STUDENT TRAINEE (LEGAL)

Full Job Description

This position is part of DFAS's Pathways Program, for current students/individuals accepted for enrollment in a qualifying educational program in an accredited institution, full or half-time basis.

This is a PAID summer internship, running May - August.

Applicants who indicate they meet the minimum qualifications will receive an email from assessments@USAHire.opm.gov to complete online assessments. Check your "Spam"/"Junk" folders.

See below for more information!

Requirements: Law Student Status: An eligible student is an individual who is enrolled in law school pursuing a Juris Doctor Degree or a LL.B Legum Baccalaureus Degree and is taking at least half-time academic course load in an American Bar Association accredited university.

Successful candidates must have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills, and be in good academic standing at his/her university.

Enrolled or formally accepted for enrollment as a full-time or half-time (Half-time basis is defined by the academic institution that the student is enrolled or accepted into) student into an accredited college or university in a qualifying degree-seeking program, or enrolled or formally accepted for enrollment in a qualifying certificate program; Students must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) at time of application and must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA throughout the entire Pathways Student Trainee Internship appointment to remain in the Program; Applicants MUST submit a transcript or proof of enrollment with the online application (see Required Documents for additional details).

Please Note: If you are graduating from your current academic program prior to September 2026, you will not be eligible for this student appointment unless you are accepted for enrollment at a qualifying educational institution seeking an ADDITIONAL qualifying degree, diploma, certificate, etc., OR an advanced degree.

You MUST submit proof of acceptance along with your current transcripts for consideration.

If selected, must sign a Pathways Participant Agreement; provide course registration information at the start of each school term; and provide verification of academic status (official transcript) at the end of each academic term.

In addition to meeting the above requirement, applicants must meet one of the following minimum qualifications:GS-07: One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade (GS-05) within the federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position, is required.

Specialized Experience is defined as: Performing legal research and analyzing laws, facts, evidence, and precedents; assisting with the preparation of legal memoranda; assisting attorneys in preparing legal documents and responding to inquiries on legal matters.

To qualify for this position, you must meet the selective placement factor described below. Your experience related to this requirement must be well-documented in your resume.

Experience as a casual user of social media and networking tools is not minimally qualifying for this position.

Selective Placement Factor Requirement: Selected Placement Factors (SPF) are special qualification requirements, in addition to the minimum requirements, that are essential in successfully performing the duties of this job.

If SPF experience is not documented in your resume, you will not receive further consideration under this vacancy announcement.

In addition to the specialized experience/education requirement listed above, this position has the following selective placement factor(s): Completion of at least one year of enrollment at an accredited law school (NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts for verification.) You will be rated INELIGIBLE if you do not possess the above noted Selective Placement Factor.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Major Duties:

• As a Legal Student Trainee, you will do some or all of the following;
• Receive training in the principles, practices, concepts, work processes, regulations and statutes of one or more General Counsel functional areas designed to provide a career oriented introduction to DFAS and the General Counsel.
• Assignments include developmental experiences to prepare the incumbent for increasingly more complex work in the General Counsel arena. Assignments may be supplemented by on-the-job and/or formal training in the occupation.
• Independently plan, organize, and conduct studies of legal issues and cases generally encountered in the assigned area.
• Performs research on assignments from the Directorates Deputy General Counsel (DGC) and Assistant DGC by examining legal documents, historical files, and other legal resources on inquiries relating to a myriad of legal subjects.
• Examination is to evaluate the procedural and technical sufficiency of the action or legal matter; and, to evaluate factual and other information presented.
• Utilize manual and automated legal research methods to locate, extract, and compile relevant materials to assist the legal staff.
• Identifies pertinent facts and issues for research, suggests legal interpretations of reference materials, and prepares initial summary recommendations for attorneys.
• Drafts and edits legal and non-legal memoranda, research reports, and correspondence.