Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Honors Program Forum

[mvk216]

Has anyone who applied heard from the CFPB yet? The deadline was about 2 weeks ago - not sure how long it will take for them to review applications.

[Anonymous User]

Applied - haven't heard anything.

[Myself]

.

[mrosmith]

Every 3L in America applied after it was a featured job on abovethelaw.com.

[Myself]

.

[Anonymous User]

I applied too. Have not heard anything.

[Anonymous User]

I am completely not expecting to hear anything back from this as I applied on a wing and a prayer... but has anyone heard any news?

[anon168]

I am completely not expecting to hear anything back from this as I applied on a wing and a prayer... but has anyone heard any news?

There most likely won't be any news until after the dust settles from the election.

[Anonymous User]

I am completely not expecting to hear anything back from this as I applied on a wing and a prayer... but has anyone heard any news?

There most likely won't be any news until after the dust settles from the election.

Ah, thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have an idea what stats you need to get an interview/offer? Somebody in another thread said CoA clerkship level, which sounded ridiculous to me. Hard to get a feel since it's such a new program.

Mine are:
T25, top 10%, demonstrated interest in subject matter.

[Myself]

.

[LawIdiot86]

Anyone have an idea what stats you need to get an interview/offer? Somebody in another thread said CoA clerkship level, which sounded ridiculous to me. Hard to get a feel since it's such a new program.

Mine are:
T25, top 10%, demonstrated interest in subject matter.

Demonstrated interest in subject matter is always a risky proposition. Law schools don't teach actual consumer finance law or banking law (rarely do they teach routine securities enforcement and even rarer is securities compliance), they teach courses about policy and fraud, which aren't 1-to-1 mappings for someone like the CFPB. Further, interest like working at a mutual fund or insurance company is relevant, but there are hundreds of equally situated law students because those companies have so many employees with such a high turnover. Short of actual work at one of the federal financial agencies or an internship at one of them (or maybe one of the better state AG's offices in consumer protection enforcement), I would be reluctant to believe demonstrated interest gives a leg up.

[Anonymous User]

The agency is so new, would anyone actually have any stats???

This is the fellowship's second year. I just wanted some reassurance that posters in an earlier thread were being hyperbolic. Starting at the CFPB is basically my dream job, so I may just be a little antsy.

Demonstrated interest in subject matter is always a risky proposition. Law schools don't teach actual consumer finance law or banking law (rarely do they teach routine securities enforcement and even rarer is securities compliance), they teach courses about policy and fraud, which aren't 1-to-1 mappings for someone like the CFPB. Further, interest like working at a mutual fund or insurance company is relevant, but there are hundreds of equally situated law students because those companies have so many employees with such a high turnover. Short of actual work at one of the federal financial agencies or an internship at one of them (or maybe one of the better state AG's offices in consumer protection enforcement), I would be reluctant to believe demonstrated interest gives a leg up.

I've externed for a federal financial agency, wrote my comment on something relevant to the agency, do community outreach on financial issues, was a SA and most of my work revolved around defending big banks against stuff like FDCPA/disclosures/etc, and I research securities compliance for a small firm as a part time deal during the school year.

I agree that taking a class or two doesn't count, but I've been very proactive about doing things outside law school -- enough to think that it benefits my application.

[Anonymous User]

I have no idea if previous posters were being hyperbolic, but since agencies are getting literally thousands of applications, for classes of what, 10? 15, tops?, they probably could select for COA-level stats if they wanted. I just don't think anyone yet knows what they really are selecting for.

[LawIdiot86]

The agency is so new, would anyone actually have any stats???

This is the fellowship's second year. I just wanted some reassurance that posters in an earlier thread were being hyperbolic. Starting at the CFPB is basically my dream job, so I may just be a little antsy.

Demonstrated interest in subject matter is always a risky proposition. Law schools don't teach actual consumer finance law or banking law (rarely do they teach routine securities enforcement and even rarer is securities compliance), they teach courses about policy and fraud, which aren't 1-to-1 mappings for someone like the CFPB. Further, interest like working at a mutual fund or insurance company is relevant, but there are hundreds of equally situated law students because those companies have so many employees with such a high turnover. Short of actual work at one of the federal financial agencies or an internship at one of them (or maybe one of the better state AG's offices in consumer protection enforcement), I would be reluctant to believe demonstrated interest gives a leg up.

I've externed for a federal financial agency, wrote my comment on something relevant to the agency, do community outreach on financial issues, was a SA and most of my work revolved around defending big banks against stuff like FDCPA/disclosures/etc, and I research securities compliance for a small firm as a part time deal during the school year.

I agree that taking a class or two doesn't count, but I've been very proactive about doing things outside law school -- enough to think that it benefits my application.

That sounds like a resume that would at least get a screener from my past experience interviewing with financial honors programs. They aren't generally as school-snobbish as biglaw, but the odds are stacked against anyone. I still would not expect to start at the CFPB though.

[Anonymous User]

I just got invited to interview today. I declined because I accepted another offer, but just wanted to let people know that there's movement now.

[Anonymous User]

Stats?

[Anonymous User]

Mine is still at reviewing apps -- here's to hoping I hear something Monday.

[Anonymous User]

Stats?

Top 10% at a top 20 school, currently completing a federal appellate clerkship. Good luck to all!

[jadjerd]

Just got a "not selected" through the awkward medium of USA jobs, if that helps. Which is funny b/c I just called someone at CFPB today to ask about status. He told me that they had interviewed an initial round but there was a possibility they would pull in more applications depending on how the first round went. I wasn't expecting anything, but it was quite a coincidence that I suddenly received a rejection.

[Anonymous User]

How did they notify you that you weren't selected? My status on USAJobs hasn't changed. I figured they just didn't update it that much.

[dudders]

Mine just says "Reviewing Applications."

[Anonymous User]

Mine still says "Reviewing Applications" too. Although USAJOBS does update status and will notify you (if you signed up for updates) - I was dinged by the Department of the Interior, which used USAJOBS, and my status changed from "Referred to Selecting Official" (or something like that) to "Not Referred to Selecting Official" (and USAJOBS sent me an e-mail telling me my status had changed). Kinda wish that if they've done a first round of interviews they'd just ding the rest of us and get it over with!

[Anonymous User]

I kind of forgot about it until I saw this thread. Just figured it was a long shot.

[jadjerd]

Same here: just got an email notification that my application status had changed from USA Jobs. Then I had to search all over to confirm that "not selected" meant "not selected for real go find another job." (I searched under the FAQs on the main USAjobs page for application status).

Good luck.