DOJ Honors 2013 Forum

[Anonymous User]

so relieved to be done my interview. now whatever happens is out of my hands and I can concentrate on other applications.

[Anonymous User]

so relieved to be done my interview. now whatever happens is out of my hands and I can concentrate on other applications.

Feel the same way haha

[Anonymous User]

so relieved to be done my interview. now whatever happens is out of my hands and I can concentrate on other applications.

Feel the same way haha

Exactly! except for counting down the days till we're likely to hear...

[anon5]

so relieved to be done my interview. now whatever happens is out of my hands and I can concentrate on other applications.

Feel the same way haha

Exactly! except for counting down the days till we're likely to hear...

I purposefully chose the last week of interviewing (in fact, Friday of the last week) -- because I knew that actually having the interview would cause me not to be able to concentrate on anything until I found out whether I got an offer or not. That way, I only have a couple of weeks to wait, not a month-plus!

[Anonymous User]

so relieved to be done my interview. now whatever happens is out of my hands and I can concentrate on other applications.

Feel the same way haha

Exactly! except for counting down the days till we're likely to hear...

I purposefully chose the last week of interviewing (in fact, Friday of the last week) -- because I knew that actually having the interview would cause me not to be able to concentrate on anything until I found out whether I got an offer or not. That way, I only have a couple of weeks to wait, not a month-plus!

Very wise! Despite my complaint (I'm the count-down person above), I went the opposite way - I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until I had the interview (because there are so many logistic details to obsess about for the interview!). I still can't concentrate that well, but better than when I felt like I should be preparing.

[Anonymous User]

When do the field offices of antitrust divisions make decisions? I interviewed weeks ago. They are only hiring 1 person.

[Anonymous User]

When do the field offices of antitrust divisions make decisions? I interviewed weeks ago. They are only hiring 1 person.

Do they have to go through the central OARM, like the rest of the components? I was told that components have to submit names of people they want to make offers to to OARM, and then OARM gives everyone at once authorization to make offers, so no matter how early the component finishes interviewing/makes decision, they have to wait for the central okay. But ATR field offices seem to interview completely differently, so I don't know it this holds true for them or not.

[Anonymous User]

When do the field offices of antitrust divisions make decisions? I interviewed weeks ago. They are only hiring 1 person.

Do they have to go through the central OARM, like the rest of the components? I was told that components have to submit names of people they want to make offers to to OARM, and then OARM gives everyone at once authorization to make offers, so no matter how early the component finishes interviewing/makes decision, they have to wait for the central okay. But ATR field offices seem to interview completely differently, so I don't know it this holds true for them or not.

If they do, when is that usually?

[Anonymous User]

Ugh. Rain and heavy wind forecasted for my interview day. I'm going to look like a drowned rat by the time I get to the building. You guys are lucky you've already interviewed. I ranked the first two weeks first and didn't get them.

[TooOld4This]

Ugh. Rain and heavy wind forecasted for my interview day. I'm going to look like a drowned rat by the time I get to the building. You guys are lucky you've already interviewed. I ranked the first two weeks first and didn't get them.

Cab + large umbrella.

Don't worry about the small stuff. Good luck.

[Anonymous User]

When do the field offices of antitrust divisions make decisions? I interviewed weeks ago. They are only hiring 1 person.

Do they have to go through the central OARM, like the rest of the components? I was told that components have to submit names of people they want to make offers to to OARM, and then OARM gives everyone at once authorization to make offers, so no matter how early the component finishes interviewing/makes decision, they have to wait for the central okay. But ATR field offices seem to interview completely differently, so I don't know it this holds true for them or not.

If they do, when is that usually?

Sometime after interviews are over, so no earlier than the 2nd week in November...? In the past apparently offers went out before Thanksgiving - or that was the goal - but I think I got told it might not be until early December. Honestly I think the people I interviewed with weren't entirely sure.

[Anonymous User]

Sometime after interviews are over, so no earlier than the 2nd week in November...? In the past apparently offers went out before Thanksgiving - or that was the goal - but I think I got told it might not be until early December. Honestly I think the people I interviewed with weren't entirely sure.

I heard the pre-Thanksgiving goal too, but I'm actually kind of hoping for the first week of December. If I get an offer, I'd like it to be around the same time as when other honors programs are deciding... and if I don't, it doesn't matter if they reject me now or in two months.

[Anonymous User]

Sometime after interviews are over, so no earlier than the 2nd week in November...? In the past apparently offers went out before Thanksgiving - or that was the goal - but I think I got told it might not be until early December. Honestly I think the people I interviewed with weren't entirely sure.

