Interested in an Externship in HUD’s Office of General Counsel
- The HUD Office of General Counsel (OGC) Externship Program accepts law students year-round across the country!
- Externs support HUD’s mission of creating strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes consistent with the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.
- The externship provides practical, hands-on experience working on housing issues and administrative law at HUD.
Externship Current Opportunities and Timeline
Email your externship application for the Spring of 2025 by October 15, 2024, to legalexternships@hud.gov. Please follow the description below on how to apply.
Headquarters:
Office of Fair Housing (Virtual or Hybrid)
Personnel Law Division (Hybrid)
Field:
Region II:
- Buffalo (Hybrid)
Region IV: (Virtual or Hybrid)
- Greensboro, NN
- Jacksonville, FL
- Miami, FL
- Nashville, TN
- Puerto Rico
Region V:
- Detroit Office of Counsel (Virtual or Hybrid)
Region VI:
- Fort Worth, TX (Virtual)
Region VII:
- Kansas City Regional Office (Virtual or Hybrid)
HUD accepts externs on the following timeline. Start dates may be flexible based on your academic schedule.
| Term | Application Opens | Application Closes | Approximate Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | April 1 | May 15 | August/September |
| Spring | September 1 | October 15 | January |
| Summer | December 1 | January 15 | May/June |
Externship Program Overview
HUD’s competitive Externship Program is designed for law students in J.D. and LL.M programs. Students will see first-hand how OGC furthers HUD’s mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all and learn about the many programs that HUD administers.
Externs apply to work with a specific OGC office to learn more about the work, roles, and responsibilities of OGC attorneys. To see the latest openings, see current opportunities above. Externs, with the support of attorneys, research novel legal issues related to housing and administrative law, answer client questions, and assist in drafting legal documents.
Past externs have used their work product as valuable writing samples, used contacts made during externships as references, and gained valuable mentorships! Some externs have come back to work with HUD after law school!
![[OGC Externs]](/sites/dfiles/GC/images/ogc_externs2.jpg "[OGC Externs]")
Externs will be assigned mentors to assist them during the externship and will receive instructions from the staff attorneys on their assignments. Externs will also participate in training during their externship, including legal skills development and professional development.
While externships are unpaid, OGC will work with you to meet the requirements of your academic institution to earn academic credit. Externships may be full-time or part-time and in-person or virtual, as determined by the specific office. Academic credit policies vary by academic institution, so please check with your school.
For questions about the program, or to be put in touch with someone to learn more about a specific office, send an email to legalexternships@hud.gov.
Meet Past OGC Externs
Students who have externed in HUD OGC have gone on to work in many different sectors across the country.
Hear from prior OGC externs about their experiences with HUD OGC and how it helped them build their legal careers.
Oluchi Ifebi
Chicago Regional Office
Andria Bibiloni
Office of Legislation and Regulations
Jameson Ullman
Office of Fair Housing
Jared Fink
Philadelphia Regional Office
Oluchi Ifebi
Externed in the Chicago Regional Office
Where did you work as an OGC Extern?
I was an extern in the Chicago Office of Regional Counsel, in the Programs and Enforcement section. I externed during my 3L year while attending The John Marshall Law School.
What drew you to HUD?
While in law school, I quickly became captivated by HUD and its history in promoting homeownership, community development, and access to affordable housing. I have always loved the way HUD works to marry the private and public sectors in strengthening the housing market and utilizing housing as a platform for improving quality of life. I had a passion to improve the quality of life of communities that have been historically abused and disinvested and believed HUD was a missing piece of the puzzle in my journey.
How was your experience at HUD beneficial to your legal training or career?
It fulfilled my longtime dream of wanting to work at HUD and gave me invaluable insight and perspective that only comes from working in the government. I took the experience with me when I graduated and worked in legal aid and at the Illinois State Capitol. HUD gives you an emotional and intellectual connection to the work, from which lessons I have carried into my time in the private sector.
What is your current job?
Corporate Senior Privacy and Data Protection Specialist in Houston, TX
Andria Bibiloni
Externed in the Office of Legislation and Regulations
Where did you work as an OGC Extern?
I worked as a summer extern in the Office of Legislation and Regulations at HUD Headquarters in Washington, D.C. My externship took place after my 1L year at Temple University, Beasley School of Law.
