Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Internship Program US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is pleased to announce that we are accepting applications for several unpaid internship / voluntary intern positions.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is located at the Commission's Headquarters in Washington, DC. OCR, under the leadership of the Director, works to ensure that the EEOC is a diverse and inclusive environment where all employees and applicants are provided with an equal opportunity to succeed. OCR also oversees the Agency's complaint processing procedures.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) consists of three divisions, the Immediate Office of the Director, Workforce Engagement & Accommodation Resources Division and the Investigations and Compliance Division. Example functions of each division follow:

1. The Immediate Office of the Director ensures the accomplishment of the Office for Civil Rights’ mission and provides direction and guidance to subordinate staff and Divisions. The Office provides advice and assistance to the Chair, Commissioners, Office Directors, employees, and applicants regarding the Agency’s equal opportunity and civil rights programs, workforce engagement programs, reasonable accommodation programs, and accessibility services programs.
2. Workforce Engagement & Accommodation Resources has a broad mission, is responsible for all aspects of promoting equal employment opportunity in the Agency; managing all EEO and engagement programs and initiatives at the EEOC; and leading the Agency’s workforce and engagement training.  It oversees the Affirmative Employment program which includes conducting workforce analysis, proactively addressing potential barriers to employment, providing training to EEOC staff, conducting outreach to Affinity Groups, engaging in Agency strategic planning efforts, and assisting with the development and implementation of plans to address Presidential initiatives.
3. The Investigations and Compliance Division is responsible for processing complaints of discrimination filed by Agency employees and applicants for employment who believe that they have been discriminated against in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, all in accordance with the complaint processing procedures set forth at 29 C.F.R. § 1614.   

DESCRIPTIONS OF INTERNSHIP/VOLUNTARY INTERN POSITIONS

Affirmative Employment Intern

The Affirmative Employment Intern position is located in the Workforce Engagement & Accommodation Resources Division. The Intern may help to coordinate training and education events, conduct outreach to minority-serving institutions and affinity groups, serve as a liaison to Voluntary Employee Organizations at the EEOC, conduct workforce analysis, develop marketing materials, develop training materials, and work with other Agencies and educational Institutions to share information and identify best practices. 

EEO Investigator

The EEO Investigator Intern position is located in the Investigations and Compliance Division. The primary purpose is to conduct timely, thorough investigations in a professional, ethical manner.

The investigator analyzes the complaint, counselor's report, and other documents to determine whether complaints meet the regulatory requirements for acceptance and to determine the claims to be accepted and investigated. The investigator also develops an Investigative Plan, interviews witnesses, prepares interrogatories, and request documents.

The ultimate goal of the Investigator is to conduct an accurate and thorough investigation sufficient for a decision maker to make a determination as to whether or not discrimination occurred.

Legal Intern

The OCR Legal Intern position is located in the Investigations and Compliance Division. The Legal Intern will investigate cases and prepare reports of investigation, review case files and reports of investigations prepared by the Investigators to ensure legal sufficiency, prepare drafts of Final Agency Decisions deciding whether or not the complainant met his or her burden to establish that discrimination occurred as alleged. 

The legal intern will be expected to assist with other programs within OCR, as directed.

HOW TO APPLY & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Office for Civil Rights’ internship program accepts exceptional candidates who possess strong analytical, communication, research, and writing skills. EEOC internships are unpaid; however, interns may receive academic credit. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 

To apply, e-mail a cover letter, resume, and references to oeointern@eeoc.gov. Please format your electronic submission for use in either MSWord (.doc) or Adobe (.pdf). In your cover letter, please explain the requirements of your school's internship/externship program, if applicable. Potential interns should indicate the semester for which they are seeking consideration, if applicable. Internships are available during the regular school year, as well as through the summer. Applications for internships are rolling.

If you are applying for an internship, please note that, generally, you are required to work 15 hours a week during Fall and Spring semesters and 40 hours during the Summer semester. If you are seeking credit from your educational institution, the exact requirements will be established by your school.

Though OCR is located in Washington, DC, there may be opportunities to participate in our Internship Program remotely. To do so, candidates must have a demonstrated ability to work independently, as evidenced by prior experience and/or statements from references. In addition, candidates must receive approval from their University to participate in the program remotely.