I heard the pre-Thanksgiving goal too, but I'm actually kind of hoping for the first week of December. If I get an offer, I'd like it to be around the same time as when other honors programs are deciding... and if I don't, it doesn't matter if they reject me now or in two months.

I would rather find out as soon as possible. I don't want anything but the DOJ honors program, so the decision can't come soon enough. If I got a call from OCIJ with an offer, I would immediately accept. The longer the wait, the more I worry.

[Anonymous User]

Ugh. Rain and heavy wind forecasted for my interview day. I'm going to look like a drowned rat by the time I get to the building. You guys are lucky you've already interviewed. I ranked the first two weeks first and didn't get them.

Cab + large umbrella.

Don't worry about the small stuff. Good luck.

Well, depending on what Hurricane Sandy does, interviews might have to be rescheduled too.

[Anonymous User]

I'm fine with the wait right now, because I know they're still doing interviews and there's no way we can hear yet. I will become very very very antsy come the second week in November!

I kinda think a later date is more plausible, myself, because it's the government - things ALWAYS take longer than intended. (Also I'm not sure offers have made it out pre-Thanksgiving in the last couple of years.) According to the schedule online, offers will go out from late November to February (though I suspect the February part is due to people turning down offers and offers then being extended to the alternates, so most offers will go out before that).

Also, according to previous years' threads, a candidate's status online can change to "finalist" before the component actually extends an offer (because, again, OARM does all the centralized okaying of offers, but then the actual component contacts you with the offer, so the schedules aren't perfectly lined up). So I know I will be stalking our friend Avue come November...

(Wishing interviewers-to-come no hurricane interference!)

[edited to address reading comp fail...]

[Anonymous User]

Looks like offers (for most components) have gone out before Thanksgiving for the past 2 years, although some seemed to continue to trickle out in December. Any reason that you suspect it would be different this year?

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... &start=300

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... &start=150

[Anonymous User]

Is anyone continuing to apply to 2014 clerkships, despite having interviewed with DOJH?

Anyone have opinions on whether that's a legit move?

[Anonymous User]

Looks like offers (for most components) have gone out before Thanksgiving for the past 2 years, although some seemed to continue to trickle out in December. Any reason that you suspect it would be different this year?

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... &start=300

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... &start=150

No, I think it's just reading comprehension fail! For some reason I focused on the people in those threads talking about getting offers after Thanksgiving and didn't look too closely at the dates. And I did get told it might be early December. So basically I'm guessing.

[anon5]

Is anyone continuing to apply to 2014 clerkships, despite having interviewed with DOJH?

Anyone have opinions on whether that's a legit move?

I can tell you that I went through the honors program (EOIR) process last year and was selected as a finalist..... and then didn't hear anything from DOJ/EOIR again. I sat in limbo for months until I just assumed that all the offers had been made and that I hadn't gotten one. I had continued to go through the clerkship process and ended up getting an offer from a Judge not long after I had officially given up on DOJ/EOIR.

In my opinion, given the intense competition for the honors program, you should continue with clerkship/other applications. If you do end up getting an honor program offer, you can just politely ask for your other applications to be withdrawn.

[Anonymous User]

Sometime after interviews are over, so no earlier than the 2nd week in November...? In the past apparently offers went out before Thanksgiving - or that was the goal - but I think I got told it might not be until early December. Honestly I think the people I interviewed with weren't entirely sure.

I heard the pre-Thanksgiving goal too, but I'm actually kind of hoping for the first week of December. If I get an offer, I'd like it to be around the same time as when other honors programs are deciding... and if I don't, it doesn't matter if they reject me now or in two months.

I would rather find out as soon as possible. I don't want anything but the DOJ honors program, so the decision can't come soon enough. If I got a call from OCIJ with an offer, I would immediately accept. The longer the wait, the more I worry.

fair enough. Though with OCIJ, you must want something else, since that's a two year and then done program. As much as I would love love love to get an offer from DOJ and spend two years there, I'd still rather get an honors offer that is a full-time job with no term limits.

[Anonymous User]

Sometime after interviews are over, so no earlier than the 2nd week in November...? In the past apparently offers went out before Thanksgiving - or that was the goal - but I think I got told it might not be until early December. Honestly I think the people I interviewed with weren't entirely sure.

I heard the pre-Thanksgiving goal too, but I'm actually kind of hoping for the first week of December. If I get an offer, I'd like it to be around the same time as when other honors programs are deciding... and if I don't, it doesn't matter if they reject me now or in two months.

