Law Clerk

Air Force Civilian Career Training • Davis Monthan AFB, AZ

12h

About The Position

This is a formal Law Clerk intern position established under the PALACE ACQUIRE (PAQ) program. The program is centrally managed and funded by the Air Force Personnel Center, Directorate of Civilian Personnel Operations (AFPC/DPC), and administered by the Legal Career Program, AFPC/DPZC, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. The position supports the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate and Air and Space Force missions and personnel. Work locations may vary, and total salary depends on the location.

The PAQ Program offers a permanent position upon completion of its formal two-year training plan. Interns receive professional training and yearly salary increases; promotions and salary increases depend on successful performance and supervisory approval. Law clerks may convert to an entry-level attorney (0905) position after satisfactory performance and admission to a U.S. bar. A law clerk may serve no more than 14 months before admission to the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, a U.S. territory, or a U.S. commonwealth; failure to gain admission within that period results in separation.

Applicants must have completed a law degree from an ABA-accredited law school within the previous two years or be a third-year law student, and meet the stated superior-academic-achievement criteria, including a GPA of at least 2.95. A writing sample demonstrating legal analytical skills will be requested before an offer. Department of the Air Force attorneys must remain in good standing and active (or equivalent) status in at least one jurisdiction throughout their employment.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Applicants must have completed a law degree from an ABA-accredited school of law within the previous two years or be a third-year law student.
• Applicants must demonstrate superior law student work or activities through at least one of the stated criteria: upper-third class standing; significant work or achievement on an official law review or journal; high-level academic honors; full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program; significant summer law office clerk experience; or other clearly superior accomplishment or achievement.
• A grade point average of at least 2.95 on a 4.0 scale is required.
• Applicants must submit copies of all transcripts, including transferred hours; degree audits are not accepted.
• A law clerk must be admitted to the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, a U.S. territory, or a U.S. commonwealth within 14 months of appointment or be separated.
• Department of the Air Force attorneys must remain in good standing and active (or equivalent) status in at least one jurisdiction throughout employment.
• Knowledge of legal systems, principles, research, and writing.
• Ability to identify legal issues, cite applicable law, and determine whether precedents are involved.
• Skill in writing legal opinions and memoranda.
• Ability to identify and understand issues and options and recommend courses of action.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with diverse individuals, in and outside the legal profession, in formal and informal settings.
• Ability to prepare cases for litigation, including interviewing witnesses and collecting and organizing evidence.
• A security clearance may be required.
• The position may be subject to random drug testing.
• Employees may be required to work outside normal duty hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Employees must maintain current certifications.
• Applicants must provide a legal writing sample demonstrating legal analytical skills before receiving an offer.

Responsibilities

• Assist military and civilian attorneys in providing legal advice and litigating matters involving areas such as government contracts, labor and employment, environmental law, torts, administrative law, and legal assistance.
• Draft and edit legal opinions, memoranda, motions, discovery documents, briefs, and other documents under the supervision of senior attorneys.
• Perform other assigned duties in support of the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, with assistance from other attorneys.

Benefits

• The PAQ Program offers a permanent position upon completion of the formal training plan.
• Yearly salary increases and possible promotions, based on successful performance and supervisory approval.
• Student loan repayment may be authorized.
• Recruitment incentives may be authorized; recruitment and/or retention incentives may or may not be used.
• A federal employee benefits package is available, with eligibility depending on position type.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern