Updated 12/16/2011
THE FEDERAL JUDICIAL CENTER
THURGOOD MARSHALL FEDERAL JUDICIARY BUILDING
ONE COLUMBUS CIRCLE, N.E.
WASHINGTON, DC 20002-8003
EDUCATION DIVISION TEL.: 202-502-4000
FAX: 202-502-4088
The Federal Judicial Center
The Federal Judicial Center is the federal courts agency for research and continuing education. Congress
established the Center in 1967 as a separate organization within the federal judicial system at the
request of the Judicial Conference of the United States. A nine-member board, chaired by the Chief
Justice of the United States, determines its basic policies. The Education Division produces educational
programs, materials, and resources for federal court of appeals, district, bankruptcy, and magistrate
judges and for federal judicial branch employees, including persons serving in clerk of court, probation
and pretrial services offices. The Division delivers education and resources through a variety of
means including: in-person programs to which participants travel; in-person programs conducted
in courthouses for local participants; audio-, video-, and web conferences; programs and materials
delivered over the courts intranet; and printed publications.
Education Division Internship Description
An Education Division Intern assists staff through the following kinds of activities:
• develop and conduct training needs assessment surveys of judicial employees and/or officers
• analyze survey data and compile reports
• analyze and summarize participant evaluations of Center educational programs
• participate in program planning committee meetings
• assist in the development and delivery of in-person, video, and live web conferences by
researching topics, using the internet and other resources
• develop PowerPoint presentations
• create handouts, assemble and ship materials
• update existing education programs and learning tools, including web-based training programs,
through research and other tasks
• review newspapers, journals, and related publications for relevant essays or reports about
effective education and training activities
• review and summarize commercial video-, audio-, and print-based educational media for use as
training aids in the federal courts and recommend to senior staff the purchase of such materials
to include in the Center’s Media Library
• interact with judicial employees and/or officers nationwide, via telephone, email, intranet and
in-person
• conduct informational interviews for stories for Court to Court programs
• use the internet and other resources to conduct short and long-term research projects on
topics ranging from legal issues to leadership in the public sector to developments in the federal
sentencing policy and the supervision of offenders
• carry out a range of technical and office support activities
Frequently Asked QuestionsUpdated 12/16/2011
Will I be paid? Positions are usually paid an hourly rate dependent contingent upon the Center’s budgetary
circumstances.
What materials do I need in order to apply? For applicants to be considered all of the following materials
must be included in their application packets: cover letter, resume, transcript, brief writing sample
(maximum five pages), and at least one letter of recommendation.
What are the application deadlines? The deadlines for submitting intern applications are rolling, but
generally occur during the following timeframes: Spring semester deadline is in mid October; Summer
semester deadline is in late February; and Fall semester deadline is in mid June. Because of the variability in
deadlines, please contact your school’s Intern Coordinator for specific dates. Completed application packet
should be emailed to
EDInternProgram@fjc.gov.
Are there different departments within the Educational Division? And can request to work in a particular
one? The Education Division contains six teams: Judges & Attorneys, Clerk’s Office, Probation & Pretrial
Services, Management, and Automation & Web. You can specify in your cover letter your team of preference,
but we cannot guarantee you will be placed there.
How many hours will I be required to work? We give priority to applicants who can work at least 32 hours
a week. (Interns are limited a maximum of 39 hours a week.) Interns must coordinate their work schedules
with their supervisors.
What are the start and end dates for each intern session? Spring semester: January to April/May; Summer
semester: May/June to August; and Fall semester: August/September to December.
What should I do to prepare for the internship? Interns will be notified once they are placed into program.
At this point, the supervisor may contact the intern with preparation advice. If the supervisor does not, we
encourage interns to contact his/her supervisor. We also suggest interns to review Inside the Federal Courts
(
http://www.fjc.gov/federal/ courts.nsf), or uscourts.gov for additional judiciary related information.
Is there a dress code? Yes, business or business casual. Interns should be professional at all times.
What will be provided for me to work with (computer, notepads, etc.)? In most instances, the Center
provides interns with a cubicle, a desktop computer, office phone, and office supplies.
How many interns work in the Education Division each semester? The number changes every semester. In
general, there are between six to 10 interns at the Education Division at any semester.
Is housing provided? No, the Center does not provide housing to interns.
What methods of public transportation can I use to get to the Center? The Center is conveniently
located across the street from Union Station, which houses a variety of transportation methods (e.g.,
train, metro, buses, taxis, and bike share). For more information please see: Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit Authority (WMATA) (
www.wmata.com), the Virginia Railway Express (
www.vre.org), the
Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) (
http://mta.maryland.gov/marc-train), and Capital Bikeshare
(
www.capitalbikeshare.com).
Additional Questions: Please send all questions regarding the Center’s Internship Program to
EDInternProgram@fjc.gov. Or, visit
www.fjc.gov for more information about the Center.