Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Externship Program US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Externship Program US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is pleased to announce that we are accepting applications for several unpaid externship / voluntary extern positions.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) provides leadership in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) internal equal employment opportunity (EEO) and civil rights programs, including investigations and compliance; EEOC’s workforce engagement programs; and the Agency’s reasonable accommodation (for medical, religious, pregnancy, and interpreter services, etc.) and accessibility services programs.

The office provides such assistance in accordance with Section 717 of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Sections 501 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; Section 403 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended; Executive Order 11478, as amended by Executive Order 12106; the Equal Pay Act of 1963; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008; the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act; the Elijah E. Cummings Act; and Title 29, C.F.R. § 1614.

OCR is comprised of three divisions, all of which support the mission of OCR and the EEOC:

• Office of the Director provides advice and assistance to the Chair, Commissioners, office directors, employees, and applicants regarding the agency’s equal opportunity and civil rights, workforce engagement programs, and reasonable accommodation and accessibility services programs.
• Investigations & Compliance Division leads the development, implementation and evaluation of the internal civil rights and equal opportunity programs and compliance operations in the EEOC.
• Workforce Engagement and Accommodation Resources Division supports the EEOC by managing programs that ensure access and necessary accommodations. It oversees training efforts, reasonable accommodation services, and accessibility programs, including support for individuals requiring interpreters or assistance with documentation.

DESCRIPTIONS OF EXTERNSHIP/VOLUNTARY EXTERN POSITIONS

Legal Extern

The OCR Legal Extern position is located in the Investigations and Compliance Division. The Legal Extern will investigate cases and prepare reports of investigation, review case files and reports of investigations prepared by the Investigators to ensure legal sufficiency, prepare drafts of Final Agency Decisions deciding whether or not the complainant met his or her burden to establish that discrimination occurred as alleged. 

The legal extern will be expected to assist with other programs within OCR, as directed.

HOW TO APPLY & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Office for Civil Rights’ externship program accepts exceptional candidates who possess strong analytical, communication, research, and writing skills. EEOC externships are unpaid; however, externs may receive academic credit. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 

To apply, e-mail a cover letter, resume, and references to oeoextern@eeoc.gov. Please format your electronic submission for use in either MSWord (.doc) or Adobe (.pdf). In your cover letter, please explain the requirements of your school's externship program, if applicable. Potential externs should indicate the semester for which they are seeking consideration, if applicable. Externships are available during the regular school year, as well as through the summer. Applications for externships are rolling.

If you are applying for an externship, please note that, generally, you are required to work 15 hours a week during Fall and Spring semesters and 40 hours during the Summer semester. If you are seeking credit from your educational institution, the exact requirements will be established by your school.

Though OCR is located in Washington, DC, there may be opportunities to participate in our Externship Program remotely. To do so, candidates must have a demonstrated ability to work independently, as evidenced by prior experience and/or statements from references. In addition, candidates must receive approval from their University to participate in the program remotely.