When Congress gave the Attorney General responsibility for all government litigation before the Court of Claims in 1868, few anticipated the development of this function into the present-day Civil Division or the significance and enormity of the Division's work. Today, the Civil Division is the largest legal division in the Department of Justice, with approximately 1,100 employees, of whom over 700 are attorneys.

The Civil Division is comprised of six legal components: the Appellate Staff, Commercial Litigation Branch, Federal Programs Branch, Office of Consumer Litigation, Office of Immigration Litigation, and Tort Litigation Branch; and one administrative office, the Office of Management Programs. Division attorneys represent the United States, its more than 100 federal agencies and their employees, the President, the Members of Congress, the federal judiciary, and the people of the United States in general civil litigation before both trial and appellate courts. Each year, the Division handles thousands of cases that collectively involve billions of dollars in claims and recoveries.

Law Student Recruitment Programs

The Civil Division has a number of paid and volunteer job positions available to law students. Through these positions, law students gain valuable hands-on experience, expand their legal field of learning and networking, and interact with seasoned Division attorneys. Law students can apply to one of two programs.

The Law Student Volunteer Program offers year-around volunteer opportunities to law students throughout the student's law school education. Law students need to submit a resume and cover letter to:

Law Student Volunteer Program Recruitment Coordinator
USDOJ, Civil Division, Personnel Management Branch
P.O. Box 14660, Ben Franklin Station, NW
Washington, DC 20044-4660.

For detailed information on this program, please visit the Office of Attorney Personnel Management web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/oapm/lawsummer.html or contact OAPM directly at (202) 514-8902.

The Summer Law Intern Program, a recruitment program for legal interns, offers paid job opportunities to law students. The internship runs from May through September each year. Law students interested in applying to this program must meet certain USDOJ criteria. For detailed information on this program, please visit the Office of Attorney Personnel Management web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/oapm/lawsummer.html or contact OAPM directly at (202) 514-8902.

Comments From Former Law Student Hires

Though law students' gains and experiences from their tenure in the Civil Division vary, the great majority takes with them a new sense of duty and responsibility, and a better understanding of legal public service.

George Washington University's Jason Lyons, former summer law intern with the Civil Division's Federal Programs Branch, described his experience with the Summer Law Intern Program as "Outstanding. [The Program] provided invaluable opportunities to meet and interact with current Civil Division attorneys - allowed participants to develop a thorough understanding of the types of cases that the Division handles."

Stanford University's Kyle Wong, former law student volunteer with the Civil Division's Appellate Staff, commented, "I really enjoyed my time this summer. Civil Appellate was a wonderful office to work for. Many attorneys took a real and active interest in making sure not only that I was doing interesting work, but learning what being a lawyer could be like. Almost every attorney was approachable, offered insightful criticisms of my work, and made sure that I understood the case at various points along the appellate ladder. I greatly appreciate this."

Law student volunteer Angela Ho of American University describes her experience with the Civil Division: "I think that the greatest thing that I've learned at the Torts Branch is that work does not have to be done without passion. The wonderful people I've encountered inspire passion. They genuinely love their jobs. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to work alongside great legal minds who have treated me as a colleague rather than something less desirable. Overall, I have had the opportunity to work on important issues, met influential and dynamic professionals, and done it all with passion because this is what counts most in life."

For further information on student job opportunities, please visit our web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/home.html or contact the Civil Division's Personnel Management Branch at (202) 307-0261.

AS OF: 02-05-01

BACK TO TOP

BACK TO AGENCY INFORMATION GATEWAY