Volunteer Legal Internships

Challenging work. Lots of responsibility. Interesting people. These are some of the phrases that students use to describe their experience as volunteer legal interns at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Whether you are interested in bankruptcy law, policy and legislation, or litigation, there are opportunities for you in the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP). The USTP’s volunteer legal internships are available to law students during the academic year and the summer in both the Executive Office and many of the USTP’s 89 field offices across the country.

Provided below is basic information on volunteer internships. We encourage you to visit DOJ’s Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management (OARM) website for further information.

Eligibility

Students enrolled at least half-time in law school may participate in volunteer legal internships up to the time of graduation from law school. Law school graduates who are enrolled in graduate law programs (e.g., LL.M. programs) at least half time also may serve as volunteer interns.

Security Clearance

Prior to entry on duty, all interns must undergo a suitability determination based on information provided in their security forms, a credit report, and fingerprint check. This process can take up to three months to complete.

How to Apply

The USTP’s volunteer legal internships are posted below and can also be found on the OARM website.

Announcements are typically posted in the summer (May – June) for the following Spring session; in the fall (October - November) for the following Summer session; in the Winter (January – February) for the following Fall session of each calendar year. Applicants are expected to submit a cover letter, resume, current law school transcript, and legal writing sample when applying.

Open USTP Volunteer Internship Recruitments

Current USTP intern vacancies are posted on the USTP Employment Opportunities page, under USTP Job Announcements.