Student Trainee (Legal)

About the role

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is organized into six operational units: the Immediate Office of the Inspector General, Office of the Counselor, Office of Audits and Evaluations, Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office of Investigations, and Office of Management and Administration. OIG has offices in more than 60 locations throughout the country.

This internship is located in the Office of the Counselor. The Office provides a range of legal services in furtherance of the OIG's mission.

What you will do

• The Student Trainee (Legal) is a summer internship position located within the Office of the Counselor to the Inspector General.
• The primary purpose of this position is to provide a variety of legal assistance to attorneys in the Office of the Counselor including conducting legal research, composing legal memoranda, assembling and organizing materials for administrative trials, and preparing summaries and outlines of hearings.
• As a Student Trainee (Legal), you will: Conduct legal research in matters arising under the U.S. Constitution, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, the Federal Rules of Evidence, and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, utilizing tools such as Westlaw and the Commission's website and in-house library.
• Research and analyze issues for attorneys using reference sources such as legislative history, treatises, administrative decisions, Federal district and circuit court decisions, and Supreme Court decisions.
• Prepare memoranda reflecting Merit Systems Protection Board (M.S.P.B.), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (E.E.O.C.), and Federal Court case law precedent discovered during the course of legal research and applies precedent to pertinent facts in cases before judges.
• Prepare draft memoranda, based upon analysis of the legal research, for review by an Administrative Law Judge.
• Prepare drafts of decisions, orders, and notices, based upon results of the legal research, in cases before an Administrative Law Judge.
• Review filings, briefs and settlement proposals.
• Summarize briefs for hearings.

Requirements

• Sign a Pathways Internship Program agreement; Provide official documentation of enrollment and registration; Provide verification of academic status (transcript) at the end of each academic semester/quarter; In coordination with supervisor, prepare and implement an Individual Development Plan (IDP) that will include a combination of on-the-job-training, mentoring, formal training courses, and developmental assignments; Maintain satisfactory performance; and Complete 640 hours of work experience in order to be considered for conversion to a Career or Career-Conditional appointment.
• You may be made permanent upon graduation if you meet all qualifications, eligibility, and educational requirements, are recommended for conversion by your supervisor, and funding is available.
• Key Requirements: You must have been accepted for enrollment or be enrolled and seeking a law degree in a qualifying educational institution on a full or half-time basis.
• You must remain in good academic standing during the duration of this program.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
• A Public Trust Background Investigation will be required.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
• If selected, you will be asked to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/ Electronic Funds Transfer.

Education

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript or unofficial transcript.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration.

For further information, visit: *** EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent.

An official transcript will be required if you are selected. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.

If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

How you will be evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. To be found minimally qualified, you must demonstrate proficiency in the competencies required for the position.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: Attention to Detail, Flexibility, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Problem Solving, Self-Management, and Technology Application. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Rating: This announcement is issued under excepted service hiring authority (5CFR 213.3402). All candidates who meet the qualification and other eligibility requirements may be referred for consideration.

Competitive examining rules providing for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply. Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

Applicants who are selected for an interview may ask questions about the evaluation process at the time they are contacted for an interview.

Documents you must provide

• A résumé; Vacancy question responses; Submission of any required documents; and Completion of your USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if applicable.
• Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
• It is anticipated that there will be significant interest in the announcement.
• As a result, the announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date of receipt of the 200th application or at 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of the announcement; whichever occurs first.
• Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.
• All applicants are required to submit a résumé either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing.
• Cover letters are optional.
• USA Jobs restricts resume uploads to a maximum of 2 pages.
• Resumes attached in other sections (such as "Documents" or "Other") will not be considered in the determination of specialized experience.
• To ensure readability, resumes must be formatted using an easy-to-read font (such as Lato, Calibri, or Arial) with a minimum font size of 10-points and margins no smaller than 0.5 inches.
• Failure to follow these formatting guidelines may result in disqualification from further consideration.
• To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your résumé.
• We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your résumé to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions.For resume writing guidance, please visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?
• EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: You MUST submit a copy of your transcript(s) designating semester or quarter hours earned or a course listing for the appropriate job specific question showing the type of information that appears on a transcript such as course title, department, hours earned (semester or quarter), and grade to ensure proper credit.
• You may submit unofficial transcripts with your application.
• However, if selected for the position, you will be required to submit your official transcript.
• All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.
• If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency.
• Refer to the OPM instructions.
• CURRENT PROOF OF ACADEMIC ENROLLMENT: You MUST submit a copy of your current schedule or upcoming schedule as proof of enrollment.
• VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans preference, please see applicant guide for required documentation.
• In order to be considered for veterans preference, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.

What to expect next

We will review your résumé and transcript(s) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct any required suitability and/or security background investigation.

Additional information

This is an Internship position not to exceed one year. Candidates go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9.

Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA for the USA Hire Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Assessments, based on your adjudication decision.

You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.