Current Opportunities
Student applications will be accepted from Wednesday, Feb. 20 through Feb. 27. All applications must be hand-delivered to the Externship Office and received by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27.
Search for Externships
Available externships
Use the filter and search functions above to search for externships that may be of interest to you. Questions? Contact the Externships office at 404-413-9030.
Active Externships with Federal Government organizations
| Externship Site | Practice Area | Details |
|---|---|---|
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) - Office of the General Counsel   | Employment Law, Health Law |
SITE DESCRIPTION Students work for The Office of the General Counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services, CDC/ATSDR. This agency is responsible for providing legal services to the CDC and ATSDR and deals with a wide variety of legal issues, including legal and public policy issues related to AIDS, vaccine liability and compensation, hazardous wastes and environmental health, occupational safety and health, biotechnology, and toxic torts. Externs will gain experience both in the program division and the litigation division. The extern's work in the program division will consist of involvement in the day-to-day activities arising out of the issues discussed above. While the work will involve some legal research, it will consist primarily of responding to legal and policy issues raised by CDC and ATSDR officials. The work often requires an immediate analysis and response. The extern's work in the litigation division will consist of work on all phases of litigation and primarily involves employment law cases. STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS Prerequisites: None Preferences:
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
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| Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) - Technology Transfer Office | Health Law, IP Law, Patent Law |
SITE DESCRIPTION The Technology Transfer Office handles all issues relating to the intellectual property rights of CDC. Intern assignments may include review of the patentability of new technologies, the marketability of inventions, licensing agreements, confidential disclosure agreements, royalty payments, marketing materials, and trademark and copyright applications. See www.cdc.gov/tto. STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
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| Department of Homeland Security | Immigration Law | Semester requirement: 1 SITE DESCRIPTION Students will work in the office of ICE, under the supervision of the Chief Counsel and staff attorneys. This federal agency is responsible for work involving both administrative and judicial proceedings. Students will work with several attorneys during the course of the semester to provide a broad exposure to the variety of tasks that an agency attorney performs. Externs will be responsible for preparing and reviewing cases for hearings before an immigration judge, assisting with investigations, preparing all types of cases, taking appeals, reviewing proposed administrative decisions and researching in preparation and support of writing appellate briefs and memoranda to the Board of Immigration Appeals in Washington, D.C. Where permissible, third-year students may present selected cases under the supervision of a staff attorney. STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS Preferences:
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| Environmental Protection Agency | Environmental Law |
SITE DESCRIPTION Students will work at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environmental Accountability Division under the supervision of Senior Associate Regional Counsels and other staff attorneys. EPA is authorized to implement several environmental statutes including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Superfund and other statutes regulating toxics, pesticides, oil spills and ocean dumping. In addition to taking enforcement actions pursuant to these statues, EPA oversees delegated state programs, issues permits and works closely with other federal agencies. Extern's assignments may include assisting with the development of civil and administrative cases, legal research, preparation of memoranda, reviewing pleadings including complaints, answers and motions, attending settlement negotiations and other meetings, and attending hearings. STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS Preferences: Third-year students, but second-year students strongly encouraged to apply. A cover letter and brief writing sample should accompany the student's resume at the time of application. |
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - Litigation Unit | Employment Law |
SITE DESCRIPTION The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - Atlanta District Office (EEOC) is the lead enforcement agency in the area of workplace discrimination. The EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Equal Pay Act. The EEOC investigates charges brought by individuals against employers for allegedly violating these laws. The EEOC also provides oversight and coordination of all federal equal employment opportunity regulations, practices and policies. All externs will participate in the following: legal research and writing drafts of memoranda; reviewing and analyzing cases to determine whether there is cause to believe that an employer engaged in unlawful discrimination; drafting requests for information; drafting discovery plans; drafting interrogatories and requests for production; sitting in on intake with investigators while they interview charging parties; sitting in on mediations between the charging party and the employer; sitting in on depositions and facilitating deposition preparation; sitting in on meetings between attorneys and investigators; assisting with witness prep; assisting with trial prep; going on on-sites with investigators; and attending court hearings and trials. STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS
Preferences:
NO ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS |
