Volunteer Legal Internships
The Office of the General Counsel welcomes applications from law students for various internships offered in our offices. These positions are available year round and may be with or without academic credit. Please see the information below for a list of our current internship opportunities. The Office of the General Counsel is an equal employment opportunity employer.
Office of General Law
The Office of the Assistant General Counsel for General Law, which is part of the Office of the General Counsel, directly serves the Secretary of Transportation and the Department's senior officials by providing legal advice, counsel, and representation that reflect a problem-solving approach to achieving national transportation policy goals and the efficient operations of the Department. The issues that we deal with are wide-ranging and ever-changing. The General Counsel's management team is committed to our employees and to ensuring that our Office is a place where the quality of our work is matched by the quality of our work experience.
The Office of General Law has unpaid legal internships available during the summer. As an intern, you will have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of matters such as: real property and asset management; information technology investment and capital planning; employee ethical conduct, conflicts of interest and political activities; equal employment opportunity matters; civil rights; Federal personnel and employment; intellectual property and data rights matters; and alternative dispute resolution. The successful candidate will have strong research and writing skills, the ability to work within tight deadlines on multiple projects and strong interpersonal skills. While the position is unpaid, interns are encouraged to pursue academic credit or public interest funding for their work experience in our office through programs with their law schools.
To apply for a summer internship, please email a cover letter, resume, unofficial transcript, and a brief writing sample (no more than 10 pages), to Holly Ceasar-Fox, Attorney Advisor, Office of General Law, at holly.ceasarfox@dot.gov. The application deadline for Summer 2027 is January 29, 2027, but applications will be processed on a rolling basis so early applications are encouraged.
Office of International and Aviation Economic Law
The Office of International and Aviation Economic Law, U. S. Department of Transportation, has unpaid legal clinical internships available for law students for the summer of 2027. The internships may be with or without academic credit.
The Office of International and Aviation Economic Law provides legal support to the Office of the Secretary and other agencies of the Department in all modes of Transportation. Its areas of responsibility include transportation negotiations with foreign countries (including aviation, maritime, vehicle standards, and trade), international transportation safety and security, Global Satellite issues, international regulation of autonomous vehicles and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), aviation licensing and regulatory matters involving interstate and international transportation, essential air service, airport competition, and aviation antitrust matters.
Prior summer intern projects have included research and analysis of the law of executive agreements, treaty denunciation, and dispute resolution clauses in international agreements, writing international technical cooperation agreements, review of legislation and regulations affecting aviation or international transportation, and review of orders granting license authority to U.S. and foreign air carriers in contested adjudicatory cases.
To apply for a summer internship, please email a cover letter, resume, unofficial transcript, and a brief writing sample (no more than 10 pages), to Ben Shipe, Senior Attorney, Office of International and Aviation Economic Law, at benjamin.shipe@dot.gov. The application deadline for Summer 2027 is January 29, 2027, but applications will be processed on a rolling basis so early applications are encouraged.
Office of Litigation and Enforcement
The Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Litigation and Enforcement provides advice and legal counsel for litigation in which the Department is a party or has an interest. The Office oversees all Supreme Court cases and appellate cases involving the Department, supervises the preparation of all filings before independent regulatory agencies in proceedings in which the Department has an interest, and provides legal advice concerning litigation risk, pre- and post-litigation policy decisions, bankruptcy proceedings, and antitrust issues. The Office works with the Offices of the Chief Counsels of the various DOT modal administrations, which handle cases involving modal administration issues.
As an intern/extern, you will have the opportunity to work on cases requiring extensive legal research, brief writing, settlement negotiations, as well as other duties necessary for the handling of pending litigation matters. Ideal candidates will have strong writing and analytical skills, the ability to work within tight deadlines on multiple projects simultaneously, exceptional legal research skills, and a desire to learn about the nation's transportation industry. While the position is unpaid, in the past, our interns have been able to receive academic credit for their experiences in our office through programs with their law schools.
To apply for a summer internship, please email a cover letter, resume, unofficial law school transcript, and a brief writing sample (no more than 10 pages) in a single PDF file to Paula Lee at paula.lee@dot.gov and Erin Hendrixson at erin.hendrixson@dot.gov. The application deadline for Summer 2027 is January 29, 2027.
