Job Title: Unpaid Legal Internship – Summer 2023
Department: Department of Veterans Affairs
Agency: Office of General Counsel, Court of Appeals Litigation Group (CALG)
Location: Washington, DC
About the Agency
CALG represents the Secretary before the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). It is the newest and largest group in OGC. The staff currently includes 98 appellate attorneys, a 27-member support team of paralegals, legal assistants, and copy clerks, and a 19-member management team. Each appellate attorney maintains a full case load for which he or she is fully accountable to the Court and to the Secretary. Law school students assist appellate attorneys with all aspects of their cases.
Our practice consists largely of legal research and writing, including:
• Appellate briefs,
• Dismissal motions,
• Motions to remand for additional consideration and/or development,
• Responding to petitions for extraordinary relief, and
• Responding to applications for attorney fees filed under the Equal Access to Justice Act
Briefing conferences, facilitated by the Court’s Central Legal Staff, are also held in most cases. There is frequent interaction with opposing counsel, from record development to the negotiation of fees.
Oral argument is also an important part of each appellate attorney’s practice. Hundreds of cases have been argued before the Court in the CAVC’s courtroom in Washington, D.C., and others have been showcased in arguments conducted at law schools throughout the country.
Position Description
Interns will initially be provided with instruction in veterans law, as well as the VA adjudication system. The student will then be assigned a limited case load and will perform research and writing tasks associated with the needs of individual cases depending on their procedural posture. It is expected that at the completion of the internship, the student will have prepared a pre-Briefing Conference memo, participated in a Briefing Conference, drafted procedural motions, and drafted and filed an Appellate brief with the CAVC. Additionally, the student will be expected to attend and participate in moot courts in preparation for oral argument before the CAVC. The internship will be in person in our Washington, DC office.
Highlights of CALG Internship Program
• Writing Intensive Position
• 2-3 Substantive Work Products will be completed during course of Internship
• Work Submitted Under Intern’s Name to Federal Court
• Assignment/Management of Multiple Cases and Projects
• Active participation as part of the Office of General Counsel’s largest staff group
Brief Outline of CALG Internship Program
• Orientation to VA Law
• Preparation of Legal Memorandum and Participation in Pre-Briefing Conference
• Tours of Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, VA facilities
• Research and Writing of Appellate Brief • Preparation of other pleadings as necessary • Opportunity to earn class credit
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Transcript
• Writing sample
Submission Deadline: Friday, February 24, 2023 (applications are accepted at any time prior to the deadline. However, interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis, so applicants are encouraged to submit as soon as possible.)
To apply, or if you have any questions or require additional information, please contact CALG’s Intern Coordinators:
Sarah W. Fusina, (202) 632-4345, sarah.fusina@va.gov
James B. Cowden, (202) 632-4315, james.cowden@va.gov