American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
General Counsel's Office
Washington, DC
The American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO is the largest federal-sector labor union, representing over 650,000 federal and DC government workers from over 75 different agencies. In the summer of 2011 AFGE won the largest union election in over 50 years, becoming the exclusive representative of over 44,000 transportation security officers working for TSA.
Legal interns at AFGE perform legal research and writing involving a wide variety of issues in federal (and DC) public sector labor law. Writing assignments include internal memos involving legal analysis on labor, employment and policy issues. Our legal interns also prepare, under the supervision of an attorney, appeals and written arguments on behalf of workers facing discipline, removal or other adverse actions. This typically involves client intake, witness interviews, document review, research and writing. Interns have always told us they like this hands-on, direct involvement in representing workers. Other duties include: contacts with district, local, and national office union officials to obtain information relating to the preparation of cases; assistance in the preparation of briefs and other legal pleadings for court, administrative and arbitration cases; assistance in preparing court and administrative cases for hearing under the direct guidance of an attorney.
Our General Counsel's Office in Washington has about 15 attorneys and, normally, between 6 and 10 legal interns. Each intern receives an initial orientation and training. Staff attorneys provide mentoring, guidance and direction to the interns, in addition to supervising their legal work. If possible, interns are invited to attend a court hearing or arbitration when a staff attorney has a case nearby.
In addition to their formal duries, our interns usually have an opportunity to participate in a few rallies or marches for labor and other progressive causes. This helps break up the routine and gives the interns a flavor of the larger struggle for labor rights and social justice. We also coordinate with the AFL-CIO on education and networking programs for legal interns. The AFL and numerous other unions in DC have summer intern programs, so these events have been well attended. Programs have included high-level staff and officials from the AFL, the unions and agencies like EEOC, NLRB, etc.
AFGE legal interns work 40 hours per week at $16/hour. Travel to and from DC, and room and board while they are here, are the responsibility of the individual intern. Our offices are on Capitol Hill, just a short walk from the Capitol and Union Station. Easy access to DC's Metrorail subway system makes it easy to commute to the office from anywhere in the city.
AFGE is an equal opportunity employer.
Address cover letter to:
Joseph F. Henderson, Deputy General Counsel
AFGE, AFL-CIO
80 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
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