DOJ Honors 2014 Forum

[Anonymous User]

I didn't see a thread for this year's application cycle, so I thought I would start one (even if it's a little early).

Are people still feeling encouraged enough to apply this year despite the low number of positions available? Anyone struggling on whether to accept a 2L big law position or hold through with the hopes of getting a DOJ interview? Anyone worried about the effect of budget cuts on being a lawyer there?

My background, following the format of last year's thread:

School: T30
Grades: Top 10%
Activities: Law Review, moot court
Department: ENRD
Experience: 1L internship with state AG doing environmental law, 2L summer associate position doing corporate, environmental work prior to law school, no clerkship

[Anonymous User]

I'm still very interested, but hopeful...not so much. Also, the application sucks. I don't even see the page titled "Legal Writing" but I can't submit the app without it. Hopelessness coupled with frustration is not a good mix.

Top 15%
TT
LR
Moot
1L at medium market DA
2L SLIP

[Anonymous User]

School: CCN
Grades: Top 15%
Activities: Secondary Journal, Moot Court (awards), Rel. Gov't Internships
Experience: 1L lobbying firm; 2L big law SA

[Anonymous User]

I've been thinking about applying, but not sure I have much of a chance.

Top 10% at T25 w/ LR
2L summer at state AG
Starting District Court clerkship in two weeks

[Anonymous User]

Also planning to apply and concerned about how the sequestration will continue to play out. Similar stats/interests as OP (good luck to you, sir/ma'am).

School: T35
Grades: Top 10%
Activities: Law Review (Board)
Department: ENRD
Experience: pretty good summer experiences-- internship at OGC for state envtl agency, internship at well-known PI envtl firm, externing this fall at ENRD through a school program, among others.

Applying as a rising 3L and still holding out for a clerkship (I'd apply for after the clerkship if I got one).

Anyone know just how school prestige-based this process is? I've heard it's pretty tough from non-HYS.

[msridiculous447]

Also planning to apply and concerned about how the sequestration will continue to play out. Similar stats/interests as OP (good luck to you, sir/ma'am).

School: T35
Grades: Top 10%
Activities: Law Review (Board)
Department: ENRD
Experience: pretty good summer experiences-- internship at OGC for state envtl agency, internship at well-known PI envtl firm, externing this fall at ENRD through a school program, among others.

Applying as a rising 3L and still holding out for a clerkship (I'd apply for after the clerkship if I got one).

Anyone know just how school prestige-based this process is? I've heard it's pretty tough from non-HYS.

Really? The common wisdom I've heard is that school prestige matters a lot less than grades for DOJ Honors...

[Anonymous User]

My impression is that school is not always as important as grades (or possibly experience or combo thereof). I had a SLIP interview with ENRD in the past, and the person arranging them so-sensibly managed to send the message to everyone interviewing, not bcc:ed, so I could see everyone's e-mail. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of T14 students (most from any one school were from Yale), but there were also people from Vermont, Arizona, Pitt, Colorado, NYLS, Maryland, and W&L.

Now, I realize that was SLIP, not Honors; I didn't get hired, so I don't know who ended up there; different components may vary; and it can also vary by who's involved with hiring that year (I've spoken with someone working in DOJ who said for hiring, he doesn't care about pedigree as much as performance wherever you are, but he also said that some people do care). But I don't think school prestige is make-or-break for all the components (for instance, I also know a lower T1 person who got Crim last year).

[Anonymous User]

stupid question but why is the office of interest portion of the application empty?

[anonymous22222]

My Office of Interests page is empty as well. It looks like DOJ still needs to update that part of the application...

[Anonymous User]

I just finished my slip with BOP. I think school prestige and grades depend on the component. The common wisdom is that the litigation components are more prestigious. Of the BOP slips no one was from a top 14 highest from GW and I don't recall ever meeting a BOP attorney that went to a top 14. When we went to main justice for the Eric Holder speech there were some Harvards that proudly announced it.

Anyway I can't speak to other components but I can say while BOP is listed as an informal participant they have said they are only authorized to hire 2 honors attorneys and they will be through funnel offers to slips.

Considering USAjobs and the main justice site are littered with uncompensated special AUSA positions I highly doubt any AUSA office will be able to hire anyone.

[Anonymous User]

I was wondering about that. Are most of the positions going to filled with this past summer's SLIP participants?

