GOVERNMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The
following are a list of known internship and permanent job positions within the
federal government in agencies that deal with international issues. This is not an exhaustive list. If you are looking for a permanent job in
the government, an extremely helpful website is http://www.usajobs.com/ which
is the official website of the Office of Personnel Management.
http://www.pmi.opm.gov/
The PMI
program is designed to attract outstanding master’s and doctoral level students
to the Federal Service. PMI’s are
assigned to a variety of federal agencies for a two-year period and are
eligible for conversion to a permanent position upon completion. Students must be nominated by their schools
through a competitive process and then participate in a structured assessment
process. Once students are selected as
Finalists they must then find a federal agency willing to sponsor their
PMI. Students are eligible to be
nominated by their schools if they meet the following criteria: exceptional
academic achievement, a capacity for leadership, potential for future
professional growth, and a commitment to a career in public policy. As of the date of printing, the Law School
does not have a competitive nominating process. If students are interested in pursuing a PMI after graduation I
suggest they bring up the issue either with the Office of Public Service or
with Career Services. Each degree
granting institution in a university may nominate up to 10% of its graduates or
five students, whichever is greater.
http://www.opic.gov/subdocs/internships.htm
The
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is a small independent agency of
the US Government. It serves as the key
federal agency for encouraging mutually beneficial American business investment
in the world’s developing nations. OPIC
provides qualified investors with project financing, investment insurance and a
variety of investor services in some 140 developing nations and emerging
economies throughout the world.
OPIC’s
Department of Legal Affairs invites a few law students with outstanding records
and a demonstrated interest in finance and international law and development to
spend a summer or academic semester at OPIC as paid law clerks. Both first-year and second-year students
will be considered. The successful
applicant will have the following credentials:
· a demonstrated interest in
finance, including academic or employment background in banking, accounting,
etc.
· an outstanding academic record
(transcript is required for second year students)
· superior writing ability, and
· some exposure to or demonstrated
interest in international affairs
For
details of how to apply see the above website.
Applications for the summer must be received between January 1 and
February 28.
http://www.treas.gov/legaldiv/homepage.htm
The
Department of the Treasury Honors Program provides recent law graduates,
including judicial clerks, with a unique opportunity to practice law in a major
cabinet department. Honors Program
Attorneys may rotate through a broad range of offices or, if they are
interested in a particular field, they may select rotations that focus
primarily on one of three areas: banking and finance, law enforcement, or
international affairs. Although the
program is a two-year commitment, many Honors Attorneys have gone on to accept
regular positions at Treasury. The
Legal Division serves clients both at Main Treasury and in the Treasury
bureaus, including the US Customs Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and
Firearms, the US Secret Service, the Bureau for the Public Debt, and the
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
The
Honors Program also offers a summer clerkship program for law students. Students selected for clerkships will work
in one of the offices of the Legal Division.
Because of budget constraints, Honors Clerks are generally not
compensated.
Application
details and contact information can be found at the above website. The deadline for Honors Program Attorneys is
November 9 and for summer clerkships is January 15, 2002.
The
United States Trade Representative (USTR)
http://www.ustr.gov/about-ustr/info.html
The
student intern program at USTR is a volunteer program where undergraduate and
graduate students gain knowledge and experience on US trade policy. Assignments range from research, analysis,
statistics, briefing books, report preparation, meeting and conference
planning, letter writing, to covering Hill meetings, hearings, and markups as
necessary. The following offices of
USTR consider interns: General Counsel,
Congressional Affairs, Western Hemisphere, Europe and the Mediterranean, Japan,
China, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, World Trade Organization and
Multilateral Affairs, Industry, Agricultural Affairs, Public Affairs,
Intergovernmental Affairs, Environment and Natural Resources, Services,
Investment, Intellectual Property, and the Geneva headquarters. Internships are available during the
semester as well as the summer. For
specific application details consult the above website.
http://www.state.gov/m/dhgr/hr/student/
The
Department manages several student employment programs that enable students to
get experience in a foreign affairs environment through on-the-job
experience. Some students work in
Washington, D.C. while others have the opportunity to work at an embassy or
consulate overseas. Positions are both
paid and unpaid and many are available during spring, summer, or fall. Typically overseas assignments will include
housing even if they are unpaid.
Applications for Foreign Service internships are due by November 1 of
the preceding year for the summer. The
Office of the Legal Advisor has separate internships and their website should
be consulted for information.
http://www.ogc.doc.gov/
The
General Counsel of the Department of Commerce doesn’t explicitly offer
internships, but students have written to the divisions of the General Counsel
directly and been offered positions.
Several divisions of the General Counsel’s office have a distinctly
international flavor, such as the Chief Counsel for Export Administration, the
Chief Counsel for Import Administration, and the Chief Counsel for
International Commerce.
The
General Counsel of the Department of Defense offers an Honors Internship for
approximately 11 students each year.
One student is assigned to each Deputy General Counsel’s Office. Students from the University of Michigan
have worked for the Deputy General Counsel for International Affairs, the
Deputy General Counsel for the Inspector General, and in the legal staff of
other Defense Department agencies. The
two offices that deal the most with international issues are International Affairs
and Intelligence, but students can find exciting work in environment,
legislative affairs, personnel and health policy, finance and procurement, and
other areas as well. The internship is
in Washington, DC at the Pentagon. DoD
pays interns as if they were permanent civil service employees, usually at the
GS-9 level. For information on
deadlines students should consult http://www.ftp.fedworld.gov/pub/jobs/ for an application form. Resume, transcripts, writing sample and
application form should be mailed to Kimberly Lenzer at
Room
3E999
1600
Defense Pentagon
Washington,
DC 20301-1600
Considering
recent mail difficulties in Washington, DC it may be advisable to e-mail Ms.
Lenzer at lenzerk@osdgc.osd.mil