Employment
Attorneys | Support Staff | Students | Volunteer Law Students
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho employs approximately 60 employees. Positions include Assistant United States Attorneys, paralegal specialists, victim-witness specialists, legal assistants, administrative employees and student employees. Employment for all positions is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a thorough background investigation conducted by the Department of Justice. The investigation process includes a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use, a fingerprint check a credit check and a thorough review of the applicant's background.
All Applications can be sent to:
United States Attorney's Office
District of Idaho
Washington Group Plaza IV
800 Park Blvd, Suite 600
Boise, ID 83712
The Department of Justice, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho, is an equal opportunity employer. Well-qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or any other non-merit factors.
The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Idaho, welcomes applications from qualified individuals with targeted disabilities. In accordance with 5 C.F.R. §213,3192(u), agencies can fill vacancies non-competitively by appointing qualified applicants with targeted disabilities. See, Jobs Filled Non-Competitively.
As with all other applicants for vacancies, those who seek eligibility pursuant to Section (u) must be qualified for the position. A Section (u) applicant must have the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the required duties of the position. Applicants who seek eligibility pursuant to Section (u) must provide proof, in writing, that they have a targeted disability as well as documentation certifying job readiness.
Targeted disabilities include deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial or complete paralysis, convulsive disorders, intellectual disability, psychiatric disability and distortion of the limb and/or spine.
The United States Attorney’s Office posts all job vacancies on this website (click on appropriate category). Prior to advertising any vacancy, we check OPM’s Disability Employment Registry. Applicants who are interested in registering for the OPM Shared List of People with Disabilities (also known as the Bender Disability Employment Registry) can submit their resume to resume@benderconsult.com and reference “Federal Career Opportunities” in the subject line. Applicants are also encouraged to visit www.benderconsult.com.
Applications for attorney positions are evaluated by a Hiring Committee as vacancies occur. Applicants for attorney positions must possess a J.D. degree and be an active member of at least one bar (any jurisdiction). Salary is commensurate with experience. Applications are sent to:
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Idaho
800 Park Boulevard, Suite 600
Boise, ID 83712
Applications for support positions are accepted when vacancies occur. All vacancy announcements government-wide are listed on www.usajobs.gov. Requirements and experience vary depending on the support vacancy and those requirements will be specified in the vacancy announcement.
This program offers temporary employment opportunities to students who are enrolled at least half-time in an accredited college or university, graduate professional or technical school. During the school year, students may work up to 20 hours per week; during breaks, students may work up to 40 hours per week. Announcements for these vacancies are posted with the local colleges, universities or technical schools.
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho offers an outstanding legal internship program, one noted for its intellectual rigor and exceptional opportunities for practical skill development. Our program consistently attracts exceptional students from top law schools throughout the country. While interns are given challenging research and writing assignments, they are also included in meetings, hearings and many other non-research case litigation. Moreover, second year interns may obtain a limited license which enables them to make significant in-court litigation appearances and participate in depositions.
The Assistant United States Attorneys who guide the interns' work are highly skilled litigators, averaging more than ten years of experience in federal practice. They are committed to developing genuine mentoring relationships with the students they supervise. To ensure quality supervision, we accept only a limited number of interns.
Mission Statement
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho, through its summer internship program, strives to provide intellectual rigor and exceptional opportunities for practical skill development for law students through its highly skilled litigators by providing mentoring and supervision.
2012 Law Student Opportunities
The United States Attorney for the District of Idaho invites applications from second year law students for internships for the summer of 2012. Individuals with strong academic records and an interest in public service law are encouraged to apply. Exceptionally strong first year law students may also be considered.
Senior Assistant United States Attorneys directly supervise interns by assigning, guiding and critiquing research and writing projects in the student's area of interest. Moreover, interns who have completed their second year of law school may apply for a limited license to practice in federal court and may have the opportunity to appear before federal magistrate, bankruptcy and district court judges.
