State Department Forum

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:11 pm

Anyone considering this after law school?

patrickd139 · Post by **patrickd139** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:38 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Anyone considering this after law school?

Anyone incapable of doing a forum search?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:31 pm

OP: I'll be applying soon for a post-clerkship position. I've done a fair amount of research on L and would be happy to share what I know. If you have any specific questions, fire away.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 9:15 pm

Anonymous User wrote:OP: I'll be applying soon for a post-clerkship position. I've done a fair amount of research on L and would be happy to share what I know. If you have any specific questions, fire away.

What type of jobs are available for attorneys in the State Department and what are the salaries like? What is the best means to achieve this goal or what is the path most commonly followed?

jaydizzle · Post by **jaydizzle** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 9:26 pm

I'm interested in knowing the answers to the above questions as well.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 6:09 pm

Anonymous User wrote:What type of jobs are available for attorneys in the State Department?

This provides a really helpful overview: http://www.state.gov/s/l/3190.htm.

See also: http://www.state.gov/s/l/.

Attorneys in the Office of the Legal Adviser ("L") provide legal advice at all levels and in all areas of the State Department -- everything from helping a policymaker interpret a treaty to helping a U.S. consulate interpret a contract. L is divided into 23 sections, and many of the attorneys support either a regional bureau of the State Department (e.g., the Office of African and Near Eastern Affairs) or a functional bureau (e.g., the Office of Legislation and Foreign Assistance).

Most L attorneys are based in DC, but some are based at the UN in NYC, in Geneva, and at The Hague. In addition, the State Department stations other lawyers (who, as I understand it, don't actually work for L) at its embassies and consulates worldwide. I don't know anything about those non-L lawyer jobs.

Anonymous User wrote:and what are the salaries like??

See http://www.state.gov/s/l/3190.htm#req.

If you start at L right out of law school, you'll begin at the salary grade GS-11, step one ($62,467 in DC).

Anonymous User wrote:What is the best means to achieve this goal or what is the path most commonly followed?

See http://www.state.gov/s/l/3190.htm#how.

At some schools, L participates in OCI: it interviews 2Ls for its summer internship and work-study programs, and 3Ls for post-graduation positions. It's very difficult to land a job at L straight out of law school.

Many young lawyers come to L from clerkships. Others come from other federal agencies, NGOs, and large law firms. I'm sure there are other routes to L, but those are the main ones I know of.

I hope this helps.

bk1 · Post by **bk1** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 6:11 pm

patrickd139 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Anyone considering this after law school?
Anyone incapable of doing a forum search?

Hiyooo!

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 6:38 pm

Thank you for the great info. Bookmarking this. I was the one who originally asked those questions for the record.

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