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Hearing Unit/Legal Division | Employment Law | Semester requirement: 1 SITE DESCRIPTION The Hearings Unit of the Atlanta District Office (ATLDO) of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission conducts hearings and renders decisions with respect to EEO complaints that are brought by Federal workers. The ATLDO Hearings Unit employs five administrative judges who conduct hearings and render decisions. The role of the extern in the Hearings Unit is similar to that of a judicial law clerk. The extern conducts legal research on specific topics at the direction of the AJ. The extern writes decisions in conjunction with the AJ. The extern attends hearings. Additionally, the AJs will try to give the extern some exposure to the work that is done in other areas of the ATLDO. The extern will gain exposure to EEO law, administrative law and civil procedure. STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS Prerequisites:
Preferences: Third-year students ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS A writing sample is required at the time of interview. |
| Federal Highway Administration, Southeastern Legal Office | Employment Law, Environmental Law | Semester requirement: 1 SITE DESCRIPTION The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) carries out the Federal highway programs in partnership with the State and local agencies to meet the nation’s transportation needs. Southern Legal Services, a field office of FHWA’s Office of Chief Counsel, provides advice and legal representation to fourteen division offices throughout the Southeast on a wide range of issues including environmental matters, employment law, requests for reasonable accommodations, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, Federal Tort claims, ethics questions, federal land transfers and programmatic applications of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS Preferences:
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS |
| Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Large and Mid-Sized Business (LMSB) Division | Tax Law | Semester requirement: 1 SITE DESCRIPTION The Office of Chief Counsel represents the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States Tax Court, provides legal opinions and advice in a wide range of matters arising under the Internal Revenue Code (I.R.C.), and makes formal recommendations to the Department of Justice concerning suits filed by and against the IRS. The externship permits law students to work for the Office under the supervision of experienced tax attorneys, which serves not only to prepare externs for a career in the field of tax law, but also provides an excellent view of what the practice of law is like at the Office of Chief Counsel. The Special Trial Attorneys of the Large and Mid-Sized Business (LMSB) Division conduct litigation practice before U.S. Tax Court and provide legal advice on the most complex and difficult tax matters assigned to the LMSB Division, an industry-focused organization with an emphasis on global tax administration for corporations and partnerships with assets greater than $10 million. LMSB attorneys (whom the extern may be required to assist at times) are routinely involved in non-docketed cases in which litigation is anticipated and advise LMSB examining revenue agents on technical issues, along with additional responsibilities which include handling litigation in the U.S. Tax Court and working with the Department of Justice on refund, bankruptcy, or summons enforcement issues. The principal objectives of the externship include practical experience related primarily to corporate and partnership tax law; development of research, writing, and drafting skills; and preparation of pleadings, discovery documents, stipulations of fact, and trial memoranda used in Tax Court cases. Assignments related to civil tax matters may further include legal research concerning evidentiary issues anticipated at trial, exhibit preparation, drafting responses to discovery, reviewing and analyzing documents produced during litigation, interviewing witnesses, drafting deposition outlines, assisting in the deposition preparation of witnesses, attending depositions and attending trial (to the extent scheduled and/or permitted). STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS
Preferences: None ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Student must be a U.S. Citizen. |
| Internal Revenue Service, Individual Tax | Tax Law | Semester requirement: 1 SITE DESCRIPTION Students will work in the Atlanta offices of the Associate Area Counsel (Small Business/Self-Employed) for the Internal Revenue Service. Counsel's Office represents the Commissioner of Internal Revenue in the United States Tax Court, provides legal opinions and advice in a wide range of matters arising under the Internal Revenue Code, and makes formal recommendations to the Department of Justice concerning suites by and against the Service. Student responsibilities may include: interviewing witnesses, drafting pleadings, trial preparation, researching specific legal questions, drafting opinions in response to intra-agency inquiries, and attending civil and criminal conferences. Additionally, the Tax Court and the Service have entered into an agreement to allow the legal externs to try cases before the Tax Court, while under the supervision of an attorney. STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS Prerequisites:
Preferences:
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| U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the General Counsel | Health Law | Semester requirement: 1 SITE DESCRIPTION Students will work in the Regional Office of the Chief Counsel which provides legal services to support the United States Department of Health & Human Resources (DHHR) activities in the eight (8) southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Regional Office's legal work is divided into program work, which is handled by the Health and Human Resources Branch, and into work affecting the general operations, which is handled by the General Law Branch. Major clients include the Administration on Aging, the Administration for Children and Families, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Office of Civil Rights. Duties externs may expect to perform include doing research on specific legal issues, preparing legal memoranda, assisting in drafting pleadings, providing assistance in putting together evidence for hearings and trials. When feasible, students will attend meetings with clients and opposing counsel, attend hearings, depositions and other discovery proceedings, attend conference calls and participate in other relevant activities of attorneys in the office. STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS Preferences: None ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS A resume, writing sample, and list of law school courses completed is required at the time of application. |