Office of Regulation and Legislation
The Office of Regulation and Legislation, a component of the Department’s Office of the General Counsel, provides legal guidance on administrative law matters affecting the Department. Our portfolio is substantively diverse and involves transportation by air, sea, road, rail, and pipeline. We review and coordinate the clearance of rulemaking documents produced by the Office of the Secretary of Transportation and the Department’s nine operating administrations. We serve as the Department’s liaison with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs within the Office of Management and Budget, and we have overall responsibility for preparing the Department’s section of the semi-annual Unified Regulatory and Deregulatory Agenda, which provides information on rulemaking activities under development throughout the Federal government. We play an essential role in formulating Department-wide regulatory procedures.
We also serve as legislative counsel to the Office of the Secretary for all modes of transportation. Our scope of duties in this area includes reviewing, coordinating, and sometimes drafting legislative proposals to be transmitted to Congress; assisting in the preparation of testimony to be given by Departmental witnesses before Congressional committees and responding to questions for the record; analyzing legislation pending before Congress; providing technical drafting assistance; and reviewing draft executive orders, presidential memoranda, and proclamations.
Interns will become well-versed in the Administrative Procedure Act and many other laws and executive orders affecting the rulemaking process. Interns will have the opportunity to work on rulemaking matters dealing with all modes of transportation, as well as cutting-edge issues. Interns may be asked to assist the office on legislative-related matters. Ideal candidates should have the ability to work effectively on multiple, high-profile, time-sensitive projects, and a desire to contribute to the safety, security, and vitality of America’s transportation system. Although internships in our office are unpaid, past interns have received academic credit for their work with us through arrangements they made with their law schools.
To apply, please email your resume, cover letter, transcript, and writing sample (less than 10 pages) to Jennifer Kelly-Kennedy, at j.kellykennedy@dot.gov no later than January 29, 2027. Our office will be accepting and reviewing applications on a rolling basis.
Office of Operations
The Office of Operations in the Office of the General Counsel serves as the principal legal advisor on a diverse range of critical and complex issues. Interns conduct research, draft opinions, correspondence, memos, present findings, and lead special projects. Interns also have opportunities to attend intra- and inter-agency meetings and gain exposure to the diversity of our practice areas. Our work often involves novel and cross-cutting legal issues that are essential to the Department’s mission.
As a legal intern in the Office of Operations, you will have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of matters alongside attorneys who actively engage interns in the substantive work of the office such as: environmental law; Native American sovereignty and jurisdiction law; security and emergency response; cybersecurity; privacy; Freedom of Information Act; and legal review of Government Accountability Office and Office of Inspector General audits. A successful intern candidate will have excellent legal research and writing skills, the ability to work within tight deadlines, and strong interpersonal skills. While the position is unpaid, interns are encouraged to pursue academic credit or public interest funding for their work experience in our office through programs with their law schools.
To apply for a summer internship, please email a cover letter, resume, unofficial law school transcript, and a brief writing sample (no more than 10 pages) to John Allread at john.allread@dot.gov. The application deadline for Summer 2027 is January 29, 2027.
Office of Aviation Consumer Protection
Law Students
The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (www.transportation.gov/airconsumer), a component of the Department’s Office of the General Counsel, is seeking motivated law students for unpaid 2026 summer internships. This position offers a unique opportunity to represent the interests of the traveling public in the federal government.
The position is in person at the DOT Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The internships may be completed with or without academic credit.
About the Office
OACP is responsible for protecting the rights of air travelers. The Office reviews and processes consumer complaints regarding air travel services, such as refunds, delays, and mishandled baggage. It investigates potential violations and ensures compliance with aviation statutes and regulations related to consumer protection, civil rights, and air carrier economic licensing. It also develops and drafts regulatory and deregulatory actions related to aviation economic matters to better serve the public and the industry.
Intern Responsibilities
Interns will assist attorneys in enforcement matters, from the initial stage of receiving and evaluating passenger complaints, through a potential investigation. If enforcement action is warranted, then the interns will provide support throughout the enforcement process. Interns will also assist attorneys during the rulemaking process, which includes review and analysis of public comments, research related to the rulemaking topics, and assistance in drafting preliminary documents related to both final rulemakings and proposed rulemakings. In addition, interns will have the opportunity to observe and assist in the office’s internal response to developments in the commercial airline industry that may attract national attention.
How to Apply
To apply, please send your resume, along with a cover letter, a copy of your transcript with fall 2025 grades, and a writing sample to the attention of Stuart A. Hindman, Senior Attorney, at stuart.hindman@dot.gov. The application deadline for Summer 2027 is January 29, 2027.
