US Attorney's Office Forum

[Voyager]

I find that last bit absurd with regard to 1 vicodin tab I may or may not have taken at some point in my past to handle an injury.

So you think a little perjury will be ok?

No one does care about the Vicodin. But everyone everywhere will question your judgement, your fitness to practice law, and your moral character for lying about it (to the DOJ, no less).

Heh. I think no one will ever find out and I think that the examples I gave are completely innocuous. So yes, if I was in a position where I had to make a call like that, I would not disclose and would feel quite fine about it.

Also, your rabid black and white position is the exact sort of attitude that makes for a rather shitty and obnoxious prosecutor, by the way.

[Anonymous User]

How late is too late to get USAO apps in? I'm still waiting on a grade, and I go to a T2, so there is a 0% chance for me to get an interview without grades (the grades I have put me around top 3-5% of my class). Or does it depend on the office? I will have the grade by early next week.

[Renzo]

I find that last bit absurd with regard to 1 vicodin tab I may or may not have taken at some point in my past to handle an injury.

So you think a little perjury will be ok?

No one does care about the Vicodin. But everyone everywhere will question your judgement, your fitness to practice law, and your moral character for lying about it (to the DOJ, no less).

Heh. I think no one will ever find out and I think that the examples I gave are completely innocuous. So yes, if I was in a position where I had to make a call like that, I would not disclose and would feel quite fine about it.

Also, your rabid black and white position is the exact sort of attitude that makes for a rather shitty and obnoxious prosecutor, by the way.

Fuck being I prosecutor; I have zero interest, precisely because I don't see things as black-and-white. But, your willingness to lie and deceive, for your own benefit and without remorse, makes for a really shitty lawyer of any kind, by the way.

[Renzo]

How late is too late to get USAO apps in? I'm still waiting on a grade, and I go to a T2, so there is a 0% chance for me to get an interview without grades (the grades I have put me around top 3-5% of my class). Or does it depend on the office? I will have the grade by early next week.

Depends entirely on the office. Last year when I applied for the summer, some (SDNY, EDNY, e.g.) had already made some decision by Jan; others took months. I don't think you have anything to lose by getting the apps out there. And don't wait for your grades. Send them now. Some won't care at all about grades, some might care a lot (in which case they'll ask for them), one that I applied to decided based 100% on writing samples.

[Voyager]

I find that last bit absurd with regard to 1 vicodin tab I may or may not have taken at some point in my past to handle an injury.

So you think a little perjury will be ok?

No one does care about the Vicodin. But everyone everywhere will question your judgement, your fitness to practice law, and your moral character for lying about it (to the DOJ, no less).

Heh. I think no one will ever find out and I think that the examples I gave are completely innocuous. So yes, if I was in a position where I had to make a call like that, I would not disclose and would feel quite fine about it.

Also, your rabid black and white position is the exact sort of attitude that makes for a rather shitty and obnoxious prosecutor, by the way.

Fuck being I prosecutor; I have zero interest, precisely because I don't see things as black-and-white. But, your willingness to lie and deceive, for your own benefit and without remorse, makes for a really shitty lawyer of any kind, by the way.

lie and deceive? heh. ok. over this stuff? really?

Also, it seems to me that lying seems to be something lawyers have to be very good at. You guys are often lying to yourselves or hiding the ball from others. Heck, defense attorneys have to deceive as part of their job description.

You need to relax. I really don't understand why I should be at all concerned about trying to make sure I disclose 1 pain pill I may have taken years ago. Seems ridiculous to me. And I think your rabid reaction is a too extreme. Calm down. The legal system is not going to collapse over 1 pill.

I mean, really.

Have you considered taking something?

[Renzo]

The legal system is not going to collapse over 1 pill.

I mean, really.

So, you'd have no problem with a police officer lying, and saying he found 1 pill on someone when he didn't actually find it on him, but was sure he was guilty? I mean, it's only one pill.

[Anonymous User]

How late is too late to get USAO apps in? I'm still waiting on a grade, and I go to a T2, so there is a 0% chance for me to get an interview without grades (the grades I have put me around top 3-5% of my class). Or does it depend on the office? I will have the grade by early next week.

Depends entirely on the office. Last year when I applied for the summer, some (SDNY, EDNY, e.g.) had already made some decision by Jan; others took months. I don't think you have anything to lose by getting the apps out there. And don't wait for your grades. Send them now. Some won't care at all about grades, some might care a lot (in which case they'll ask for them), one that I applied to decided based 100% on writing samples.

Thanks for the advice. I'm just concerned because I don't go to a top school and don't want my application to just go in the garbage without grades as I have no gov't background (but I'm not straight out of undergrad).

Also, I've never done drugs. So maybe I'm straightlaced enough for them .

[Renzo]

Thanks for the advice. I'm just concerned because I don't go to a top school and don't want my application to just go in the garbage without grades as I have no gov't background (but I'm not straight out of undergrad).

Also, I've never done drugs. So maybe I'm straightlaced enough for them .

I have done drugs...lots. But I didn't lie, and it worked out.

[Voyager]

The legal system is not going to collapse over 1 pill.

I mean, really.

So, you'd have no problem with a police officer lying, and saying he found 1 pill on someone when he didn't actually find it on him, but was sure he was guilty? I mean, it's only one pill.

Um. yes. Police officers do stuff like this all of the time. Often to help out a kid who just made a mistake, actually.