| U.S. Department of Labor | Labor Law | Semester requirement: 1 SITE DESCRIPTION The Solicitor's Office is the legal office of the United States Department of Labor representing its various enforcement agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Wage and Hour Division of the Employment Standards Administration, and Veterans Employment & Training Services. The Department of Labor has the second largest litigation department in the federal government and has individual litigation authority. The extern program provides students with a unique and exceptional litigation experience in the Atlanta regional office, which covers eight southeastern states. Attorneys in the Atlanta regional office further the Department's mission of protecting American workers' rights by prosecuting employers for violations of numerous federal labor and employment laws, including laws governing employee pension and benefit plans (ERISA), occupational and mine safety and health (OSHA & MSHA), wage issues (FLSA), protections for migrant farm workers (MSPA), rights of military service members (USERRA) Title VII type non-discrimination cases under Executive Order 11246, and numerous whistle blower statutes. In addition, attorneys provide advice and written opinions to our numerous client agencies. Student externs perform a variety of legal tasks, depending on the office's particular workload at the time of the externship, but are typically exposed to numerous statutes and aspects of litigation. To the extent possible, we will accommodate students with a particular interest in a certain client agency or aspect of litigation. In addition to conducting research and writing memoranda, students are able to evaluate cases, participate in all aspects of discovery, negotiate settlements, prepare for and attend depositions, witness interviews or meetings with client agencies, and attend court hearings or trials. In addition, if their schedule permits, students are encouraged to participate in the office's weekly staff meetings and interact with a wide range of attorneys in the office. More information about the Solicitor's Office can be found at www.dol.gov/sol. Specific information about the Atlanta office can be found by clicking on the link for "Regional Offices." STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS Prerequisites: None Preferences: Administrative Law and Employment Law (can be taken concurrently with placement) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
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| U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) | Bankruptcy Law, Securities Law | Semester requirement: 1 SITE DESCRIPTION Students work in the Atlanta District Office of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Students will be assigned to work with the Enforcement branches or the Litigation unit. Responsibilities may include participating in the investigations, drafting pleadings, assisting in trial preparation for administrative and judicial proceedings, conducting legal research and writing, and performing other tasks as needed. In addition, one student will be assigned to work on bankruptcy matters in the Office of Reorganization. Responsibilities may include reviewing and analyzing public company disclosure statements, drafting comment letters on disclosure statements, and researching and drafting memorandum of law. STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS Preferences: None ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
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| U.S. Trustee | Bankruptcy Law | Semester requirement: 1 SITE DESCRIPTION The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice responsible for overseeing the administration of bankruptcy cases and private trustees pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 586 and 11 U.S.C. 101, et seq. The Program consists of an Executive Office for United States Trustees in Washington, D.C., as well as 21 regional U.S. Trustee Offices nationwide. The United States Trustee Program acts in the public interest to promote the efficiency and to protect and preserve the integrity of the bankruptcy system. It works to secure the just, speedy, and economical resolution of bankruptcy cases; monitors the conduct of parties and takes action to ensure compliance with applicable laws and procedures; identifies and investigates bankruptcy fraud and abuse; and oversees administrative functions in bankruptcy cases. Students will work at the Office of the United States Trustee. Students will be provided with the opportunity to develop practical lawyering skills by participating in a broad range of activities. Interns review and evaluate case files, analyze and comment on legal documents and financial reports, prepare pleadings, conduct investigations, explore ethical issues, perform legal research, and attend meetings and hearings. Our goal is to provide students with a solid understanding of the role and function of the United States Trustee. STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS Preferences: None ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS Security clearance is required. |
| United States Attorney, Northern District of Georgia | Civil Litigation, Criminal Prosecution | Semester requirement: 2 SITE DESCRIPTION Students work in the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. Students are assigned to work either in the civil or criminal division for the entire two semesters. Students working in the civil division engage in a variety of tasks including drafting pleadings, assisting in taking depositions and conducting hearings, and litigating before magistrates and the district court, subject to court approval. Students assigned to the criminal division assist in investigations, respond to pre-trial defense motions, assist in the preparation of briefs and litigate before magistrates and the district court, subject to court approval. STUDENT QUALIFICATIONS
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
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