I would rather find out as soon as possible. I don't want anything but the DOJ honors program, so the decision can't come soon enough. If I got a call from OCIJ with an offer, I would immediately accept. The longer the wait, the more I worry.

fair enough. Though with OCIJ, you must want something else, since that's a two year and then done program. As much as I would love love love to get an offer from DOJ and spend two years there, I'd still rather get an honors offer that is a full-time job with no term limits.

True, but my impression is that people frequently go from OCIJ (or other EOIR term positions) into permanent positions. If you know for sure that you want to do immigration law with the feds, it seems like a very good first step (one of my interviewers said they were referred to as the "JLC mafia" because they all went on into permanent positions all over EOIR as well as the immigration portions of DHS and Civil). And you can certainly still get fired from a no-term-limits job so the future's never certain.

That said, I'd probably take a permanent position over a term one, too, but it would have to be in a field I wanted equally.

(I'm not the "find out as soon as possible" anon, just bored & felt like commenting!)

[Anonymous User]

I heard the pre-Thanksgiving goal too, but I'm actually kind of hoping for the first week of December. If I get an offer, I'd like it to be around the same time as when other honors programs are deciding... and if I don't, it doesn't matter if they reject me now or in two months.

I would rather find out as soon as possible. I don't want anything but the DOJ honors program, so the decision can't come soon enough. If I got a call from OCIJ with an offer, I would immediately accept. The longer the wait, the more I worry.

fair enough. Though with OCIJ, you must want something else, since that's a two year and then done program. As much as I would love love love to get an offer from DOJ and spend two years there, I'd still rather get an honors offer that is a full-time job with no term limits.

True, but my impression is that people frequently go from OCIJ (or other EOIR term positions) into permanent positions. If you know for sure that you want to do immigration law with the feds, it seems like a very good first step (one of my interviewers said they were referred to as the "JLC mafia" because they all went on into permanent positions all over EOIR as well as the immigration portions of DHS and Civil). And you can certainly still get fired from a no-term-limits job so the future's never certain.

That said, I'd probably take a permanent position over a term one, too, but it would have to be in a field I wanted equally.

(I'm not the "find out as soon as possible" anon, just bored & felt like commenting!)

I am the EOIR/OCIJ enthusiast above. I would definitely take OCIJ over a permanent position (I already have one if I want it), because I want to do immigration law with the government. My goal is to be part of the JLC Mafia that ends up populating the other immigration-related parts of the fed. If I am able to get into the JLC group, then I also already have alternative exit options if I am not able to continue on up in the ranks. I wish there was some way to express that without sounding weird, actually. I know there is some concern around EOIR for people who view OCIJ as a back way into the DOJ. They don't like that very much, so I'm hoping I've demonstrated that I'm a lifer well enough to avoid that.

[Anonymous User]

fair enough. Though with OCIJ, you must want something else, since that's a two year and then done program. As much as I would love love love to get an offer from DOJ and spend two years there, I'd still rather get an honors offer that is a full-time job with no term limits.

True, but my impression is that people frequently go from OCIJ (or other EOIR term positions) into permanent positions. If you know for sure that you want to do immigration law with the feds, it seems like a very good first step (one of my interviewers said they were referred to as the "JLC mafia" because they all went on into permanent positions all over EOIR as well as the immigration portions of DHS and Civil). And you can certainly still get fired from a no-term-limits job so the future's never certain.

That said, I'd probably take a permanent position over a term one, too, but it would have to be in a field I wanted equally.

(I'm not the "find out as soon as possible" anon, just bored & felt like commenting!)

Permanent position preferrer here (lol): the one thing I would take over EOIR would be DHS right away through their honors program, if I had that option.

[Anonymous User]

So it's looking more and more likely that the hurricane will disrupt my interview. Anyone else in the same boat? I'm a little concerned that I might make it to D.C. but get stuck there for a week. I guess I shouldn't call them until something is actually canceled or delayed with my flight though?

[Anonymous User]

So it's looking more and more likely that the hurricane will disrupt my interview. Anyone else in the same boat? I'm a little concerned that I might make it to D.C. but get stuck there for a week. I guess I shouldn't call them until something is actually canceled or delayed with my flight though?

I'm in the same boat. I'm also worried I'll get stuck out there. Not sure what to do - I can't afford a week off of work stuck in a hurricane.

Someone has started a thread on AVUE about it - maybe we'll get a response on their contingency plans.