I know at some agencies virtually all of the honors attorneys (entry-level) had previously summered with the agency.

[Anonymous User]

I was afraid that funnel offers might be more common this year. With fewer slots and slips becoming more and more competitive, normal DOJ Honors hiring may soon be a thing of the past.

[Anonymous User]

I was wondering about that. Are most of the positions going to filled with this past summer's SLIP participants?

I know at some agencies virtually all of the honors attorneys (entry-level) had previously summered with the agency.

You don't have to have been a SLIP participant, but attorneys at Civil and Criminal have both told me that previously summering with DOJ is a big leg up on other applicants. (Also a federal clerkship is increasingly become necessary in those two divisions).

[Anonymous User]

it looks like the office of interest section is working now

[Anonymous User]

How did you get that section to work? My office of interests section is still blank

[Anonymous User]

Make sure under legal education & transcripts that you selected you are a third year student save and continue that and then that should load the honors attorney office interest section or at least thats what worked for me.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know the strategy behind ranking the components? I have some good experience in civil rights law, but there is only one available position in the division. Would it hurt my changes for EOIR if I ranked Civil Rights first and EOIR second?

[Anonymous User]

T20
top 10%
Won some advocacy comps, on mock trial and adr boards
1L summer at DA, prior WE in government

Aiming for criminal trial attorney position

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know the strategy behind ranking the components? I have some good experience in civil rights law, but there is only one available position in the division. Would it hurt my changes for EOIR if I ranked Civil Rights first and EOIR second?

If you search previous years doj honors threads on tls some say components only hire if you listed them #1 i don't know how true that is but it makes since that they definitely see the rankings may have to explain your ranking as to why you ranked someone else higher do you have any immigration experience? obviously the immigration clerkship is best shot at employment but you can't really say that to them.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know the strategy behind ranking the components? I have some good experience in civil rights law, but there is only one available position in the division. Would it hurt my changes for EOIR if I ranked Civil Rights first and EOIR second?

You absolutely need to rank Civil Rights #1. I do not know if EOIR has the same policy.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know the strategy behind ranking the components? I have some good experience in civil rights law, but there is only one available position in the division. Would it hurt my changes for EOIR if I ranked Civil Rights first and EOIR second?

Ranking a component second is almost always going to hurt your chances, especially given how few people they are hiring. If you aren't a current clerk, I wouldn't waste your #1 spot on civil rights, because that's not going to happen. EOIR might though.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have any idea how long funnels have to accept/reject offers (or when they receive offers?) If by some miracle these are turned down, do the components then turn to the general HP pool?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have any idea how long funnels have to accept/reject offers (or when they receive offers?) If by some miracle these are turned down, do the components then turn to the general HP pool?

http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/sl ... tions.html

Nov 1

"The Department permits components to issue offers for permanent employment following law school graduation to interns hired under the SLIP through a “funnel offer” directly into the Attorney General’s Honors Program for the following year. Unlike the practice in private law firms, funnel offers are issued sparingly to a relatively small number of SLIP participants. Interns working at the Department through student programs other than the formal SLIP are not eligible for funnel offers.

Components may, at their discretion, issue funnel offers to SLIP participants at the end of the summer with a response deadline of November 1st. SLIP participants who receive a funnel offer and intend to accept it must still apply to the Attorney General’s Honors Program. "

[Anonymous User]

T14
GPA slightly above median
Secondary journal (leadership), moot court, mock trial
Significant PI experience, including stints at USAO and other FedGov.

Recently got an offer after SA at V100 firm. Although I think I would be relatively happy at the firm (in the hope of later transferring back to FedGov), my preference is for DOJ Honors. Particularly interested in whatever advice people may have about how to pursue DOJ Honors while not forgoing the firm offer-any chance of getting a solid answer from DOJ prior to Nov 1, or getting my firm to extend the deadline to accept to see how DOJ pans out?

[Anonymous User]

You are extremely unlikely to get an answer from DOJ Honors by Nov. 1 - last year interviews were scheduled to go through Nov 8 (they went a bit later due to Hurricane Sandy), and offers generally don't go out until around Thanksgiving. I think some of the ATR components followed a slightly different schedule and some offers went out around Nov.6-ish, but that was by far the earliest I'm aware of. So I'd think about how to raise it with your firm, if you want to go that route.