Law Clerk

Full or Part-Time:

Part Time (up to 20 hours a week)

Paid or Unpaid:

$21 - $23/hr based upon education and experience.

City:

Washington - DC (United States)

Employment Type:

Federal Labor Union

Interview Format:

In Person and/or Videoconference Interview

Practice Area:

Federal Labor & Employment

Job Description:

The American Foreign Service Association (afsa.org) is seeking a part-time law clerk to work in its Labor Management office at the Department of State. Part-time remote work is possible. AFSA is the labor union and professional association for the U.S. Foreign Service at the State Department and five other foreign affairs agencies. The law clerk will work on a wide range of labor and employment issues, primarily in the areas of administrative litigation and collective bargaining negotiations. As the exclusive bargaining agent for the Foreign Service, AFSA represents Foreign Service employees in everything from discipline proposals and grievances to financial matters and dependent family education issues. The law clerk will work alongside attorneys representing individual members and in negotiating collective bargaining agreements with the foreign affairs agencies.

Primary Job Responsibilities:

• Research relevant statutes, regulations, Federal Labor Relations Authority, Foreign Service Labor Relations Board, and Foreign Service Grievance Board precedents, Agency regulations, collective bargaining agreements, and case comparators for the preparation of legal memoranda.
• Draft legal memoranda on wide range of federal labor and employment issues.
• Draft responses to proposals for discipline, grievances, grievance appeals, requests for documents, interrogatories, and requests for admissions.
• Draft language for collective bargaining agreements.
• Assist with administrative issues, as required.

Qualifications:

• 2L or 3L law student with an interest in labor and employment law.
• Strong Academic Credentials. Demonstrated interest in labor/employment preferred.

The Organization:

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), created in 1924, is the professional association for the U.S. Foreign Service. AFSA’s 16,800 members include active and retired Foreign Service officers and specialists primarily at the Department of State as well as at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Foreign Commercial Service, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

AFSA is also a labor union, serving as the exclusive representative of members of the Foreign Service. AFSA negotiates with the management of the principal U.S. Government foreign affairs agencies on personnel policies and practices affecting members’ working conditions, and represents members in formal grievance proceedings, office of security and inspector general investigations, disciplinary proceedings, and EEO cases.

Work Environment:

Prolonged periods sitting at a desk working on a computer. May occasionally need to move heavy equipment and furniture. Primary work location will be AFSA Labor Management Office located at the State Department 2805 HST, 2201 C St NW, Washington, DC. 20520. Ability to work in the United States and ability to obtain and retain a State Department public trust clearance for building and system access is required for this position.

Due to COVID-19 and AFSA’s hard re-opening on November 1, 2021, the incumbent is required to have proof of full COVID-19 vaccination for employment and building entry. AFSA will consider reasonable accommodations for medical or religious reasons.

To Apply:

Candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, transcript, and writing sample to afsa@state.gov.

Required Application Documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Transcript
• Writing Sample

Labor Management Intern

Eligibility: Current college students and recent graduates, though preference will generally be provided to undergraduate students. Interns need to be hard-working, dependable, detail-oriented, and must possess good editing and writing skills. The candidate must be able to get cleared for entry into government buildings and computer access.

Position Description: This is a one semester position, meant to meet the needs of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) as an organization, and the Labor Management (LM) office. Specifically, the intern will be working at AFSA’s LM office at the United States Department of State. We also look forward to meeting the educational needs of our future intern. The position will report to the AFSA Labor Management Coordinator and will have the opportunity to work with the AFSA State Department Vice President. All interns will receive minimum wage. The internship is conditional on being able to attain badging and computer access.

Key Job Duties and Responsibilities: This internship will give the intern a wide perspective on what a union does to protect the interests of its bargaining unit, and what labor relations look like at the State Department.

• Labor Management: Assist with on-going projects in the office, attend recurring meetings between AFSA and State, assist with editing and drafting correspondence, and assist with client intake.
• Administrative Assistance: Assist with routine administrative functions in the office, update union correspondence folders, review and dispose of documents in accordance with internal document retention practices, and update and organize the labor management server.
• Database Maintenance and Updating: Assist with bringing the records and database up to date. Though the majority of individual’s in in the Foreign Service enjoy their careers, this will give insight into what things go wrong.

Application: Interested applicants should submit a cover, resume, transcript, and writing sample to Patrick Bradley at AFSA@state.gov, specifying “Labor Management Internship.” Interviews will be offered to short-listed applicants. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.