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What are the most prestigious legal offices in the fed gov?

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:38 am
by Magnificent
I'm looking to intern in the federal government next summer and trying to put together a list of the most prestigious offices. So far I've got:

Office of White House Counsel
Office of Legal Counsel in DOJ
Office of Solicitor General
Office of Legal Adviser to the State Department

What other ones am I missing?

Re: What are the most prestigious legal offices in the fed gov?

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:10 am
by Borhas
Supreme court

Re: What are the most prestigious legal offices in the fed gov?

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:13 am
by Cavalier
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Re: What are the most prestigious legal offices in the fed gov?

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:16 am
by LawIdiot86
I suspect OP has no idea what he is doing. I know of one person who has worked in two of those four and he did his SJD "for fun" in one year after law school. The idea that OP has a resume that sounds in the appellate litigation skills of the Solicitor, the internal memo writing skills of OLC, and the foreign affairs/international components of OLA is fairly laughable. OP, first figure out what you want to do after law school and then find the most prestigious positions on the continuum of jobs that lead to your goal.

Re: What are the most prestigious legal offices in the fed gov?

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:36 am
by 2LLLL
Is the White House Counsel that prestigious? Obviously it's cool to be working in the actual WH, but I've never heard it mentioned on the level of the SG or OLC.... As far as some options that are more realistically attainable than the ones you listed, I'd put the DOJ in general, and then top-flight independent agencies like SEC, EPA, NLRB, FTC if you're interested in the subject matter.

Re: What are the most prestigious legal offices in the fed gov?

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:53 pm
by Magnificent
2LLLL wrote:Is the White House Counsel that prestigious? Obviously it's cool to be working in the actual WH, but I've never heard it mentioned on the level of the SG or OLC.... As far as some options that are more realistically attainable than the ones you listed, I'd put the DOJ in general, and then top-flight independent agencies like SEC, EPA, NLRB, FTC if you're interested in the subject matter.
look at the people hired to work there

almost all graduated from HYS.....were on law review.....clerked on the Supreme Court.....and work at top DC firms/academics at top schools.........its not a career position like you can get being lawyer in SG or OLC but rather all the positions are political appointments

Re: What are the most prestigious legal offices in the fed gov?

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 2:07 pm
by NoleinNY
Borhas wrote:Chief Justice of Supreme court
FTFY

Re: What are the most prestigious legal offices in the fed gov?

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:31 pm
by 2LLLL

look at the people hired to work there

almost all graduated from HYS.....were on law review.....clerked on the Supreme Court.....and work at top DC firms/academics at top schools.........its not a career position like you can get being lawyer in SG or OLC but rather all the positions are political appointments
Well yes, obviously you'll have to be highly qualified to get the job, but it seems like the WHC is destined to be a scapegoat when the administration can't achieve its goals (see Greg Craig), whereas the SG gives you an inside track to SCOTUS (Kagan) or, if you don't make SCOTUS, being a rockstar on the outside- Paul Clement, Greg Garre, Ted Olsen for example.