What are the responsibilities and job description for the Law Student Volunteer, BJA (Summer 2025) position at U.S. Department of Justice?
Washington , DC 20002 - United States
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is the largest grantmaking component of the Department of Justice and houses the Department’s criminal and juvenile justice-related science, statistics, and programmatic agencies. OJP provides federal leadership, funding, training and technical assistance, research and statistics, and other critical resources to advance work that strengthens community safety, promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, and builds trust between law enforcement and communities.
OJP's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) was created in 1984 to reduce violent crime, create safer communities, and reform our Nation’s criminal justice system. BJA strengthens the Nation’s criminal justice system and helps America’s state, local, and tribal jurisdictions reduce and prevent crime, reduce recidivism, and promote a fair and safe criminal justice system. BJA focuses its programmatic and policy efforts on providing a wide range of resources, including training and technical assistance, to law enforcement, courts, corrections, treatment, reentry, justice information sharing, and community-based partners to address chronic and emerging criminal justice challenges nationwide.
This internship is located in the BJA Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program Office of Legal Counsel. Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) Program provides death and education benefits to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, and other first responders, and disability benefits to officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty. The PSOB attorneys ensure that the benefits applications meet the legal requirements, and the benefits are paid to the right beneficiaries. As a flagship program of the Department's Justice Programs and a unique effort of the U.S. Department of Justice, the benefits support families of public safety officers around the nation. The benefits offered through the PSOB program is a vehicle for the federal government to acknowledge the value of public safety officer and their sacrifices. As the program benefits are resourced through the federal funding, it is critical for the attorneys to make sure the benefits are provided to the correct beneficiaries and pursuant to statutory and regulatory requirements. The claims involve, but are not limited to, the legal knowledge of torts law, family law, and administrative law. The PSOB Program helps determine the payment of benefits to disabled public safety officers and the surviving family members of officers from line-of-duty injuries arising from, for example, World Trade Center emergency service, COVID-19, motor vehicle accidents, stress-related disorders, among other types of injuries and fact-patterns.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
Our interns learn will learn how to interpret and apply the PSOB Act (statue) and implementing regulations to provide legal review of disability and death claims. Interns engage in statutory, regulatory, and legislative history research and draft memos on novel issues that often arise through carrying out program objective. Interns will review complex death and disability records to identify outcome-determinative facts, weigh medical opinion evidence pursuant to the Rules of Federal Evidence, and contrast evaluating symptom severity indicators with, for example, the Social Security Administration disability standards and the Veteran Affairs’ disability standards.
Example issues include:
(1) determining beneficiary status based upon state common-law or putative marriage law;
(2) state versus federal subpoena authority;
(3) the impact of Supreme Court administrative cases on our program;
(4) how to apply new-enacted legislative amendments, and;
(5) historic underpinnings of certain statutory phrases, to name a few. We host lunch discussions regarding legal career advice and invite interns to join in agency-wide discussions and events.
Our goal is for every intern to finish the program with at least one well-researched and persuasive memorandum on a legal question that captivates their interest. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals interested in federal practice, workers’ compensation, disability law, administrative and government practices.
This internship may be performed fully remote.
First-year (second semester), second- and third-year law students are encouraged to apply.
Superior research and writing skills, detail-oriented, and a desire to be part of a vital team mission that provides benefits for the nation's fallen and catastrophically injured officers.
Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply.
Please submit:
1) Cover letter
2) Resume or CV
3) Current law school transcript
4) Legal writing sample 5-10 pages in length
Submit all application materials in one combined pdf document via email to Student.Employment@ojp.usdoj.gov, subject line JP-25-BJA-SVOL. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis prior to the application deadline.
PLEASE NOTE: You may be required to travel to your nearest federal servicing office to secure a DOJ Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credential (badge). This credential may be required to allow you access to the DOJ/OJP IT network via a government-issued laptop. Obtaining a PIV credential outside of the Washington, DC, metropolitan area may require two appointments. If offered an internship, you agree to travel to obtain a PIV credential, if required.
Volunteer (uncompensated). Course credit, work-study, and externship opportunities are available depending on school requirements.
