U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division
Support America's Legal System
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
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