Summer Intern Program

L interviews on campus for its Summer Intern Program at select law schools.  For students at schools where L does not participate in on-campus recruiting, please submit applications online to legalinterns@state.gov.

What to submit:

All applicants must submit a comprehensive resume, law school transcript, list of at least three professional and/or academic references, and a cover letter.  Applications submitted without a law school transcript will not be considered.  Participation in the Summer Intern Program is conditional upon receipt of a Secret-level security clearance.

Application deadline for applicants at schools without on-campus interviewing:

September 1 of the preceding year (though we welcome applications as early as possible in the summer).

Program overview:

L typically selects about 15 highly qualified second-year law students to participate in its Summer Intern Program.  The summer program provides an opportunity for students interested in public service and international law to become acquainted with the work of L as well as the Department (and to demonstrate their legal and interpersonal skills and acumen).  Summer interns are typically assigned to two offices to ensure that they receive as broad an exposure as possible to the various facets of L’s practice within the time allowed.

L’s Summer Intern Program is highly competitive.  Outstanding academic achievement, relevant international experience and/or extracurricular activity, strong interpersonal skills, references, and demonstrated professional potential and interest in public service are important factors in the selection process.  Consideration is given only to U.S. citizens.  We recognize that many students endeavor to divide the summer before their third year between two employers to broaden their exposure to the practice of law.  As a result, L is flexible in allowing students to schedule their internship any time between May and September, with a minimum of six consecutive weeks, although L may require summer interns to start on one of a few specified start dates throughout the summer.  Interns receive no pay from the U.S. Government, and the U.S. Government defrays none of their personal expenses.

In general, interns and externs are expected to work on site at one or more Department of State locations in the Washington, DC area for the full duration of their internship or externship. Any exceptions to the requirement for in-person presence are rare and should be approved in advance and/or included as part of the terms of the offer.

Students are informed that all materials produced while working in L are considered U.S. Government property, and permission to use them for other purposes must be obtained from the proper authority at the Department of State.  Students are subject to all requirements relating to retention or use of classified information (whether written or not) obtained in the course of employment.

Internship Opportunities Outside Washington, D.C.

The Department of State also offers unpaid legal internship opportunities at the U.S. Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. For summer internships beginning with the summer of 2023, law students interested in applying for these positions should e-mail their applications to legalinterns@state.gov and indicate in their application materials which location they would like to be considered for. Please submit the application materials described above in the “What to Submit” section by the deadline of September 1 (of the preceding year).