2027 Spring Internship - Counselor to the Chief Justice

Summary

This is a full-time position with the Counselor to the Chief Justice Office at the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C. Closing Date: Saturday, 09/26/2026, 11:59 PM ET Please note that this vacancy has a limit of 200 applicants. The job opportunity announcement will automatically close if that limit is reached prior to the closing date.

Duties

Congress created the statutory position of the Counselor to the Chief Justice in 1972 to aid in the increasingly complex planning and leadership duties of the Chief Justice. Within the Court, the Counselor serves as the Chief Justice's chief operating officer. Outside of the Court, the Counselor supports the Chief Justice in his broad-ranging responsibility as head of the federal judiciary, including in his roles as presiding officer of the Judicial Conference of the United States, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Federal Judicial Center, and Chancellor of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. The Counselor is also the Chief Justice's point of contact and representative for many varied entities having business with the Court, including judicial organizations, bar associations, foreign courts, and visiting dignitaries. Interns in the Counselor's Office conduct background research for briefings provided to guests of the Supreme Court; draft correspondence; collect, track, and summarize relevant news articles; and assist in other projects as assigned. The Counselor's Office accepts only students available to intern on a full-time basis, five days per week.

Qualifications

The Program is competitive and draws interns from a highly qualified applicant pool. In general, interns should possess demonstrated academic achievement; ability and willingness to work closely with others; flexibility; self-sustaining motivation and initiative; and impeccable trustworthiness, discretion, and maturity. Good judgment is critical. Internships are open to The Public - U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S. See https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/public. Applicants must have completed two semesters of undergraduate study and meet one of the following criteria: Actively enrolled in a Bachelor's program for the entirety of the internship term; Returning to a Bachelor's degree program immediately following the internship term; or Participating in a federal fellowship program after the internship; Law students and graduate students are not eligible to participate in the Supreme Court Internship program. Preference will be given to applicants prepared to work eight-hour days, five days per week. Some offices may accept interns available less than full time but at least four days per week. Interns selected for the fall and spring terms should plan to work for 16 weeks.

Education

At least two semesters of undergraduate study are required.