The "meritocracy" exposed: Internal emails reveal how the Trump administration hires legal interns

On Friday afternoon, Liberty University Law School emailed its first and second-year students about an “exciting opportunity to intern with the Department of Labor in DC.” The available positions covered the full breadth of the DOL’s activities — “litigation, appeals, regulations, policy, etc.” The email, sent by Derek Green, an associate director at the law school, stressed that those accepted into the program “will make incredible connections that will payoff [sic] later.” For second-year students, the internship “could lead to a full-time job offer for after your 2027 graduation.”

One important caveat: only passionate devotees of President Trump would be considered. Students who “aligned politically with President Trump” and were “willing to work hard” were strongly encouraged to apply, even if they had poor grades.

The email was provided by a source on the condition of anonymity, fearing retribution from the school. Contacted by phone, Green told Popular Information he could not speak without approval from Edie Swann, Liberty University Law School’s Director of Public Affairs. Swann did not respond to an email request for an interview.

Excerpts from Green’s email were reported earlier by the legal blog Above the Law.

Liberty University, founded by Jerry Falwell Sr., is a conservative Christian institution based in Lynchburg, Virginia. Falwell Jr., who took over the university after his father died in 2007, was an advisor to Trump. Falwell Jr. resigned after a sexual scandal in 2020, but Liberty University has maintained a key role in connecting the Trump administration to the evangelical community.

Green stressed that anyone interested in the DOL legal internship should “ABSOLUTELY apply” because “the person conducting the interviews is Vittoria D’Addesi, a 2025 graduate of Liberty Law, along with a representative of the White House Liaison Office.”

According to Green, D’Addesi will ask applicants a variety of political questions, including “[D]id you vote for President Trump?” and “Do you disagree with the President on anything?”

Green concluded that his goal was “to get double digit Liberty Law students in this program this summer.”

Appended to the Green email was a more staid message from D’Addesi. In her description, D’Addesi writes that “[o]nly students who are interested in advancing the President’s initiatives and delivering wins for the American Worker should apply.”

D’Addesi did not respond to an email requesting comment.

The legality of a political litmus test for government jobs

In most cases, it is illegal to condition federal employment on a candidate’s political views.

In her email, D’Addesi describes the internship as “a political position in which interns will serve the Trump Administration for the duration of their internships.” This suggests the DOL is treating these internships as “Schedule C“ positions, which are defined as “confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating.” The Supreme Court, in