The Solicitor General is supported by four Deputies, 16 Attorney Assistants, four recent law-school graduates serving as one-year Bristow Fellows,  and a highly dedicated support staff. In the last few years, the Office has also hired law school students through the Department’s Summer Law Intern Program, 2L and 3L law students serving in voluntary internships, and 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students serving in voluntary internships. For further information and application details, see details below.

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) carries a heavy and important workload with a relatively small legal staff. The Office, therefore, typically hires only attorneys with strong academic records and relevant legal experience, such as a federal judicial clerkship at the appellate level or significant appellate litigation experience. Turnover in Assistant positions is also sporadic and often very difficult to predict. There is, therefore, no predictable annual or periodic "hiring cycle."

Please visit the Department's Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management’s website at www.usdoj.gov/oarm to obtain information on:

• Current attorney vacancies at the Department of Justice (including the Office of the Solicitor General);
• Lateral/Experienced attorney hiring; or
• The Attorney General's Honor Program for entry‑level attorney positions (1-year appointment).

OSG will only accept applications for current vacancies as specified in a given job announcement.

Every year, the Office of the Solicitor General accepts applications for one-year Bristow fellowships.  Bristow Fellows assist OSG attorneys in drafting briefs in opposition to certiorari filed against the government in the Supreme Court of the United States, preparing petitions for certiorari and briefs on the merits in Supreme Court cases, preparing recommendations to the Solicitor General regarding authorization of government appeals in the lower courts, and assisting in the preparation of oral arguments in the Supreme Court.  OSG usually selects four Bristow fellows each year.

Qualifications

Applicants must be law school graduates with excellent academic records. They typically come to the fellowship after completion of a one-year judicial clerkship, most frequently with a federal appellate court judge. OSG receives applications from a diverse group of graduates from law schools throughout the United States.

The fellowship has a one-year term that cannot lead directly to employment in the Solicitor General's Office. The salary is established at the GS-12 level.

Application Process

Applications for Bristow fellowships are accepted between July 15 and September 1 of the preceding year. Fellows are appointed for a one-year period starting in July or August of each year. Fellowship selections will be announced no later than December of the application submission year. All application materials must be postmarked no later than September 1 to be considered.

Application Materials Required

1. Cover letter containing a statement of interest;
2. Resume;
3. Official law school transcript;
4. Three letters from references familiar with the applicant's work and abilities; and
5. Writing sample.

Application materials may be sent via regular or express mail to the following address:

Department of Justice
 Office of the Solicitor General
 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Room 5142
 Washington, D.C. 20530
Attention: Bristow Hiring Panel

You may also email your application to OSGRecruit@usdoj.gov. Please send attachments in pdf format and note “Bristow Applicant” in the subject line.

About Benjamin H. Bristow

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) participates in the Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP) administered by the Department. OSG typically hires from two to four 3L law students who will serve in federal judicial clerkships shortly after graduation from law school. Interns provide support to OSG attorneys by performing various research and writing tasks, including assisting with the preparation of briefs on the merits in Supreme Court cases. Applicants must have strong academic records and excellent research and writing skills.

This program typically accepts applications between late July and early September of the preceding year (i.e., when candidates are about to begin their third year of law school). Candidates may apply for the Department’s Honors Program and transfer to the SLIP upon accepting a federal judicial clerkship. If interested, please list OSG as an “employment preference” in your online application. For more information on the SLIP, including how to apply, please go to www.justice.gov/oarm.

The Office of the Solicitor General also has a limited number of volunteer student internship positions available during the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer semesters. Generally, these positions provide administrative and paralegal support to OSG.

Administrative interns provide support in a variety of administrative areas including human resources, information technology, and financial management. Work assignments include drafting responses to external correspondence, and special projects involving the review, filing and/or typing of assignments. OSG accepts 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students to provide support in these areas.

Paralegal interns students must be 2L or 3L students during the time that they will be volunteering. This means students should have finished their first year of law school, but cannot have graduated prior to the time period for which they wish to volunteer. Students who are interested in constitutional law, and who want exposure to a wide variety of offices and issues within the Department of Justice are encouraged to apply. Emphasis on critical analytical skills, writing, and work experience.

Students work 24-32 hours during the weekday between 9:00 am and 5:30 pm. Both positions require the ability to work independently, think critically, and work well with others. OSG tries to provide all students with varying opportunities, such as attending moot courts for, and Supreme Court arguments by, OSG attorneys.

Interested undergraduate and law students should submit via email the following items:

1. Cover letter to include a statement expressing why you would like to intern in OSG. Also include dates of availability;
2. Resume;
3. A copy of your transcript; and
4. A recommendation from an employer or professor.

Administrative and paralegal internship periods are typically 8 to 12 weeks in duration and scheduled as follows:

Winter: January – March
Spring: April – June
Summer: June – August
Fall: September - December

The cut-off for applying for an administrative or paralegal internship are as follows: July 15 (Fall), October 15 (Winter), January 15 (Spring), March 15 (Summer). These documents should be emailed to OSGRecruit@usdoj.gov. Please send attachments in WORD, WP, or pdf format and note “Volunteer Internship” on the subject line.

Any further questions regarding employment opportunities within OSG should be sent to OSGRecruit@usdoj.gov.