Do you recall a work assignment that was particularly memorable?
I worked on a proposed rule for the overhaul of the Department’s Section 3 employment program regulations. Following analysis, I assisted in drafting the final rule for publication in the Federal Register.
What drew you to HUD?
I was interested in disaster recovery because I have family and friends who live in Puerto Rico. Although I did not work on disaster recovery directly during my internship, my supervisor gave me opportunities to meet with program managers in that department. I was also able to work on a request for technical drafting services for a disaster recovery bill.
What is something that you learned about yourself and/or your career goals during your externship?
I learned that I really enjoy working on the technical aspects of writing legislation and regulations and doing the required research to support that work. I also learned that my desire to help those in need is what drives my thirst for knowledge.
What was your first job out of law school?
Legal Aid Attorney in Philadelphia, PA
Jameson Ullman
Externed in the Office of Fair Housing
Where did you work as an OGC Extern?
I was a HUD OGC Extern in the Fair Housing Enforcement Division at HUD Headquarters in Washington, D.C. I externed while attending Georgetown University Law Center.
Do you recall a work assignment that was particularly memorable?
I conducted legal research and drafted a memo on an enforcement action under the Fair Housing Act in support of an ongoing enforcement action. I also presented my memo and research to the team investigating the potential instance of discrimination.
What is something that you learned about yourself and/or your career goals during your externship?
I really enjoyed OGC’s balance of policy and litigation work. I found that working on broad policy issues was helpful when I had concerns about the limited impact of a single discrimination case. On the other hand, I found that the individual cases were extremely helpful in grounding and informing the policy work.
What was your first job out of law school?
Law Firm Associate in San Francisco, CA
Jared Fink
Externed in the Philadelphia Regional Office and Office of Legislation and Regulations
Where did you work as an OGC Extern?
I worked in the OGC Office of Legislation and Regulations in Headquarters during the summer following my 1L year at Temple University, James E. Beasley School of Law and at the Philadelphia Regional Counsel’s office.
What drew you to HUD?
My chief professional aim is to help reduce social and economic inequality in the United States. Housing affordability and fair access to safe housing are central to that effort. There is no venue better poised to advance equity on these fronts than HUD.
Did you learn anything unexpected about HUD or the work that OGC does?
I was surprised to learn the degree to which HUD works with Congress to advise on legislation before it is proposed and how closely HUD OGC can work with state and local government entities.
What is something that you learned about yourself and/or your career goals during your externship?
I learned that I had found a home in housing work. I became captivated by the breadth and depth of housing law and policy – and how far-reaching its effect may be.
What was your first job out of law school?
Legal Honors Law Clerk at HUD Office of General Counsel Philadelphia Regional Office
Eligibility
At the time of application, eligible participants for the Externship Program must be U.S. Citizens who are currently enrolled in a J.D. or LL.M program. Law students with diverse interests and experiences are encouraged to apply.
Application Process
The OGC Externship Program is offered for three blocks in a year: the fall semester, the spring semester, and the summer. Applications are reviewed based on the deadlines above.
To see the posting for this opportunities, you may also visit the posting on USAJobs linked here.
During the application cycle, applicants are required to submit the following materials to legalexternships@hud.gov by the designated application deadline:
- Resume
- Law school transcript and the law school’s grading system explanation (unofficial transcripts are acceptable).
- A short legal writing sample, recommended between five and ten pages (double-spaced)
Applicants may submit a cover letter, but they are not required.
Format of Application: In the subject line of the email, please use the following structure: Office to which you are applying – Semester/Summer for which you are applying – First initial. Last Name.
If you wish to apply to multiple offices, please send a separate email for each application and tailor each cover letter to the applicable office.
Example Email Subject Line:
Subject: Office of Legislation and Regulations – Spring 2023 – J. Doe.
For questions related to the program, you may email legalexternships@hud.gov
Selection Process
Candidates are selected based on HUD’s assessment of the candidate’s application materials and interview. Selected candidates are extended the opportunity to volunteer for an unpaid position.
For more information, please see our FAQ page.
For questions related to the OGC Externship Program please email legalexternships@hud.gov.
HUD is fully committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. All individuals are welcome at HUD regardless of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, family medical history, genetic information, political affiliation, and military service or non-merit based factors. It is the inextricable link between who we are and how we think that makes HUD a successful organization.
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