College/Graduate Students
The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (www.transportation.gov/airconsumer), a component of the Department’s Office of the General Counsel, is seeking motivated college juniors, seniors, and graduate students for unpaid 2026 summer internships. This position offers a unique opportunity to represent the interests of the traveling public in the federal government.
The position is in person at the DOT Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The internships may be completed with or without academic credit.
About the Office
OACP is responsible for protecting the rights of air travelers. The Office reviews and processes consumer complaints regarding air travel services, such as refunds, delays, and mishandled baggage. It investigates potential violations and ensures compliance with aviation statutes and regulations related to consumer protection, civil rights, and air carrier economic licensing. It also develops and drafts regulatory and deregulatory actions related to aviation economic matters to better serve the public and the industry.
Intern Responsibilities
Interns will provide critical support to Transportation Industry Analysts and Attorneys. Duties may include reviewing and analyzing air travel service complaints alleging violations of laws, assisting with investigations into carrier compliance, and reviewing public comments received on rulemaking or other actions. In addition, the intern may assist with data entry tasks, such as manually entering written correspondence into the Office’s complaint tracking system and assisting with preparing responses to Freedom of Information Act requests.
How to Apply
To apply, please send your resume, along with a cover letter and a copy of your academic transcript to Stuart A. Hindman, Senior Attorney, at stuart.hindman@dot.gov. The application deadline for Summer 2027 is January 29, 2027.
Office of Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisition, and Fiscal Law
The Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisition, and Fiscal Law directly serves the Secretary of Transportation and the Department's senior officials by providing legal advice and services with respect to the broad range of federal financial assistance programs, acquisition, and fiscal law issues as they affect achievement of the Department’s policies and programs. Our office provides legal and services regarding use of appropriated funds; fiscal law and financial management; the acquisition, use, and disposition of goods and services; and billions of dollars of financial assistance, including grants and loans. The office also provides direct legal support to DOT’s Build America Bureau in connection with all aspects of complex Federal credit transactions, including transactions under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) and Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) credit programs, with a particular emphasis on ensuring compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, policies, and program matters.
The Office of Federal Financial Assistance, Acquisition, and Fiscal Law has unpaid legal internships available during the summer. As an intern, you will have the opportunity to work on matters such as appropriations, fiscal law, and financial management; acquisitions and contracts; grants and financial assistance; and public private partnerships and innovative financing, among other matters. The successful candidate will have strong research and writing skills, the ability to work within tight deadlines on multiple projects, and strong interpersonal skills. While the position is unpaid, interns are encouraged to pursue academic credit or public interest funding for their work experience in our office through programs with their law schools.
To apply for a summer internship, please email a cover letter, resume, and unofficial transcript, and a brief writing sample (no more than 10 pages), to Laura Wainwright, Attorney Advisor, Office of General Law, at laura.wainwright@dot.gov. The application deadline for Summer 2027 is January 29, 2027.
Oversight Review and Response Team
The Office of the General Counsel’s Oversight Review and Response Team (ORR) provides legal advice on matters related to oversight of the Department—with an emphasis on Congressional oversight—ensuring that DOT is responsive to oversight requests, while protecting DOT's legitimate interests in confidentiality and deliberative decision-making. The ORR provides counsel to DOT personnel responding to Congressional oversight requests; represents DOT at Congressional interviews and briefings for Congressional Members and staff; advises DOT personnel on legal questions related to oversight by Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and DOT’s Office of Inspector General (OIG); and provides counsel on whistleblower referrals requiring reports to the Office of the Special Counsel (OSC).
As an intern, you will work closely with members of the ORR to address a wide variety of issues, including the Constitution’s Separation of Powers principle, the respective authorities of Congress, GAO, OIG, and OSC to conduct oversight of DOT programs, and related topics. Because DOT’s oversight matters also involve underlying transportation issues, you will have the opportunity to work with subject matter counsel on legal issues spanning various modes of transportation.
The successful candidate will have strong research and writing skills; the ability to work within deadlines on multiple projects; and strong interpersonal skills. Though the position is unpaid, past interns have worked with their law school programs to obtain academic credit for their work with ORR.
To apply for a summer internship, please email a cover letter, resume, unofficial transcript, and brief writing sample (no more than 10 pages) to Ron Jackson, Senior Counsel for Oversight, at ronald.jackson@dot.gov no later than January 29, 2027.