The Department of Justice today announced awards of more than $165 million to support public safety efforts in the state of North Carolina. The funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will support violent crime reduction, opioid/substance abuse reduction efforts, school safety, victim services, transitional housing for domestic violence victims, law enforcement activities, justice mental health, and juvenile justice.

Civil Division (CIV)
Federal Programs Branch
Washington, District of Columbia

Interns will work closely with many Branch trial attorneys, and like those attorneys, may receive assignments in any of the Branch's practice areas. Interns conduct legal or factual research; prepare internal memoranda, client letters, and briefs; and assist attorneys with discovery and trial preparation. Interns also have the opportunity to attend client meetings, moot courts, oral arguments, depositions, and other litigation events.

Civil Division (CIV)
Office of Vaccine Litigation
Washington, District of Columbia

Interns work closely with attorneys and paralegals on substantive matters in all stages of litigation. Indeed, the position offers a unique experience in public service. The legal and medical issues at stake in each case vary greatly. Attorneys and staff in the group handle heavy case loads, and while streamlined procedures are utilized, cases frequently involve complex liability and damages issues. The Group is obliged to ensure that the Vaccine Trust Fund, from which damage awards are paid, is protected and, where eligibility criteria are met, that fair compensation is distributed to those whom Congress has intended. Attorneys appear frequently before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which affords interns the opportunity to gain experience in trial and appellate practice.

For the Fall semester, interns should be able to start in early September. For the Spring semester, interns should be able to start by early January. We accept both full and part-time students during the academic year, and ask that all interns commit to at least 16-20 hours a week, for approximately 12 weeks. Interested candidates may be offered the opportunity to continue their service into the Summer.

Civil Division (CIV)
Office of Immigration Litigation- District Courts Section
Washington, District of Columbia

Volunteer Legal Interns will be assigned to one of OIL-DCS’s six litigation teams. Responsibilities may vary depending upon an intern’s time commitment, but will generally include conducting legal research, preparing memoranda, and providing other litigation support. Under the supervision of an attorney-mentor, Volunteer Legal Interns typically draft motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, oppositions in substantive or procedural matters, appellate briefs, or complaints in affirmative denaturalization cases. Interns will also be expected to prepare and deliver a mock oral argument on of their assigned cases before a panel of subject-matter experts. Any Department-wide or internal trainings offered will also be made available for Volunteer Legal Interns to attend.

Civil Division (CIV)

Washington, District of Columbia

Interns research, write, and develop draft motions, briefs, and discovery; attend depositions, moot court and oral arguments; perform legal research; and assist attorneys in all phases of trial preparation and at trial.

Internship Locations:  Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco. The vast majority of internships are located in Washington, D.C.

Minimum Weeks Required:  6

Civil Division (CIV)
Commercial-Intellectual Property
Washington, District of Columbia

As a Law Student Volunteer you will conduct research, draft memoranda, and assist in discovery and trial efforts.  you will be given assignments in different subject matters, providing exposure to a variety of intellectual property practice areas.  Our goal is to introduce you to the federal legal system in general and our office's practice areas in particular, and to develop your legal skills.

Civil Division (CIV)
National Courts Section
Washington, District of Columbia

Intern assignments closely equate to the work that is routinely performed by National Courts Section attorneys.  Typically, this means that interns will be utilized to research and draft appellate briefs, dispositive court motions (e.g., motions to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b), motions for summary judgment pusuant to Rule 56), and legal memoranda.  Interns may also be assigned to assist attorneys in all phases of trial preparation and trial, and may attend depositions, moot courts and oral arguments.

Weeks/Hours: Academic semester interns must commit to work a minimum of 15 hours per week for a period of at least 10 weeks during the semester.

A federal jury in Detroit, Michigan, found a Colombian man guilty of all charges in a nine-count indictment charging him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) conspiracy and other violent crimes, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office.

