Fall Internship - Counselor to the Chief Justice

Summary

This is a fall position with the Office of the Counselor to the Chief Justice at the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C.

Closing Date: Thursday, 06/05/2025, 11:59 PM EDT

Please note that this vacancy has a limit of 200 applicants. The job opportunity announcement will automatically close if that limit is reached prior to the closing date.

This job is open to

Duties

Congress created the statutory position of the Counselor to the Chief Justice in 1972 to aid in the increasingly complex planning and leadership duties of the Chief Justice. Within the Court, the Counselor serves as the Chief Justice's chief operating officer. Outside of the Court, the Counselor supports the Chief Justice in his broad-ranging responsibility as head of the federal judiciary, including in his roles as presiding officer of the Judicial Conference of the United States, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Federal Judicial Center, and Chancellor of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. The Counselor is also the Chief Justice's point of contact and representative for many varied entities having business with the Court, including judicial organizations, bar associations, foreign courts, and visiting dignitaries.

Interns in the Counselor's Office conduct background research for briefings provided to guests of the Supreme Court; draft correspondence; collect, track, and summarize relevant news articles; and assist in other projects as assigned. The Counselor's Office accepts only students available to intern on a full-time basis, five days per week.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Meet Experience Requirements (see Qualifications)

Employment is subject to successful completion of a security background check.

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See:

Qualifications

The Program is competitive and draws interns from a highly qualified applicant pool. In general, interns should possess demonstrated academic achievement; ability and willingness to work closely with others; flexibility; self-sustaining motivation and initiative; and impeccable trustworthiness, discretion, and maturity. Good judgment is critical.

Internships are open to The Public - U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S. See .

Applicants must have completed two semesters of undergraduate study and meet one of the following criteria:

Actively enrolled in an academic program concurrent with the internship term;

Returning to a degree program immediately following the internship term; or

Participating in a federal fellowship program after the internship;

Law students and graduate students are not eligible to participate in the Supreme Court Internship program.

Preference will be given to applicants prepared to work eight-hour days, five days per week. Some offices may accept interns available less than full time but at least four days per week.

Interns selected for the fall and spring terms should plan to work for 16 weeks.

Education

At least two semesters of undergraduate study are required.

Additional information

Internship Program participants are eligible for the SmartBenefits transit subsidy. Please note that the Court does not offer a parking benefit.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

How You Will Be Evaluated

We will review and assess your application package in comparison with the posted qualifications for the position.

Your answers to the assessment questionnaire are required and will be used to evaluate your application. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click

Required Documents

The following documents are required:

A resume

A cover letter that explains why you are seeking a fall position with the Supreme Court of the United States in the Counselor to the Chief Justice's Office, your dates of availability, and confirming you are able to work on a full-time basis, five days per week

A Short Essay. Please attach an original short essay about a former Justice of the Supreme Court. The essay should explain your choice of Justice and what parts of his or her work and biography hold particular interest and significance to you. The essay should be two to four pages, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and Times New Roman 12 point. Your essay MUST be in either PDF or Microsoft WORD format

A transcript

Two letters of recommendation, upload with the application or recommenders may send to

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.