Legal interns work on criminal, civil and appellate matters. Further, interns may choose to emphasize an area of practice or, if they would prefer, handle assignments in a wide variety of areas, allowing them to "sample" a range of substantive issues. Once an intern is accepted into our program, we do our utmost to assign work on topics in which the intern has expressed an interest.
Interns will be expected to work 40 hours a week in the District's Main Office in Boise, or in one of two branch offices: Coeur d'Alene or Pocatello. Starting and ending dates are flexible, however, we expect students to make a commitment of 10 to 14 weeks.
These are unpaid internships; however, we will work closely with participating law schools to ensure that interns earn appropriate academic credit, where available. Moreover, some law schools offer public interest/public sector stipends, and we will facilitate the stipend process for law schools with such programs.
Students selected for an internship will be required to pass a rigorous background investigation conducted by the Department of Justice. The background investigation takes approximately six weeks.
To apply: Send a cover letter and resumé to Becky Early, Intern Coordinator, United States Attorney's Office, 800 Park Blvd., Suite 600, Boise, Idaho 83712. Please specify your preference for working in the Boise, Coeur d'Alene, or Pocatello Office. Application deadline is January 31, 2012.
- January 31, 2012: Summer intern applications due - (resumé and cover letter)
- February 6-9, 2012: Telephone interviews will be conducted
- February 10, 2012: Internships will be offered
- February 17, 2012: Law student commitment must be made to U.S. Attorney's Office (on or before this date)
- February 22, 2012: Background packets will be sent out to interns
- March 7, 2012: Completed background packets must be returned to U.S. Attorney's Office
- March - April: Executive Office for United States Attorneys will conduct background security clearance
- May - June: Internship start dates will vary
- August: Internship end dates will vary
Law Student Expectations
What you can expect from the U.S. Attorney's Office:
- In the United States Attorney's Office (USAO), we carefully select and closely supervise interns. The First Assistant U.S. Attorney conducts a detailed orientation on the intern's first day discussing expectations and procedures. In the orientation, we discuss with the intern the office philosophy of accountability and dependability, and ethics of "cutting square corners."
- The United States Attorney's Office assists 2L interns in getting a limited license to practice, supervising the intern's in-court work and accounting to the Bar for the intern's performance.
- On an irregular basis, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney or other supervisor will meet with the intern in an informal setting (a "lunch break" or "cookie break") to discuss his/her summer progress.
- The First Assistant U.S. Attorney, or other supervisor, will fill out the appraisal of the intern as required by the law school.
What the U.S. Attorney's Office will expect from you:
- Interns will be expected to work from between 10 to 14 weeks, for 40 hours a week (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
- Interns will be expected to dress in business attire.
- Interns are required to keep a "drop file" of all his/her written work-some of which might be used by the intern as writing samples.
- The intern is required to submit a weekly report each Friday afternoon setting out accomplishments during the week and priorities for the next week.
Divisions
Appellate Division
Interns generally get the opportunity to prepare at least one appeal brief. These usually involve criminal convictions appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, or deportation orders in immigration appeals filed the Ninth Circuit.
Civil Division
Interns are assigned to work on complex civil cases with highly talented and specialized AUSAs in areas such as: defense of personal injury and medical malpractice tort actions; defense of Title VII employment discrimination cases; defensive and affirmative environmental cases; Administrative Procedures Act litigation dealing with program interests of the various client agencies of the government; and affirmative enforcement and asset forfeiture cases which seek to collect monies owed to the government or take away profits from criminal enterprises.
Criminal Division
Interns work with highly regarded federal prosecutors on matters such as: complex drug cases; organized crime investigations; fraud and white collar crimes; violent crimes committed on Indian Reservations; gangs and guns cases; child victim and internet pornography cases; immigration crimes; and regulatory offenses committed on public lands of the United States.
Testimonials
Rainier Elias - University of Idaho
Matthew Thompson - University of Oregon
Elliot McMillan - University of Texas
Laura K. Keys - University of Idaho
Darci Ward - UC Hastings College of the Law
Thomas Smith - S.J. Quinney College of Law
Amanda Rekow - University of Idaho College of Law
Jennifer Heidt White - University of Washington School of Law