Student Intern

POSITION: Student Intern
SALARY: CL 22 ($37,226 - $60,494 – full time equivalent)
HOURLY RATE: $18 to $29 Per Hour
CLOSING DATE: Open until filled; Preference will be given to applications received by Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
LOCATION: San Diego, California
VACANCY NO.: 26-24

Position Overview:
The United States District Court, Southern District of California is seeking qualified applicants for the temporary position of Student Intern. This position is located in the Clerk’s Office and reports to the Case Services Supervisor. This is an entry level operational court support position and will have responsibility for performing a variety of duties related to court operations, case processing and records maintenance. This position is an ideal opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to gain hands-on experience working in a federal court environment. The typical schedule for an intern would be no more than full-time (40 hours per week) during a summer term and likely average no more than 20 hours per week during fall and spring terms.

Representative Duties:
•Assist staff in collecting, maintaining, and processing case information received in a variety of formats.
•Sort, classify, and scan appropriate documents from paper case files into court systems.
•Screen and refer telephone calls and visitors, answer routine inquiries and provide general assistance at the intake counter under the guidance of staff.
•Quality-check all scanned documents to ensure each has been correctly uploaded and organized in the appropriate system correctly.
•Perform backup clerical duties, including mail sorting, filing, photocopying, faxing, and document delivery, as required.
•Assist staff with community outreach activities, educational programs and court ceremonies as needed.
•Observe and assist staff in various court operations departments, with potential opportunities to observe juror orientations and court proceedings to gain a deeper understanding of the federal judiciary.
•Provide regular feedback regarding task and project status and direct any questions or concerns to the Case Services Supervisor.
•Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualification Requirements:
To qualify for CL-22, the candidate must have a high school diploma or equivalent and be currently enrolled and working towards either a bachelor’s or graduate degree, preferably in a pre-law, criminal justice, public administration, or related field.

Additionally, this position requires the following:
•Fundamental understanding of, and the ability to use, Adobe Acrobat; Microsoft Office systems including, Word, Outlook, Excel, Teams; and other standard software and equipment required for word processing, data entry, and report generation.
•Strong communication and customer service skills and the ability to serve a wide variety of customers which include judges, staff, and the public tactfully, courteously, and with a professional demeanor.
•Demonstrated history of attention to detail and accuracy, use of good judgment, and ability to adhere to ethics and confidentiality requirements.
The work in this position is performed in an office setting. This is not a full-time telework position.

Preferred Skills / Qualifications
• Prior work or internship experience in a legal or public service environment.
Required Clearances:
Please note that this position does not require that applicants complete the “Optional Background Information” section on page 5 of the AO-78 Application Form. The Court may require the disclosure of any criminal history information at the time a conditional offer is made.
The selected candidate will also be required to submit to a background clearance which includes fingerprinting and a credit check.
Benefits:
Federal benefits are dependent upon the length and type of employment and hours worked per pay period. For more information about federal court benefits, please visit: www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits.
How to Apply:
Qualified candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, a minimum of three references with contact information, and the AO-78 Application Form (available for download in the application portal). All application materials must be submitted here: CASD HR Application Portal. More information on career opportunities may also be found at www.casd.uscourts.gov.
Preference will be given to applicants who submit application materials
before 4:30pm, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.

Information for Applicants
The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. In the event that a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the Clerk of Court may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the position.
Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Employees of the U.S. District Court serve under “Excepted Appointments” and are considered “at will” employees. Federal Civil Service classifications or regulations do not apply; however, court employees are entitled to substantially the same benefits as other Federal Government employees.
All information provided by applicants is subject to verification and background investigation. Applicants are advised that false statements or omission of information on any application materials or the inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment or dismissal after being employed.
Participation in the interview process will be at the applicant’s own expense and relocation expenses will not be provided.
The position is subject to the mandatory electronic fund transfer (EFT) participation for payment of net pay (i.e., Direct Deposit).
Non-citizens may be interviewed and considered for employment, but employment offers will only be made to individuals who qualify under one of the exceptions in 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)(B). In most cases, this means that an offer of employment cannot be made unless the candidate is a lawful permanent resident who is seeking U.S. citizenship as explained below.
Under 8 U.S.C. §1324b(a)(3)(B), a lawful permanent resident seeking citizenship may not apply for citizenship until he or she has been a permanent resident for at least five years (three years if seeking naturalization as a spouse of a citizen), at which point he or she must apply for citizenship within six months of becoming eligible, and must complete the process within two years of applying (unless there is a delay caused by the processors of the application). Non-citizens who have not been permanent residents for five years will be required to execute an affidavit that they intend to apply for citizenship when they become eligible to do so.
If selected for first time appointment to a position, you may be required to complete an initial performance probationary period. Failure to successfully complete the probationary period may result in termination of employment.
THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER