What is considered "bigfed?" Forum
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What is considered "bigfed?"
I'm currently interviewing with a federal agency in hopes of leaving my biglaw job. Curious as to what TLS considers "bigfed." Is it solely DOJ? What about other agencies like the SEC, EPA, DHS, USPS, DOL, ED, DOT, etc., or the various OIG offices within these agencies?
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
Also curious if USDA Office of General Counsel would be bigfed?
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
To me, BigFed is any federal agency with a revolving door to BigLaw.
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
What does it matter?
- kellyfrost
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
And this discussion just went WAY over Rick's head.Tiny Rick! wrote:What does it matter?
Last edited by kellyfrost on Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
Bigfed is synonymous with any legal employment in federal government
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
Explain please.kellyfrost wrote:And this discussion just went WAY over Rick's head.Tiny Rick! wrote:What does it matter?
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
Nebby understands. Read OP, my comment, and then Nebby's. Read Nebby's careful and a few times out loud if you have to.Tiny Rick! wrote:Explain please.kellyfrost wrote:And this discussion just went WAY over Rick's head.Tiny Rick! wrote:What does it matter?
Last edited by kellyfrost on Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
I think you have trouble with reading comprehension (and adverb use if we are being nit picky). My question was in the same spirit as Nebby's comment.kellyfrost wrote:Nebby understands. Read OP, my comment, and then Nebby's. Read Nebby's careful and a few times out loud if you have to.Tiny Rick! wrote:Explain please.kellyfrost wrote:And this discussion just went WAY over Rick's head.Tiny Rick! wrote:What does it matter?
- kellyfrost
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
It is not in the same spirit as Nebby's comment. It must be your poor writing and poor use of tone.Tiny Rick! wrote:I think you have trouble with reading comprehension (and adverb use if we are being nit picky). My question was in the same spirit as Nebby's comment.kellyfrost wrote:Nebby understands. Read OP, my comment, and then Nebby's. Read Nebby's careful and a few times out loud if you have to.Tiny Rick! wrote:Explain please.kellyfrost wrote:And this discussion just went WAY over Rick's head.Tiny Rick! wrote:What does it matter?
Last edited by kellyfrost on Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
Can you explain how you interpret my comment?kellyfrost wrote: It is not in the same spirit as Nebby's comment. It must be your poor writing and poor use of tone.
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
A question asked by someone who doesn't understand the nature of OP's comment.Tiny Rick! wrote:Can you explain how you interpret my comment?kellyfrost wrote: It is not in the same spirit as Nebby's comment. It must be your poor writing and poor use of tone.
Last edited by kellyfrost on Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- zot1
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
BigFed is anything that is not ShitFed. Also, ShitFed (like the limit) does not exist because all of the federal government is awesome.
Also, this escalated quickly.
Also, this escalated quickly.
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
Thanks - very helpful. I see the error of my ways now.kellyfrost wrote:A question asked by someone who doesn't understand the nature of OP's comment.Tiny Rick! wrote:Can you explain how you interpret my comment?kellyfrost wrote: It is not in the same spirit as Nebby's comment. It must be your poor writing and poor use of tone.
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
Good.Tiny Rick! wrote:Thanks - very helpful. I see the error of my ways now.kellyfrost wrote:A question asked by someone who doesn't understand the nature of OP's comment.Tiny Rick! wrote:Can you explain how you interpret my comment?kellyfrost wrote: It is not in the same spirit as Nebby's comment. It must be your poor writing and poor use of tone.
Last edited by kellyfrost on Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
I really hope that whether TLS considers your job offer "bigfed" will not affect your decision making.
- grand inquisitor
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
i agree that this line drawing is probably dumb but i would guess bigfed is doj, sec, dod, ftc, fcc and the like; midfed is usda, epa, interior, etc.; shitfed is dhs, the va and similar.
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
To me (federal government attorney) big fed is basically any normal "905" attorney job in the federal government that involves the programatic work of the agency--normal meaning that it has an 11-14/15 career ladder. It's honestly hard to differentiate based on agency. For example, an attorney at the SEC who does labor relations/employment law in the general counsel's office is going to be in a totally different position than an attorney in one of the SEC policy/enforcement divisions when it comes to exit options. Same at the DOJ, etc.
Obviously some federal attorney positions are harder to get and more "prestigious" than others though. But this isn't entirely based on agency.
Obviously some federal attorney positions are harder to get and more "prestigious" than others though. But this isn't entirely based on agency.
- abogadesq
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
ShitFed does exist. It's called Social Security (unless you're an ALJ, though a recent circuit court case may have opened the door to a constitutional challenge of the entire ALJ scheme in the federal government).
I agree with the above post. Any position that has a promotion potential of a GS-14 is BigFed; GS-15 or SES even better. Though, I think in most people's minds, BigFed is mostly DOJ, but it actually uses a less generous pay scale than other federal agencies.
I agree with the above post. Any position that has a promotion potential of a GS-14 is BigFed; GS-15 or SES even better. Though, I think in most people's minds, BigFed is mostly DOJ, but it actually uses a less generous pay scale than other federal agencies.
- nevdash
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
CR. Also, another poster above was correct that DHS is generally ShitFed. Assistant Chief Counsel at ICE, for example, is a sps position generally occupied by less-than-stellar attorneys.abogadesq wrote:ShitFed does exist. It's called Social Security (unless you're an ALJ, though a recent circuit court case may have opened the door to a constitutional challenge of the entire ALJ scheme in the federal government).
I agree with the above post. Any position that has a promotion potential of a GS-14 is BigFed; GS-15 or SES even better. Though, I think in most people's minds, BigFed is mostly DOJ, but it actually uses a less generous pay scale than other federal agencies.
Re pay for DOJ: I know you're right for AUSAs, but aren't Main Justice attorneys on the GS?
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
It is all relative and what people are looking out of a legal position. Most fed attorney positions don't have variance in terms of pay, so the benchmarks would be prestige, media exposure, and exit opportunities. I'd also think that most positions at agency HQ in DC is more likely to be considered Bigfed.
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- jess
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
.
Last edited by jess on Thu Oct 26, 2017 12:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- TheSpanishMain
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
This makes sense, I guess, although the vast majority of fed lawyers and law students aiming for federal employment I've met have planned on staying there long term.gaddockteeg wrote:To me, BigFed is any federal agency with a revolving door to BigLaw.
The only downside to the fed track is that most of it runs through DC. GS salaries top out around 160k. Perfectly fine for most of the country, but it doesn't go very far in the DC area, especially since most people will eventually have families.
- zot1
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
The sarcasm in my post didn't translate well.abogadesq wrote:ShitFed does exist. It's called Social Security (unless you're an ALJ, though a recent circuit court case may have opened the door to a constitutional challenge of the entire ALJ scheme in the federal government).
I agree with the above post. Any position that has a promotion potential of a GS-14 is BigFed; GS-15 or SES even better. Though, I think in most people's minds, BigFed is mostly DOJ, but it actually uses a less generous pay scale than other federal agencies.
Anyway, yeah SSA is BAD.
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Re: What is considered "bigfed?"
VA attorney here. VA maxes out at GS-14, with GS-15 being a competitive promotion. The exception is VA field attorneys, which recently were eligible for GS-15 promotions (not sure how widespread this is though).jess wrote:this is a pretty good breakdown except i would put dhs as midfed solely because you can hit gs 14/15 as an attorney, whereas the VA and soc sec seem to max out at gs 11 or something absurd like that.grand inquisitor wrote:i agree that this line drawing is probably dumb but i would guess bigfed is doj, sec, dod, ftc, fcc and the like; midfed is usda, epa, interior, etc.; shitfed is dhs, the va and similar.
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