Student Trainee (Clerical)

Summary The United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the Southern District of Florida (SDFL) is seeking several Student Trainee (clerical) positions to support a number of divisions, i.e., Executive, Criminal, Civil, Appellate, Asset Forfeiture, Administrative, and branch offices. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. Responsibilities This Student Trainee (Clerical) provides essential support by performing a range of clerical tasks. The incumbent assists clerical, technical, and administrative staff, helping ensure the efficient operation of daily activities. If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing Student Trainee (Clerical) support in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, located in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and/or Fort Pierce focusing in the areas of general administrative and clerical support services while receiving formal and/or on-the-job training as needed. Operating copy machines efficiently, ensuring accurate production, collation, and stapling of documents as required. Answering telephone calls, providing authorized assistance, and referring callers or messages to appropriate staff members. Performing regular and special messenger trips to support office needs. Sorting, arranging, and filing materials accurately using established office systems and participating in file close-out processes. Stocking office supplies and notifying the supervisor when items need to be reordered. Utilizing word processing software to produce written documents and database management. We are also seeking a few interns with social media, digital content creation, and video editing skills to support our online presence. These interns will help turn photos, videos, and event footage into usable social media content. Tasks include assisting with short form video edits, adding simple graphics or captions, sharing content ideas, and helping maintain overall brand quality. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. Travel Required Occasional, i.e., court runs to Federal Court buildings. Conditions of Employment Conditions of employment include the following requirements. You must be a United States Citizen or National. Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable. You must meet half-time student enrollment requirements. You must submit a transcript or proof of enrollment with your application. You must be at least 16 years of age or older. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. If selected, you may be required to serve a trial period. Qualifications To be eligible for this internship ALL of the following requirements must be met: Student Status: Definition of a student - applicant must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited high school, technical or vocational school, two-year or four-year college or university, graduate/professional school, or certificate program equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study (go to to verify accreditation status) pursuant to 5 CFR 362. You must be considered in good academic standings by the school. Individuals must be taking at least a half-time academic, vocational, or technical course load leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate. "Half-time" is defined by the school in which the student is enrolled. Grade Point Average: You must have at least a 2.5 GPA. Citizenship: Student Interns must be United States citizens or owe permanent allegiance to the United States. (Currently, natives of American Samoa, Swains Island and certain inhabitants of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are the only groups that owe permanent allegiance to the United States.) Background Investigation: You must successfully complete a background investigation to determine your suitability for Federal employment. Pathways Participant Agreement: All interns are required to sign the Participant Agreement. Qualification requirements as outlined below. To qualify: You must be enrolled in an accredited educational institution for all grades, at the time of application submission (proof of enrollment and a copy of transcripts are required) You may be required to type 40 words per minute for Office Automation positions. To be eligible at the GS-3 level, you must have at least at least six (6) months of general experience. General experience is defined as progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates the ability to perform the duties of a student trainee (clerical). Examples of general experience include performing routine office support tasks, handling correspondence or communications, maintaining records or files, operating standard office equipment, and organizing or processing documents. OR Education: At least one (1) year of education beyond high school. This education was obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. (One year of full-time study equals 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent at an accredited college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom hours of instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school.) OR Based on a combination of general experience as described in A and education as described in B which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. To determine if you qualify based on a combination of general experience and education, first calculate your education as a percentage of the required amount; then add the two percentages together. To be eligible at the GS-4 level, you must have at least at least one (1) year of general experience. General experience is defined as progressively responsible general office clerical support, office automation, or other work that indicates the ability to perform the duties of a student trainee (clerical). Examples of general experience includes producing a variety of written documents utilizing varied and advanced word processing software functions; gathering, filing, maintaining, and securing information from files and related sources; operating standard office equipment; Collating and stapling materials. OR Education: At least two (2) full academic years of post-high school study or an associate's degree. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. (You must submit a copy of transcripts). OR Based on a combination of experience and education. A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. Preferred Qualifications Proficient with CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Canva, or similar editing software. Strong understanding of social media platforms and what performs well on each. Creative eye for storytelling through video and graphics. Familiarity with AI-powered content creation tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Adobe Firefly, Canva AI, Descript) is a plus. Self-starter who can work independently and proactively suggest new content ideas. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. Interest in government, public service, law, or current events is preferred. Education All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at an institution that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see Foreign Education Note You may use foreign education to meet qualification requirements if you send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency in with your transcript. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Additional Information Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized. The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees Veterans' Preference If you are entitled to Veterans' Preference, you must indicate the type of preference you are claiming by checking the appropriate box in the assessment questionnaire to indicate your preference and submit the documentation as specified in the "Required Documents" section of this vacancy announcement. Selective Service If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See Reasonable Accommodation Statement Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. EEO Statement/Policy The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: Political Appointees (Current or Former) The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered. #J-18808-Ljbffr United States Attorneys' Offices