email Gloria.Johnson@usdoj.gov for an appointment to return your completed forms and be fingerprinted in the Human Resources Office. All cards must be filled out in Black Ink only with all boxes accompanied by a RED DOT completed. Be sure to have the authorizing official who is fingerprinting you sign all three forms. - Your completed security package which should include completed fingerprint cards (unless you have scheduled to have them done in our office), all applicable Security Forms and the (online version only) SF-85's signature pages must be forwarded to the following address:
Ms. Gloria Johnson
Human Resources Personnel Office
United States Attorney's Office -EDNY
271 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Issues Requiring Additional Documentation;
Each year, our office selects a number of law students to participate in our general student internship programs and our law internship program, pairing students with Assistant U.S. Attorneys to work with in our criminal, civil and appeals divisions. All student intern security clearance applications are reviewed by our office and forwarded to Washington, DC. If you are offered a legal intern position, your participation will be contingent on a favorable evaluation of your background by the Department of Justice’s Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management, which reviews law student intern background materials. Additional documentation will be needed if you have any issues such as bankruptcy, indebtedness, arrests, income tax issues, drug use, etc. Provide a letter of explanation addressing each derogatory issue and provide supporting documents, e.g, cancelled payment checks, letter from creditor, court documents, etc. to show that the matter has been resolved.
Here are some issues which in the past have significantly delayed or prevented participation in our internship program:
CREDIT ISSUES
As part of the security process a credit report is required which will reveal delinquent, unpaid, or charged off accounts. Before legal interns can begin work, all outstanding credit issues must be satisfactorily resolved by way of a written payment plan and proof that payments are being made in accordance with your agreement. In all cases a written explanation providing how the account became delinquent will be required. A pattern of delinquent payments and or overall poor credit history could prevent your receiving the required approval needed to participate in the program.
DUAL CITIZENSHIP
If you maintain dual citizenship with another country you will be required to provide the following:
- a written statement as to why you maintain dual citizenship, and;
- a copy of your U.S.A. Passport (we only need the page which provides the passport number and expiration date).