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Working at the DOJ

Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 2:16 pm
by Anonymous User
Going to one of DMVP next year.

How do I get a job at the antitrust division at the DOJ?

Do ou apply through the honors program?

Re: Working at the DOJ

Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 2:20 pm
by vanwinkle
There are two ways to get a job at DOJ:

1) Honors program. This is intensely competitive stuff, but gets you in directly out of law school. You can apply for either when you graduate, or if you get a clerkship, after your clerkship. Many people who want this do not get this. It is very hard to do.

2) Apply as an experienced lawyer. Many people who work at the DOJ take this route, and reapply multiple times before they're hired. If you desire to focus on antitrust, your best option is probably to go be an associate specializing in corporate transactional work for a few years, because that familiarity with corporate behavior is what will help you in a position like antitrust. Still, having things like a federal clerkship will help you a lot here too if you can get one.

I've spoken to people who worked for the DOJ, and some of them applied 3 or 4 times over a span of several years before they finally got hired. When I say it's intensely competitive I mean it. You could get in through Honors or you could spend a decade building up a resume that finally gets you in. The more you try, though, the more serious you look to them as an applicant.