Hearings Unit Judicial Clerkship (Judicial Externship)

Hearings Unit Judicial Clerkship

In the Federal Sector, formal EEO Complaints filed against a Federal Government agency after the agency's investigation are adjudicated by an EEOC Administrative Judge upon a Complainant’s Request for a Hearing. The Administrative Judge develops the record and adjudicates the case through settlement, dispositive motion or hearing.

The EEOC Philadelphia District Office Hearings Unit offers opportunities for law students to participate in the administrative hearing process working closely with EEOC Administrative Judges. The student will have extensive exposure to civil rights litigation. The student will prepare legal memoranda, draft notices and orders, respond to motions (including motions for summary judgment), draft findings of fact and conclusions of law, and/or conduct research for use by the Administrative Judge in rendering decisions in Federal Sector employment discrimination cases.

The student will have a rare and extensive opportunity to hone legal writing skills in real life situations by drafting actual decisions. This office is committed to ensuring that law students receive an opportunity to develop legal skills.

Specific cases will be identified for the extern that present legal issues, including disability law, retaliation, sexual harassment and other areas of employment discrimination. The student will be assigned progressively more complex casework throughout the summer or semester and work with increasing independence, but always under the direct supervision of an Administrative Judge. The student will meet often with his/her assigned Administrative Judge(s) and there will be frequent interim review of written documents. In addition, the student will have opportunities to discuss general legal matters with the Administrative Judges and may attend oral case presentations and other office discussions.

Our office has multiple vacancies available throughout the year. During a semester, we prefer students who can commit a minimum of 16 hours per week. For the summer term, we prefer students who can commit a minimum of 32 hours per week.

To Apply for Judicial Clerkship: Interested students should email a letter of interest (stating why you want to extern with the EEOC and why you think we should select you), resume, transcript (unofficial transcript is fine. Please redact your social security number), and writing sample, preferably in a single .pdf, to: PDOHearingsExterns@eeoc.gov

Externships are unpaid volunteer positions, but we will assist students with their applications for academic credit, externships, or external stipends.

Externships may be done remotely.

The EEOC is an equal opportunity employer. For additional information about the EEOC Externship Program, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/careers/externship-positions.