DOJ Honors 2013 Forum

[Anonymous User]

re: sequestration- I asked the person who hired me about this, and there has been no front-office DOJ guidance given thus far (and they will update me if/when there is). For what it's worth, everyone I have spoken to at DOJ is of the opinion that the honors program will not be affected. Actually, they are currently interviewing for lateral positions, and have not been told to do otherwise. DOJ employees received furlough guidance this week and it comes down to basically the "possibility" of a few days off between April/May and September.

3/7/13 Update: Just read the Assistant Attorney General's Memo out to current DOJ staff. This is what it says about Hiring Restrictions and the Sequester:

"As virtually every Department component recognized in its proposed sequestration impact statement, we must stop hiring. Every new hire may mean more furlough days for an existing employee in your component or elsewhere in the department. Effective immediately, components may honor formal, existing written commitments, but you may not extend new employment offers for the next 30 days. . . . "

I was also told that when this issue came up in the past, individuals with outstanding offers that were subsequently withdrawn because of budget issues were able to bring suit against the government under contract law - and win.

So -- if we have accepted offers, turned in background clearance paperwork, etc., is there a "formal, existing written commitment" if we still have not received an "official" offer letter in the mail (stating start date, salary, etc.)? (By the way- has anyone received this?) --

In any event, I happen to think we are all okay.

[Anonymous User]

re: sequestration- I asked the person who hired me about this, and there has been no front-office DOJ guidance given thus far (and they will update me if/when there is). For what it's worth, everyone I have spoken to at DOJ is of the opinion that the honors program will not be affected. Actually, they are currently interviewing for lateral positions, and have not been told to do otherwise. DOJ employees received furlough guidance this week and it comes down to basically the "possibility" of a few days off between April/May and September.

+1 Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Someone informed me that the biggest showing this year for honors litigation hires was Michigan. Can anyone confirm?

Also, thanks for the sequester info.

[Anonymous User]

I know that, when this has happened in the past, some agencies have had to withdraw all offers from people who hadn't actually started working yet. But that was 2009 or 2010 during the government shutdown.

[Anonymous User]

For honors hires: does anyone know whether your background investigation has been started yet? Any word from former employers/personal references?

[Anonymous User]

For honors hires: does anyone know whether your background investigation has been started yet? Any word from former employers/personal references?

Yes, mine has started and mostly been completed (I think). I had interviews with the FBI back in March-April (plural because they forgot to ask me 3 questions at the first interview so had to come back, lol), and my personal references/former employers were contacted back then as well (not sure if all of them were, but not sure all of them would tell me - I know it was a bunch of them, though). Amusingly, the FBI person who interviewed my husband did not figure out ahead of time that in fact he was my husband (we don't have the same last name, who knew that would fool the FBI?).

I should probably add that I'm going to a litigating component so I really can't start until I'm cleared, whereas I think I've read here that the background checks for EOIR clerks are often completed sometime in the fall, after they start.

[Anonymous User]

My background investigation is underway. I met with the FBI investigator two weeks ago (and he randomly spoke with several people in my office the same day), and he has met with my local references, has been to my law school, and has been in touch with landlords, etc.
Interestingly, the investigator has not contacted my out of state references, but he did tell me he would be walking around my neighborhood in NY asking neighbors about me --

[Anonymous User]

My background investigation is underway. I met with the FBI investigator two weeks ago (and he randomly spoke with several people in my office the same day), and he has met with my local references, has been to my law school, and has been in touch with landlords, etc.
Interestingly, the investigator has not contacted my out of state references, but he did tell me he would be walking around my neighborhood in NY asking neighbors about me --

Ha, my apartment complex wouldn't let the FBI guy walk around and ask my neighbors about me. He was fine with that, though, because I've only lived here since August, and it's one of those big complexes, no one ever knows who their neighbors are. The only person I could ID as seeing more than once is a woman in my building with a little yappy dog.

They did contact my out of state references, but mostly from where I went to law school, which is where I lived immediately before this. One out of state friend didn't get contacted and she's convinced it's because the FBI has a file on her.

[Anonymous User]

Can anyone at a non-criminal/national security litigating component clarify whether they had to fill out the supplement to SF-85P.

[Anonymous User]

heard from friend in a litigating component that several retirements were put off, meaning less budget for new hires.

[Anonymous User]

They told me that they're doing hair follicle tests this year.

[Anonymous User]

They told me that they're doing hair follicle tests this year.

Must depend on the component - I just had the urine test.