Student Trainee (Legal)

Student Trainee (Legal) at Federal Energy Regulatory Commission · Department of Energy. Grade: 9-9. Applications close 2026-10-23.

Summary

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is ranked within the top 5 mid-size agencies as a "Best Place to Work" in the Federal government! Our Pathways Internship Program provides students the opportunity to acquire first-hand experience in the energy industry, while gaining exposure to the Commission's work. This Student Trainee (Legal) vacancy will be used to fill multiple intern positions in OAL, OALJ, OERA, OGC, and Commissioner Rosner.

Duties

• Our Pathways Internship Program provides students the opportunity to acquire first-hand experience in the energy industry, while gaining exposure to the Commission's work. This vacancy will be used to fill multiple positions in the Office of Administrative Litigation (OAL), the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ), the Office of Commissioner Rosner, the Office of Enforcement and Regulatory Accounting (OERA) and the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). This vacancy is for a Spring/Summer 2027 internship. While the duties of the Student Trainee (Legal) may vary depending on office placement, some of your typical work assignments may include: In the Office of Administrative Litigation (OAL), Student Trainees receive front-line exposure to administrative litigation involving cutting-edge issues in energy law applied to specific cases concerning infrastructure and rates in the electric, natural gas, and oil sectors. Working directly with multidisciplinary case teams, an intern will see first-hand how the administrative process resolves disputes through litigation or settlement, including negotiations, trial preparation and practice, motions practice, preparation of expert witness testimony, and legal research on energy law and policy. In the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ), Student Trainees (Interns) assist FERC's administrative law judges and their law clerks with conducting formal administrative hearings and settlement proceedings, managing complex evidentiary records, drafting orders, and issuing Initial Decisions (ALJ opinions) in contested proceedings involving some of the most significant and technically sophisticated issues in energy regulation. This assistance may include legal research, legal writing, legal analysis, summarizing testimony and exhibits, and attending settlement conferences and hearings. In the Office of Enforcement and Regulatory Accounting (OERA), Student Trainees assist enforcement staff as they conduct investigations and engage in litigation or administrative hearings. This assistance may include evidence collection, legal research, drafting legal memos, and helping attorneys prepare for, and then attending depositions or interviews. Student Trainees will also complete a semester-long research project of their choice. In the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) Energy Markets Section, Student Trainees perform legal research, draft legal memoranda, and assist with drafting orders related to the Commission's regulatory responsibilities under the Natural Gas Act, Federal Power Act, Interstate Commerce Act, and Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, as well as administrative law. In the OGC Projects Section, Student Trainees perform legal research, draft legal memoranda, and assist with drafting orders related to the Commission's regulatory responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act and other environmental statutes; work with nonlegal technical staff to review, analyze, and resolve energy issues presented to the Commission; and review applications, analyze legal memoranda and orders relating to proposed hydropower and natural gas facilities. In the OGC General and Administrative Law Section, Student Trainees can expect to work in a variety of areas including labor relations, personnel disputes, Freedom of Information Act, ethics, contracts, Critical Energy/Electric Infrastructure Information, and to assist with any related litigation concerning these matters. In the Office of Commissioner David Rosner, Student Trainees assist with the review, summary, and analysis of substantive matters within the Commission's jurisdiction. This assistance may include: preparation of memos on legal and/or technical issues arising under the Federal Power Act, Natural Gas Act, and the Interstate Commerce Act; background research for the Commissioner's public statements and engagements; participation in meetings with external stakeholders; and completion of other projects as assigned. The intern program at FERC is unique in that we post one intern vacancy for multiple offices to make selections. This means you may be contacted by several different hiring managers for different vacancies. See Next Steps section for additional information. Our Internship Program offers students the opportunity to attend networking events, visit regulated hydropower dams, and participate in seminars with career advice and tips from FERC's top management officials. For more information, visit: https://www.ferc.gov/about/careers/student-relations. This appointment is not to exceed (NTE) 09/30/2027. May be extended if the student continues to meet program requirements. This internship position may confer non-competitive conversion eligibility, if student meets all Pathways Program requirements for conversion, however, conversion is not required or guaranteed.

Qualifications

You must meet all eligibility and qualification (experience and/or education) requirements by the end of the Fall 2026 semester for spring internships and by the end of the spring 2026 semester for summer internships. Eligibility: In order to be eligible for our Pathways Internship Program, you must: Be accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree or certificate in a qualifying educational institution on a half- to full-time basis (as determined by the educational institution); AND Meet the definition of a student throughout the duration of your appointment; AND Meet the qualification standards (e.g., series and grade). You must meet the qualification (experience and/or education) and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Qualifications: To qualify as a GS-9 Student Trainee (Legal), you must complete your second year of law school by the end of the fall 2026 semester for spring internships and by the spring 2027 semester for summer internships. To view the qualification requirements of Student Trainee (Legal) please visit: Internship Qualifications Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience. Please do not cut and paste the "Duties" section, specialized experience statement, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Education

This position has an education requirement and therefore, transcripts are required. Failure to submit a copy of your transcripts at the time of application will result in your application being marked incomplete and you will not receive further consideration. PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Make sure you verify that your resume clearly indicates possession of the competencies and specialized experience listed under the "Qualifications and Evaluation" and "How You Will Be Evaluated" sections of this announcement. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside approximately two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Remember to submit all required and supporting documentation listed under the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)