The Department of Justice announced today that the Western Union Remission Fund began its first distribution of approximately $153 million in funds forfeited to the U.S. government from the Western Union Company (Western Union) to over 109,000 victims located in the United States and abroad. These victims, many of whom were elderly victims of consumer fraud and abuse, will be recovering the full amount of their losses.

The owner of a Detroit-area physical therapy clinic was sentenced to 11 years in prison today for his role in a drug diversion scheme.

A federal jury sitting in Houston, Texas, found a pharmacist guilty Tuesday of charges related to health care fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

An Allentown, Pennsylvania, attorney has been charged for his role in a $2.7 million investment fraud scheme that victimized his law clients, according to a superseding indictment that was unsealed Monday.

Good morning. Today, we also are announcing charges against General Vladimir Padrino Lopez, the Venezuelan Minister of Defense for the Maduro regime. Padrino Lopez, who has been indicted here in the District of Columbia, is accused of conspiring to traffic large amounts of cocaine on board aircraft registered in, and destined for, the United States.

Former President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro Moros, Venezuela’s vice president for the economy, Venezuela’s Minister of Defense, and Venezuela’s Chief Supreme Court Justice are among those charged in New York City; Washington, DC; and Miami, along with current and former Venezuelan government officials as well as two Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) leaders, announced U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman of the Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Acting Executive Associate Director Alysa D. Erichs of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

At the start of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the Department of Justice today announced that on April 20, the Madoff Victim Fund (MVF) began its fifth distribution of approximately $378.5 million in funds forfeited to the U.S. Government in connection with the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS) fraud scheme, bringing the total distributed to over $2.7 billion to nearly 38,000 victims worldwide.

The owner and Chief Executive Officer of a Republic of Korea–based company, DK Marine, that provided ship husbanding services to the U.S. Navy pleaded guilty today for his role in a bribery conspiracy.

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with the Warren County, North Carolina, Board of Education (Warren County) that resolves a federal lawsuit brought under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) on behalf of Dwayne Coffer, a Command Sergeant Major (CSM) in the Army Reserve. In its complaint, the United States alleged that Warren County violated USERRA by eliminating Sergeant Major Coffer’s employment position while he was on active duty with the military and failed to re-employ him in a comparable position when he returned.

A 14-count indictment has been unsealed today in San Antonio, Texas, charging five individuals with coordinating an identify-theft and fraud scheme targeting servicemembers and veterans.

The Department of Justice announced that it filed a complaint yesterday in federal court in the Northern District of Mississippi against Coahoma County, Mississippi (Coahoma County), to protect the employment rights of an Army Reservist, Staff Sergeant First Class (SSG) Jason Sims Sr.  

The Department of Justice filed a complaint today in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado on behalf of Naval Petty Officer Third Class Lindsey Hunger against Walmart Inc. The complaint alleges that Walmart violated the law when it declined to hire Hunger due to her upcoming naval reserve duties.

Fredrick Brown, 38, of Las Vegas, Nevada, a former civilian medical records administrator for the U.S. Army at the 65th Medical Brigade, Yongsan Garrison, South Korea, admitted yesterday to his role in an identity-theft and fraud scheme that victimized thousands of U.S. servicemembers and veterans.

As we mark Veterans Day 2019, the Justice Department announced two settlement agreements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to protect and advance equal access for veterans with disabilities who use service dogs. One agreement is with Deerfield Inn & Suites, in Gadsden, Alabama. The second agreement is with the Landmark Hotel Group in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which manages the Holiday Inn Express in Hampton, Virginia. These matters were investigated and resolved in furtherance of the Department’s commitment to ensuring that our veterans enjoy equal access to public accommodations, such as restaurants, hotels, and shops.

Good afternoon and thank you for coming here today. My name is Eric Dreiband and I serve as the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights here at the U.S. Department of Justice.

