Duties

As a Student Trainee (Law Clerk) your duties will be supporting our attorneys in the following areas of law:

• Personnel Security Law
• Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act
• Civilian personnel law
• Acquisition and fiscal law
• Ethics and standards of conduct

In addition, students may support OGC attorneys in litigation before the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, GAO, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, Federal District Court and other alternative resolution venues.

About Office of General Counsel
As the legal advisor for DCSA, OGC provides representation and legal advice on a full range of complex legal and ethical issues, in support of the development and operation of the Agency's programs.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a US citizen.
• Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. For more information http://www.sss.gov.
• Resume and supporting documents received by 11:59PM EST will be considered.
• This is a Drug Testing designated position.
• Position is a (DCIPS) position in the Excepted Service under U.S.C. 1601.
• Work Schedule: Full Time
• Overtime: Occasionally
• Tour of Duty: Flexible
• PCS (Permanent Change of Station): Not Authorized (Relocation expenses or housing will NOT be provided by the agency)
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Non-Exempt
• Financial Disclosure: Not Required
• Telework Eligibility: This position is telework eligible, but is not a full time telework position. The incumbent will be required to report to the office on a routine basis.
• COVID19: See additional information.
• If selected, the incumbent must obtain and maintain appropriate security clearance as indicated in job announcement.
• Currently enrolled and in good standing in a law degree program leading to award of their first professional law degree and on track to graduate in May of 2024.
• 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. Funding availability, mission requirements, and other factors may apply.

Qualifications

To qualify for these positions, you must hold a bachelor's degree and currently enrolled as a full-time law student completing second year of law school in May 2023 with the expectation of graduating the law school in May of 2024 and be planning to apply for and be admitted to the bar of the highest court of a U.S. State, Commonwealth, Territory, or the District of Columbia in 2024.

You must meet the academic criteria specified below:

• To qualify at the GG-09 pay level: You must hold a bachelor's degree and currently enrolled as a full- time law student completing second year of law school in May 2023 with an expected graduation date of spring 2024.

In addition, an ideal candidate would possess basic skill in using office automation programs such as Microsoft Office, Excel, Power Point, or other desktop software programs. Additionally, the ability to organize work and communicate effectively in a professional environment are highly desirable traits.

Essay (500 word maximum)
Applicants are required to submit a 500 word (maximum) essay describing why they should be considered for the student internship at DCSA, what they hope to learn from this experience, how this experience will help their career goals, and what differentiates them from other candidates for this position. Applications will be considered incomplete and will not be considered if the essay is not submitted.

Specifically, you will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Technical Application : Uses computer applications to analyze data and communicate information in the appropriate format.
• Problem Solving : Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgement to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
• Customer Service : Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
• Communication : Expresses information orally and writing (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information; makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

Education

All applicants must submit college or university undergraduate transcripts (official or unofficial) AND graduate law school transcripts (official or unofficial) that support the semester/quarters number of hours completed or in progress as a full-time law student graduating in May 2024.

Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position.

Superior Academic Achievement does not apply to DCIPS positions.

Foreign Education: For further information, click on the following link:
https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Additional information

VETERANS PREFERENCE/CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL
In accordance with DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, veterans preference is not required to be applied when considering candidates with prior Federal competitive or excepted service who have completed a probationary or trial period and have not been separated for cause. Therefore, veterans preference will not be applied to applicants with current federal service, or former federal civilian service meeting the above criteria.

COVID19 - To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

To ensure compliance with this mandate, review the vaccination requirements, to include timelines for receiving required doses, at the following: https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/faq/vaccinations/

Other Notes:

Re-employed Annuitant: This position does not meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/1400.25-V300.pdf

If selected, Federal employees currently serving in the competitive service must acknowledge that they will voluntarily leave the competitive service by accepting an offer of employment for a DCIPS excepted service positions.

If selected, non-DCIPS candidates must acknowledge in writing that the position they have been selected for is in the excepted service and covered by DCIPS.

Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status.

All current and former Federal employees must submit a copy of your latest SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc.