DOJ EOIR OCIJ Class of 2013 Forum

[Anonymous User]

A big Hello! to the EOIR Judicial Law Clerk Class of 2013. Wanted to move this convo off the main DOJ Honors string to respect the feelings of folks who are still waiting for offers there -- but definitely wanted to ask a few questions of those of you who have received and accepted offers for the immigration court clerkships in 2013-2015.

1. Did anyone receive a confirmation email after they sent in their acceptance?
2. How long after you accept the offer by email does all the paperwork take to arrive?
3. Does anyone have any idea about training? I understand there are ~4 days of training in DC in the fall, maybe around Columbus Day. But what does this cover?

[cookiebug]

A big Hello! to the EOIR Judicial Law Clerk Class of 2013. Wanted to move this convo off the main DOJ Honors string to respect the feelings of folks who are still waiting for offers there -- but definitely wanted to ask a few questions of those of you who have received and accepted offers for the immigration court clerkships in 2013-2015.

1. Did anyone receive a confirmation email after they sent in their acceptance?
2. How long after you accept the offer by email does all the paperwork take to arrive?
3. Does anyone have any idea about training? I understand there are ~4 days of training in DC in the fall, maybe around Columbus Day. But what does this cover?

Current AA here. re: 3. This past year, the training was only 3 days long. It covers the basics of immigration law, how to interview interns, ethics, and HR stuff. You'll really learn the nitty gritty when you do the job itself - steep learning curve.

Folks can free free to PM me questions.

[anon5]

A big Hello! to the EOIR Judicial Law Clerk Class of 2013. Wanted to move this convo off the main DOJ Honors string to respect the feelings of folks who are still waiting for offers there -- but definitely wanted to ask a few questions of those of you who have received and accepted offers for the immigration court clerkships in 2013-2015.

1. Did anyone receive a confirmation email after they sent in their acceptance?
2. How long after you accept the offer by email does all the paperwork take to arrive?
3. Does anyone have any idea about training? I understand there are ~4 days of training in DC in the fall, maybe around Columbus Day. But what does this cover?

1. I got a confirmation email a couple hours after I sent my acceptance email.
2. I got an email about 2 weeks later asking me to fill out a form (basic info) so my e-QIP account could be created. I sent that in the same day (about a week ago) and haven't heard anything since then. I haven't gotten any paperwork in the mail yet.

[Anonymous User]

I recently accepted too so thanks for starting this thread. Quick question - if we want to talk to the current JLC/AA at the court we'll be working in, should we contact HQ for their contact or just call up the court?

[Anonymous User]

I recently accepted too so thanks for starting this thread. Quick question - if we want to talk to the current JLC/AA at the court we'll be working in, should we contact HQ for their contact or just call up the court?

Contact EOIR-HQ. I think Sarah Bryd. I'm surprised they didn't already inform you of that info, as they usually encourage folks to call. The JLCs/AAs would be happy to hear from you and answer any questions you have!

[Anonymous User]

Current JLCs/AAs - What does a typical day look like for you in your court? Are you at a computer all day? What are your deadlines like? How/When do you interact with co-clerks?

[anon5]

Does anyone know whether, during the course of our background checks, they actually contact the people we list in our paperwork as people who know us well/know us at a specific residence/past supervisors?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know whether, during the course of our background checks, they actually contact the people we list in our paperwork as people who know us well/know us at a specific residence/past supervisors?

It's an actual clearance now, so yes. They send FBI contractors (retired FBI agents) to speak with everyone listed in your paperwork in person. It's standard procedure for them to ask each of those people for a couple names of people who also know you, and then they interview them too. At your current and previous addresses, they typically knock on neighbors' doors, talk to property managers, and wander around asking folks if they know you.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if OCIJ offers any (one-time) financial assistance with moving costs? I am looking at a 3,000+ mile move from my current city to the city where my court is.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if OCIJ offers any (one-time) financial assistance with moving costs? I am looking at a 3,000+ mile move from my current city to the city where my court is.

They do not.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if OCIJ offers any (one-time) financial assistance with moving costs? I am looking at a 3,000+ mile move from my current city to the city where my court is.

They do not.

Ah well, thanks anyway for the information.

[Anonymous User]

Trying to figure out August 2013 and when to leave my current job. The person who called with my offer said we start as JLCs in mid-September. Does anybody remember how the timeline worked with moving to your court city, going to training, and starting at your court? Is the training in DC for the entire JLC class, or are there multiple dates/locations? Thank you!

[Anonymous User]

Trying to figure out August 2013 and when to leave my current job. The person who called with my offer said we start as JLCs in mid-September. Does anybody remember how the timeline worked with moving to your court city, going to training, and starting at your court? Is the training in DC for the entire JLC class, or are there multiple dates/locations? Thank you!

I moved to my court city immediately after taking the bar and did nothing for a couple months (my lease was up, so I figured why not). Other (most) clerks didn't move until a week or two before showing up at work. Training for current AAs had us going to our court for a day, flying to DC the next day, sitting through training the following three days, and then flying back on a Saturday (for which we got flex time; for courts in the DC area, there was presumably less travel time involved). I can't speak to the schedule this past year.

In any event, there has only ever been a single training conference at HQ in Falls Church with the whole JLC class. I'd be pretty surprised if they changed that.

[Anonymous User]

Trying to figure out August 2013 and when to leave my current job. The person who called with my offer said we start as JLCs in mid-September. Does anybody remember how the timeline worked with moving to your court city, going to training, and starting at your court? Is the training in DC for the entire JLC class, or are there multiple dates/locations? Thank you!

I moved to my court city immediately after taking the bar and did nothing for a couple months (my lease was up, so I figured why not). Other (most) clerks didn't move until a week or two before showing up at work. Training for current AAs had us going to our court for a day, flying to DC the next day, sitting through training the following three days, and then flying back on a Saturday (for which we got flex time; for courts in the DC area, there was presumably less travel time involved). I can't speak to the schedule this past year.

In any event, there has only ever been a single training conference at HQ in Falls Church with the whole JLC class. I'd be pretty surprised if they changed that.

Really helpful, thanks so much! If a current JLC can speak to any recent differences/similarities for the 2012 class, that would be great too.

[Anonymous User]

so now that i've committed, of course i've started to think about the next step. where does an EOIR clerkship lead? for any current/former JLCs/AAs out there, what are you planning to do after the clerkship? or what have you done?

[Anonymous User]

Has anybody heard that the FBI aspect of their background investigation has started yet? Some of my references are less than thrilled at the idea of hearing from FBI agents.

Can anyone who has already gone through this part of the process offer any insight into how the agents contact and/or meet with our references, as well as what kinds of questions they ask?

[Anonymous User]

To the person looking for moving $ -

This isn't quite reimbursement, but it's something: IRS Publication 521, Moving Expenses http://www.irs.gov/publications/p521/ar ... 1000203446

[Anonymous User]

Having lived in DC for almost 15 years now, I've done a few clearances before, both as a reference and as the one getting the clearance. The FBI/investigator's interview of each of your references is pretty straightforward; they sit down (in person, usually at a location selected by the interviewee) for half an hour or so and ask questions similar to those on the SF-85P or SF-86. The tone often depends on the personality of the investigator -- some are super brusque and self-important, some are more chill and understand that they're mostly just there to check a box. They'll ask the ridiculous required-by-law questions, like whether the reference knows you to ever have been a member of an organization dedicated to the violent overthrow of the U.S. Government, as well as the simpler (but sometimes scarier) ones like whether the reference has ever known you to be dishonest in any way. I've always advised my references to respond truthfully, but to answer only the question asked. This is also the strategy I've followed in responding for others. Not sure it's the best, but it just seems that there's no need to do more than that, and volunteering random other details could only complicate things!

Is that helpful at all?

[Anonymous User]

Having lived in DC for almost 15 years now, I've done a few clearances before, both as a reference and as the one getting the clearance. The FBI/investigator's interview of each of your references is pretty straightforward; they sit down (in person, usually at a location selected by the interviewee) for half an hour or so and ask questions similar to those on the SF-85P or SF-86. The tone often depends on the personality of the investigator -- some are super brusque and self-important, some are more chill and understand that they're mostly just there to check a box. They'll ask the ridiculous required-by-law questions, like whether the reference knows you to ever have been a member of an organization dedicated to the violent overthrow of the U.S. Government, as well as the simpler (but sometimes scarier) ones like whether the reference has ever known you to be dishonest in any way. I've always advised my references to respond truthfully, but to answer only the question asked. This is also the strategy I've followed in responding for others. Not sure it's the best, but it just seems that there's no need to do more than that, and volunteering random other details could only complicate things!

Is that helpful at all?

Very helpful. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond!

[ilovesf]

Were any of you guys a summer intern before applying there for Honors?

[Anonymous User]

Were any of you guys a summer intern before applying there for Honors?

I'd estimate that around 85% of JLCs were previously interns. The other 15% generally has either lots of other sorts of immigration stuff or other significant judicial clerking experience.

[Anonymous User]

Can anybody point me in the right direction for specific instructions on how to complete the e-QIP Employment Activities page (SP85P Section 11)? Specifically, I am wondering whether or not I should list all my unpaid internships during law school (or if I should only list paid employment). Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have a sense of what the consequences might be of pulling out of the clerkship in order to accept a later-received offer elsewhere? I've signed and submitted all the paperwork to EOIR, but have an interview for my dream job in a couple weeks. Obviously this is NOT the ideal situation, and I'd like to burn as few bridges as possible. If I am offered the dream job, it's going to be a very hard call... Thoughts?

[Anonymous User]

Can anybody point me in the right direction for specific instructions on how to complete the e-QIP Employment Activities page (SP85P Section 11)? Specifically, I am wondering whether or not I should list all my unpaid internships during law school (or if I should only list paid employment). Thanks!

I listed all my unpaid law school internships. I forget why I decided this was the way to go, so it may have been an abundance of caution, but that's what I did.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have a sense of what the consequences might be of pulling out of the clerkship in order to accept a later-received offer elsewhere? I've signed and submitted all the paperwork to EOIR, but have an interview for my dream job in a couple weeks. Obviously this is NOT the ideal situation, and I'd like to burn as few bridges as possible. If I am offered the dream job, it's going to be a very hard call... Thoughts?

The typical response is to take it as a personal affront and be as vindictive as possible. They might call your law school, the bar, and threaten lawsuits. If you have any contacts in EOIR that they learn about, they will tell them to have no further contact with you in light of the possibility of legal action.

That all might not amount to much, but you can forget about not burning any bridges. If you pull out, they'll see to it that the bridge is burned, then they'll tear out the bridge supports and blow the dam upstream to make the river impassable.