On Dec. 17, 2019, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of Captain and Judge Advocate Derrick Strong against the City of Chicago Fire Department (CFD), alleging that the City violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) when it failed to provide Strong with an opportunity, after his return from active duty military service, to take a promotional examination that he missed while deployed.

The Department of Justice announced today the resolution of a lawsuit in which Naval Petty Officer Third Class Lindsey Hunger alleged that Walmart violated her rights when it failed to offer her employment at the Walmart store located at 2545 Rimrock Avenue in Grand Junction, Colorado because of her upcoming Naval Reserve commitments. Ms. Hunger had alleged that Walmart’s actions violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and United States Attorney’s Office represented Petty Officer Hunger in the lawsuit.

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with the Richmond County (GA) Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) that resolves allegations that the RCSO violated the employment rights of Private First Class (PFC) Auben Kendall under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

As the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, I am entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the civil rights of the brave men and women of our nation’s armed forces, and our nation’s veterans.  Since COVID-19 has come to our shores, active duty servicemembers and members of the National Guard and Reserve have shouldered new burdens as they work to protect our country.  We owe it to them to ensure that COVID-19 does not jeopardize their economic livelihood.  That is why the Department of Justice is committed to vigorously enforcing all the civil rights laws, including those that protect the housing and civilian employment rights of servicemembers. 

The Justice Department announced today that Juan Carlos Pagán Bonilla (Pagan), 21, and Sean Díaz de León (Diaz), 19, have been charged by a criminal complaint in federal district court with carjacking and with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in connection with the death of two transgender individuals. Pagan and Diaz are now in federal custody.

The Justice Department announced today that it has entered an agreement with the State of Arkansas to resolve claims that the state did not provide certain opportunities to update voter registration records as required by Section 5 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).

The Department of Justice today filed a Statement of Interest in a Virginia federal court concerning the First Amendment’s freedom of religion in support of Lighthouse Fellowship Church (Lighthouse), a congregation in Chincoteague Island, Virginia, that serves, among others, recovering drug addicts and former prostitutes.

The former Director of Procurement for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and the president and chief executive officer of a government contracting firm pleaded guilty today to conspiring to bribe a public official.

The Department of Justice announced today that it has transferred $311,797,876.11 to the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Nigeria) in accordance with a Feb. 3, 2020, trilateral agreement among the governments of the United States, Nigeria and the Bailiwick of Jersey (Jersey) to repatriate assets the United States forfeited that were traceable to the kleptocracy of former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and his co-conspirators.

Assistant Attorney General Stephen E. Boyd issued the following statement in support of efforts to streamline payments under the Public Safety Officer Benefit Program (PSOB) to public safety officers fatally injured while working during COVID-19:

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with Randstad North America Inc. (Randstad), a global staffing agency with offices throughout the United States and a headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. The settlement resolves the department’s claims that the staffing company’s South Plainfield, New Jersey location, violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against lawful permanent residents when verifying their work authorization.

This week, the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice held a hearing on juvenile justice over three days via teleconference. Each teleconference featured expert witnesses who provided testimony and, subsequently, answered questions from the Commissioners.

The Department of Justice today filed a Statement of Interest in a Georgia federal court to help ensure that uniformed service members serving their country away from home, their family members absent with them, and American citizens living overseas have the opportunity to participate fully in Georgia’s 2020 federal elections. The Statement of Interest is part of the Department of Justice’s continued efforts to enforce the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).

A federal grand jury in Tulsa, Oklahoma, returned an indictment Wednesday charging a Bristow, Oklahoma, business owner with filing false tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney R. Trent Shores for the Northern District of Oklahoma.

A federal grand jury in Newport News, Virginia, returned an indictment today charging a tax preparer with aiding and assisting the preparation of false returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia.

A Hampton, Virginia, tax preparer was arrested yesterday on a federal grand jury indictment charging him with aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, theft of government funds, and failing to file tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard Zuckerman of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia. The March 9, 2020, indictment was unsealed following the arrest.