The United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California, serves as the Eastern District's principal federal litigator under the direction of the Attorney General. The United States Attorney's Office is located in Sacramento, California, with a branch office in Fresno, California. The United States Attorney's Office has three major responsibilities:

• The prosecution of criminal cases brought by the Federal government
• The prosecution and defense of civil cases in which the United States is a party
• The collection of debts owed the Federal government which are administratively uncollectible.

To this end, there are various opportunities for students to provide clerical, administrative, and legal assistance to the District. As positions become vacant, the following opportunities may be available in either the Sacramento or Fresno office:

Paid Positions:

Student Temporary Employment Program: Offers temporary clerical and administrative opportunities to students who are enrolled at least half-time in an accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university, graduate or professional school, vocational, or technical school. Opportunities need not be related to the student's academic field of study. Students may be employed year round and work schedules are flexible to accommodate school schedules. During the school year, students must work between 16-20 hours per week; however, during school breaks, students may work up to 40 hours per week. Students in this program are placed in excepted appointments and are eligible to earn annual and sick leave.

College Work Study Program: Students interested in this program must contact their college and/or university to determine if they qualify for a college work study position. Work study positions are available in the following areas:

Criminal Misdemeanor Unit: These Law Clerk positions are available for third-year law students. Duties include prosecuting misdemeanor offenses for the Federal government in the United States Magistrate Court. The student is responsible for his or her own caseload, from initial appearances through trial and probation violations. Law students will gain valuable experience appearing in court, making and responding to motions, preparing for trial, and acting as trial counsel for bench and jury trials. Students must commmit to participate in this program for one year beginning in May of the year the student completes his or her second year (day) or third year (evening) of law school. Students work 20 hours per week during the school year and 40 hours per week during the summer months. The law student must be able to be certified as a student attorney and these positions require students to either be enrolled in or have completed the Evidence Course.

Victim/Witness Assistance Program: This program allows students to assist innocent clients who are involved in the federal criminal justice system either as a victim or a witness. The program has two components and students may select which program they are interested in pursuing. The Victim Case Manager component allows students to assist the Victim Witness Program Coordinator in identifying victims in Federal criminal cases and provide services to these victims. Students will learn about the jurisdiction, uniqueness, and complications of the Federal criminal justice system. The Community Outreach component allows the student to assist with the development and administration of public meetings, forums, and conferences. Duties include agenda development, speaker selection, marketing, and document production. Outreach efforts focus on vulnerable victimized communities, including victims of hate crimes, child abuse, government program fraud.

Unpaid Positions:

Student Volunteer Service: Offers unpaid training opportunities to students in high school and college. These opportunities provide work experience related to the student's academic program. Students must be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited high school, technical or vocational school, a 2-year or 4-year college or university, or a graduate or professional school to participate in this program. Positions available include Student Law Clerk, victim/witness assistance, and other administrative positions. The Law Clerk positions allow students to gain experience in researching issues; writing memoranda of findings, briefs, and motions; and observing Federal court proceedings. Students may choose to be placed in either the Civil or Criminal Divisions. The student must have completed his or her first year of law school to be eligible. The students in the victim/witness assistance positions will perform the duties described in the paid positions section above. Students in the Administrative area will provide various duties including assisting the personnel, budget and other administrative staff. The volunteer positions usually last one semester but may be extended.

Intern Clinic Program: This program offers school credits. Students must check with their school's clinical advisor regarding the number of units earned. During the school year, a minimum of 15 hours per week is required. Positions available include Student Law Clerk, victim/witness assistance, and other administrative positions. Duties and requirements for these positions are described in the Student Volunteer Service section above.

Resumes for Law Clerk positions should be submitted by the following deadlines: February 15th for summer positions, June 30th for fall semester positions, and October 30th for spring semester positions. Students interested in positions in the Sacramento office should submit resumes to the U.S. Attorney's Office, 501 I Street, Suite 10-100, Sacramento, CA 95814. Students interested in positions in the Fresno Branch Office should submit resumes to the U.S. Attorney's Office, 1130 O Street, Room 3654, Fresno, CA 93721. Resumes should be addressed to the attention of one of following individuals, depending on the location (Sacramento or Fresno) and Division (Criminal, Civil, or Misdemeanor) the student is interested in:

Kim Stafford - Civil Division (Sacramento) - (916) 554-2777
Karen Ernst - Criminal Division (Sacramento) - (916) 554-2715
Pat Mikel - Misdemeanor Unit (Sacramento) - (916) 554-2791
Stan Boone - Misdemeanor Unit (Fresno) - (559) 498-7272
Bob Wright - Civil Division (Fresno) - (559) 498-7272

Resumes for all other student positions should be submitted to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Attn: Personnel Officer, 501 I Street, Suite 10-100, Sacramento, CA 95814. For additional information please contact Martha Bennett, Personnel Officer, (916) 554-2749.

Students should include a cover letter indicating the program, position, and location he or she is interested in and include a recent transcript if available.

Students must be United States citizens and must pass a security clearance that takes between 4-6 weeks. No student will be allowed to begin work until they have been cleared.

AS OF:02-01-01

BACK TO TOP

BACK TO AGENCY INFORMATION GATEWAY