Job summary

Interested in a career in national security? DCSA is offering a paid internship: the DCSA Student Experience (DSE) '26 Cohort. Open to law students with a 3.0+ GPA, students must maintain full-time status through October 2026. The program runs 1 OR 15 June - 21 August 2026, requiring a minimum of 10 weeks of participation. This announcement is selecting student interns for the Office of the General Counsel.

Major duties

This is a temporary position NTE 1 year from appointment. As a STUDENT TRAINEE (LAW) you will be responsible for the following duties: We are looking for capable and eager law students interested in being part of a Federal legal office that provides support in all areas of legal practice for an agency with a national security mission. Interns will apply analytic and critical thinking skills to work on research projects, draft memos, and assist attorneys with various assignments and projects. A final or interim secret security clearance is required for appointment to the position, but applicants are not required to have a security clearance to apply for the position. Plan, organize and conduct studies of legal issues and cases generally encountered in the assigned area. Conduct research assignments given by agency counsel. Examine and evaluates procedural and legal sufficiency of agency actions, policies and practices. Provide support in analyzing issues and actions related to national security law, civilian personnel law, equal employment opportunity matters, government information practices, administrative law, fiscal law, ethics, and acquisition law.,. Use manual and automated legal research methods and other available resources to locate and apply relevant legal references, including Federal statutes, regulations and publications, DoD issuances, case law articles and legal treatises. Assist with the research and preparation of legal opinions for attorneys on the full range of legal matters presented by agency operations and administration. Participate in defensive administrative litigation including depositions, mediation, negotiations, and hearings. Draft and edit legal and non-legal memoranda, research reports, and correspondence. Ensure proper processing of completed actions. Analyze facts and legal questions and organize and prepare research material for attorney review. Identify pertinent facts and issues for research and discussion, suggest legal interpretations of reference material, and prepare initial summary recommendations for attorneys. Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualification

To qualify for this position, you must meet the criteria specified below: You must hold a bachelor's degree; You must be currently enrolled as a full-time law student in a program leading to award of the first professional law degree; and You must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale. Note: In order to be appointed to a Student Trainee (Law Student Intern) in the summer of 2026, you will also need to have successfully completed the 1st or 2nd year of law school by the end of May 2026., with the expectation of continuing law school studies in the fall of 2026. Education: All applicants must submit college or university undergraduate transcripts (official or unofficial) AND law school transcripts (official or unofficial) that demonstrate the completion, (or for 1st year law student applicants, the anticipated completion), of the 1st year of law school by the end of May 2026 or earlier. Specifically, you will be evaluated on the following competencies: 1. Communication: Written and oral communication techniques sufficient to develop and deliver briefings, project papers, status/staff reports and correspondence to managers to foster understanding and acceptance of findings and recommendations. 2. Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations. 3. Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals. 4. Problem Solving: Identifies and analyzes problems; uses sound reasoning to arrive at conclusions; finds alternative solutions to complex problems; distinguishes between relevant and irrelevant information to make logical judgements. 5. Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. 6. Ability to research, analyze and present information. Relocation expenses or housing benefits are NOT offered for our student positions. This position does not offer remote work. If you are selected, you will have to report to the office throughout your internship and be living within commuting distance of the office during the summer program.

Education

All applicants must submit college or university undergraduate transcripts (official or unofficial) AND law school transcripts (official or unofficial) that demonstrate the completion, (or for 1st year law student applicants, the anticipated completion), of the 1st year of law school by the end of May 2026 or earlier. Official Transcripts and other required Official supporting documentation will be submitted by selected students as soon as available by their institution to continue in program. Superior Academic Achievement does not apply to DCIPS positions. Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position. Foreign Education: For further information, click on the following link: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Evaluations

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the SME Resume Panel review. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnairet o determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified'. Application Questionnaire: Applicants must complete a screen out questionnaire as part of the application process. Applicants identified as meeting the basic education requirement and minimum qualifications for the position may move on to the HR/SME Resume Panel review. HR/SME Panel Review: An HR/SME Panel will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the competencies stated below. Only the first 2 pages of your resume will be reviewed. Applicants that are found qualified will move on to the next phase of the hiring process. Competencies: Communication, Interpersonal Skills, Teamwork, Problem Solving, Attention to Detail, and ability to research, analyze and present information. You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation. Top ranked candidates will be referred to the selecting official for further review and consideration. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified'. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. All eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.