Law Student Intern Program
Internship Opportunities for Law Students
What do our interns do? The United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas, has one of the most active and diverse criminal and civil dockets of the 94 federal judicial districts. The office’s law student internship program provides participants with supervised and direct responsibility for civil, criminal, appellate and post-appellate litigation. This can include research and writing, trial and witness preparation, attendance at depositions, mediations, moot courts in preparation for oral arguments and much more.
Who’s eligible? The office prefers to hire second or third-year law students, but will consider exceptional first-year students. United States Citizenship is required. In addition, Interns must successfully pass a detailed background investigation before entering on duty.
What’s the time commitment?: During the fall and spring semesters, we ask that our interns work a minimum of 10 hours per week. During the summer, we ask that our interns work full-time for at least six weeks
Are split summers permitted? Yes.
Is course credit available? Maybe. Our office will work with law schools as much as possible to help our interns get credit. We make no guarantees, however – it’s ultimately up to the intern to make the appropriate arrangements with his or her school.
Do interns get paid? No. These are unpaid positions. For summer interns, however, the Federal Bar Association offers Blask Fellowships – a number of our interns have been awarded these fellowships. For more information, visit www.fbasouthtexas.org.
How to apply: Send a cover letter, resume, short writing sample (10 pages maximum) and unofficial transcript to interns.usatxs@usdoj.gov. Alternatively, mail these materials to:
United States Attorney's Office
Southern District of Texas
ATTN: Tony Roberts
Executive Assistant United States Attorney
P.O. Box 61129
Houston, Texas 77208-1129
When to apply: Because this is a time-consuming process-the background investigation process can take several months to complete-and student internships are contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation, law students should submit their applications as soon as possible by the following deadlines:
Fall Program: applications for the fall semester due by the end of June
Spring Program: applications for the spring semester due by then end of October
Summer Program: applications for the summer semester due by the end of January
Security Forms
Applicants who have tentatively been selected for positions with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas will find below a list of security and administrative forms required for employment.
Law Student Intern Employment Security Forms
Other Resources
Office of Personnel Management Web Site
