Student Externships Birmingham District Office

I. Legal Unit Internship:

Positions Available: 1-2 semester and 1-2 summer internships with the Legal Unit of the Birmingham District Office of the EEOC.

To Apply: Applications for unpaid internships occurring during the school year may be made at any time. Email a cover letter, resume and transcript to Regional Attorney, Marsha Rucker at marsha.rucker@eeoc.gov.  Applications for summer internships should be made no later than March 15. 

What to Expect: students primarily will work with Trial Attorneys engaged in litigation against employers for violations of Title VII, the ADEA and the ADA. This work will mostly be legal research and writing. Students may assist in interviewing claimants or witnesses, help prepare discovery responses based on those interviews, or help prepare claimants or witnesses for deposition. Students may also be asked to abstract depositions and develop fact responses for defending against motions for summary judgment. Students may also work with enforcement staff involved in investigating Charges of Discrimination.

In addition to the legal assignments, interns are given the opportunity to observe different aspects of agency functions. Depending on availability and schedules, students will sit it on intake interviews and court hearings on routine and contested matters, and, sometimes, trials. Students will also have opportunities to observe depositions. When possible, the students are encouraged to observe activities that build upon work they have performed. For example, if a student has provided research on a motion, they are encouraged to attend court when the motion is heard. If they have interviewed witnesses on a case, they are encouraged to then sit in on depositions related to that case.

Our office works to ensure that students are given a wide variety of work and the opportunity to interact with as many different attorneys and staff members as possible.

Requirements: Interns are asked to provide at least 20 hours per week of work. Candidates will be evaluated based on academic performance, demonstrated research and writing skills, and interest in furthering the mission of the agency.

II. Office of Administrative Judges: Judicial Internship Program

The Birmingham District Office of the EEOC presides over and decides employment discrimination cases filed against federal government agencies under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Rehabilitation Act, and the Equal Pay Act. There are currently three Administrative Judges in the Birmingham District office.

What to Expect: throughout the year the Judicial Internship Program affords students the opportunity to work closely with the Administrative Judges and learn about employment discrimination as well as evidentiary, procedural, and administrative law issues. Interns are directly involved with the cases and participate in a full array of legal work and assignments, including the following:

• Read files and summarize the evidence gathered during the investigative process. Identify any lack of information in the investigation that requires further exploration.
• Assist the Judge in determining the issues to be heard at the hearing, the witnesses who will be approved to testify, and the exhibits that will be admitted.
• Observe settlement conferences and, depending on the student and the Judge, some interns may conduct a settlement conference or mediate the dispute without the Judge.
• Participate in discovery conferences conducted by the Judge and assist with discovery and resolution of discovery disputes.
• Draft orders and directions to the parties.
• Observe hearings conducted by the Judges.
• Draft decisions, including legal research analysis.

There is no funding for this Program. Most students receive credit, work study or a fellowship from their law school for their participation.

Requirements: Interns are asked to provide 20 hours per week of work. Applications for Fall or Spring semester internships may be made at any time.  Applications for Summer 2020 internships should be made no later than Friday, May 22.

If you wish to apply to the Judicial Internship Program, please send your cover letter, resume and a writing sample to Supervisory Administrative Judge Mason Barrett at mason.barrett@eeoc.gov.