Department: Department of Defense
Location(s): Indianapolis, Indiana
Salary Range: $24.16 - $31.41 Per Hour
Job Summary: This position is part of DFAS's Pathways Program, for current students/individuals accepted for enrollment in a qualifying educational program in an accredited institution, full or half-time basis. This is a PAID summer internship, running May - August. Applicants who indicate they meet the minimum qualifications will receive an email from assessments@USAHire.opm.gov to complete online assessments. Check your "Spam"/"Junk" folders. See below for more information!
Major Duties:
Qualifications: Requirements: Law Student Status: An eligible student is an individual who is enrolled in law school pursuing a Juris Doctor Degree or a LL.B Legum Baccalaureus Degree and is taking at least half-time academic course load in an American Bar Association accredited university. Successful candidates must have outstanding academic records, superior writing skills, and be in good academic standing at his/her university. Enrolled or formally accepted for enrollment as a full-time or half-time (Half-time basis is defined by the academic institution that the student is enrolled or accepted into) student into an accredited college or university in a qualifying degree-seeking program, or enrolled or formally accepted for enrollment in a qualifying certificate program; Students must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) at time of application and must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA throughout the entire Pathways Student Trainee Internship appointment to remain in the Program; Applicants MUST submit a transcript or proof of enrollment with the online application (see Required Documents for additional details). Please Note: If you are graduating from your current academic program prior to September 2026, you will not be eligible for this student appointment unless you are accepted for enrollment at a qualifying educational institution seeking an ADDITIONAL qualifying degree, diploma, certificate, etc., OR an advanced degree. You MUST submit proof of acceptance along with your current transcripts for consideration. If selected, must sign a Pathways Participant Agreement; provide course registration information at the start of each school term; and provide verification of academic status (official transcript) at the end of each academic term. In addition to meeting the above requirement, applicants must meet one of the following minimum qualifications:GS-07: One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade (GS-05) within the federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position, is required. Specialized Experience is defined as: Performing legal research and analyzing laws, facts, evidence, and precedents; assisting with the preparation of legal memoranda; assisting attorneys in preparing legal documents and responding to inquiries on legal matters. To qualify for this position, you must meet the selective placement factor described below. Your experience related to this requirement must be well-documented in your resume. Experience as a casual user of social media and networking tools is not minimally qualifying for this position. Selective Placement Factor Requirement: Selected Placement Factors (SPF) are special qualification requirements, in addition to the minimum requirements, that are essential in successfully performing the duties of this job. If SPF experience is not documented in your resume, you will not receive further consideration under this vacancy announcement. In addition to the specialized experience/education requirement listed above, this position has the following selective placement factor(s): Completion of at least one year of enrollment at an accredited law school (NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts for verification.) You will be rated INELIGIBLE if you do not possess the above noted Selective Placement Factor. Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: 1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button. 2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. 3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/07/2026. 4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification. 5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account. To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire
Application Deadline: 2026-01-07