Also, no prosecutor would actually prosecute for 1 vicoden pill. Not sure what you are trying to accomplish with that. Frankly, I don't think they'd prosecute for an entire bottle of pills.

[Anonymous User]

Anonymous because I am revealing some employment info.

You'll fill out, among other things, the e-QIP form online. Generally, the USAO website should have links to the rest of the forms. e-QIP now goes back 7 years (it was 5 last summer, but that's changed). You will provide the information regarding references (friends/family/employers) based on where you have lived, studied, worked, etc. It's time consuming to write it all out, but they give you a few weeks to get it done, generally (for the summer at least, since hiring is so much farther in advance).

As for the actual investigation, it honestly beats me. No one that I listed was contacted for my summer internship with EDNY. However, I will be at DOJ this spring and they contacted people and will be interviewing me soon. In fact, they even found an omission from my summer application that clearly no one caught the first time around, so I have no idea if they even investigated me the first time. Woo government efficiency.

Don't stress. Just don't lie and make sure you provide the necessary information.

Okay, maybe this is a stupid question, but what if you were an addict and are now sober? I kind of expect that's an automatic 'no' given the stringency, but what other government jobs require the e-QIP? I know I can't do DOJ.

[Renzo]

The legal system is not going to collapse over 1 pill.

I mean, really.

So, you'd have no problem with a police officer lying, and saying he found 1 pill on someone when he didn't actually find it on him, but was sure he was guilty? I mean, it's only one pill.

Um. yes. Police officers do stuff like this all of the time. Often to help out a kid who just made a mistake, actually.

Also, no prosecutor would actually prosecute for 1 vicoden pill. Not sure what you are trying to accomplish with that. Frankly, I don't think they'd prosecute for an entire bottle of pills.

You're right, cops do it all the time. But most people generally find lying by court officers and police reprehensible.

And the fact that you can't see the difference between a legitimate use of prosecutorial discretion not to charge a minor offense, and a lie to cover up misconduct for personal gain says everything I need to know about you.

[Voyager]

and your rabid response tells me much about you.

really. 1 vic tablet? that is where you are at. seems extreme to me.

[vamedic03]

and your rabid response tells me much about you.

really. 1 vic tablet? that is where you are at. seems extreme to me.

FWIW I have seen a felony charge for 1 percocet.

[Voyager]

and your rabid response tells me much about you.

really. 1 vic tablet? that is where you are at. seems extreme to me.

FWIW I have seen a felony charge for 1 percocet.

absurd.

[Anonymous User]

How late is too late to get USAO apps in? I'm still waiting on a grade, and I go to a T2, so there is a 0% chance for me to get an interview without grades (the grades I have put me around top 3-5% of my class). Or does it depend on the office? I will have the grade by early next week.

Depends entirely on the office. Last year when I applied for the summer, some (SDNY, EDNY, e.g.) had already made some decision by Jan; others took months. I don't think you have anything to lose by getting the apps out there. And don't wait for your grades. Send them now. Some won't care at all about grades, some might care a lot (in which case they'll ask for them), one that I applied to decided based 100% on writing samples.

Which one based it entirely on writing sample? That may be my only hope.

[Renzo]

How late is too late to get USAO apps in? I'm still waiting on a grade, and I go to a T2, so there is a 0% chance for me to get an interview without grades (the grades I have put me around top 3-5% of my class). Or does it depend on the office? I will have the grade by early next week.

Depends entirely on the office. Last year when I applied for the summer, some (SDNY, EDNY, e.g.) had already made some decision by Jan; others took months. I don't think you have anything to lose by getting the apps out there. And don't wait for your grades. Send them now. Some won't care at all about grades, some might care a lot (in which case they'll ask for them), one that I applied to decided based 100% on writing samples.

Which one based it entirely on writing sample? That may be my only hope.

It would out me to specify, but a not-so-populous state. I'd PM you, but you're anonymous.

[Anonymous User]

I work for a federal agency that is equally as hardass as DOJ and I recommend disclosing everything. Just say you were curious and you didn't like it and you won't do it ever again. Then do DOJ for a few years and when you dip out to Biglaw, light up a big old fatty to celebrate.

[lfgsuperman]

Does anybody have any info about the USAO-WDNC? Also, in a situation where they require grades as a part of their application, does that mean that YES grades are important to their decision because they are taking the time to explicitly ask for them? OR, does it mean that they are merely asking for them as a formality?

[Anonymous User]

any other CLSers interview at EDNY and SDNY at spring oci. I did civil for both, wondering when I should expect to hear back.

[of Benito Cereno]

friend who interviewed at one said they were gonna contact her first week in march

[clone22]

As far as whether or not to disclose drug use, keep in mind that they can test not just pee, but also hair (and not just scalp hair, but eyebrows, etc, can be used). The hair keeps record much longer (pretty much any time you use anything, a trace of it gets left in your hair), so you can be busted that way.

Ultimately it is up to you, but I would side with the posters suggesting not to blatantly lie on an application for a federal position. There are plenty of places that won't give a damn if you smoked weed in the past, why not apply there?

then again, what do I know, I'm a 0L

good luck in any case

[of Benito Cereno]

Not that I'd encourage lying, especially to the federal government, but I highly doubt that they do hair sample drug tests to 1Ls doing summer internships at USAOs

[crtlaw]

i have a 1L clerkship interview in a few weeks, what types of questions should i prepare to answer?

[Anonymous User]

any CLSers hear back from SDNY or EDNY civil divisions?

[Anonymous User]

anyone heard back from the CT USAO?