Legal Employment Opportunities with the Office of the General Counsel

Honors Program
The General Counsel’s Honors Program serves as the cornerstone for entry-level attorney hiring by the Department of Homeland Security. This program offers highly qualified third-year law students; graduate law students (applying in the fall of the last year of their graduate law study); and judicial law clerks the opportunity to start their legal career by addressing some of the most critical and controversial issues facing our nation today.

Honors Program Attorneys will be hired for a two-year term, and during that time may have the opportunity to work in the headquarters Office of the General Counsel and other participating component legal offices within the Office of the General Counsel. These include legal offices within the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the United States Coast Guard. All of the offices in which Honors Program Attorneys will serve during their two-year term are located in the Washington D.C. area. Honors Program Attorneys who achieve satisfactory performance ratings will be eligible for full-time positions at the conclusion of their two-year term, depending on the Department’s needs and availability of funding.

The Honors Program is highly competitive. The Department selects candidates based on multiple factors including academic achievement, writing skills, law review or moot court experience, legal aid or clinical experience, and employment history. We also consider specialized academic studies, post-graduate studies, as well as employment and extracurricular activities that directly relate to the work of the Department. We are seeking candidates with a well-rounded background, demonstrated intellectual and analytical abilities, and excellent judgment.

The responsibilities of the Department offer Honors Program Attorneys experience in a variety of practice areas. These include, but are not limited to, litigation, administrative law, commercial law, procurement law, legislative and regulatory drafting, maritime law, immigration law, enforcement law, and national security law. Honors Program Attorneys working for the Department can expect to be given a significant amount of responsibility early in their career, often handling highly visible or legally significant cases on an accelerated basis. Honors Program Attorneys will also participate in a program designed to familiarize them with the operating components within the Department and other federal agencies.

Honors Program Attorneys will also participate in a program designed to familiarize them with the operating components within the Department and other federal agencies. This orientation includes visits to the U.S. Coast Guard Washington Air Station, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Forensic Document Laboratory, and the Customs and Border Protection inspections facility at Dulles International Airport. It also includes visits to the Department of Justice, Department of State, the U.S. Capitol, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Applications for the Honors Program will be accepted online in the fall with hiring decisions expected by January 1, 2011. Subject to the budgetary or security clearance issues individuals selected for the Honors Attorney Program can expect to commence employment with the Department the following October.

For additional information please contact Craig Raynsford, Attorney Advisor, Office of the General Counsel at 202-447-3303.


Summer Law Intern Program
The Summer Law Intern Program is a competitive recruitment program for compensated positions in the headquarters Office of the General Counsel at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington D.C. The Summer Law Intern Program is open to both first- and second-year law students.

The Department selects candidates based on multiple factors including academic achievement, writing skills, law review or moot court experience, legal aid or clinical experience, and other employment history. We also consider specialized academic studies and post-graduate work, in addition to extracurricular activities that directly relate to the work of the Department. We seek candidates with a well-rounded background, demonstrated intellectual and analytical abilities, and excellent judgment.

Summer Law Interns may expect to be assigned positions which offer both valuable experience and substantial individual responsibility. Successful candidates will be afforded the opportunity to work in some of the different legal divisions within the Office of the General Counsel including Immigration, Regulatory Affairs, Operations and Enforcement, Legal Counsel, General Law, Technology Programs, National Protection and Programs, and Intelligence. The interns may interact with the client, attend legislative hearings, and meet with attorneys and representatives from other agencies over the course of the summer.

Summer Law Interns will also participate in a program designed to familiarize them with the operating components within the Department and other federal agencies. In the past this has included tours of the DHS Forensic Document Laboratory, the United States Coast Guard Washington Air Station, the Dulles International Airport Port of Entry, the Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the Department of State, the United States Capitol and the Supreme Court.

Applications for the Summer Law Intern Program are accepted in the fall with hiring decisions expected by January 1, 2011. Subject to the budgetary or security clearance issues individuals selected for the Summer Law Intern Program can expect to commence employment with the Department following completion of their spring semester.

Address further questions to Craig Raynsford, Attorney Advisor, Office of the General Counsel, at 202-447-3303.

The Department of Homeland Security is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Volunteer Legal Intern/Extern Program
The Office of the General Counsel accepts volunteer interns and externs during the academic year.

These positions are without compensation but are highly sought after because of the responsibility and experience they offer.

Applications may be made at any time by sending a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to OGCStaffing@dhs.gov