Hi. I have to fill out the forms for a US Attorney's office I applied to. The only drug I have ever done is marijuana. I've been out of college for three years, and barely smoked after college (a few times at parties.) For two of the years since undergrad I was abroad where weed is HIGHLY illegal, so I never smoked. I smoked on the night I landed in the US after my rough, very long flight. I realized I HATE weed now (I was super paranoid) and also knew the strict DOJ, USAO policies and therefore was not going to smoke again.
Unfortunately, this was ~11 months ago. I know these organizations have strict "no drugs in the past 12 months" policy. Does this generally mean 12 months from when I applied, when I will start, or when I fill out the form?
Also, I'm kind of confused about one of the questions on the District Attny's form, which asks me about participating in the illegal sale, manufacture, etc. of a drug for the purpose of one's "intended" profit or your "intended" own profit. Technically anyone who has smoked weed has "participated..." unless you didn't INTENTIONALLY help someone profit. I think I purchased it only once. I don't even remember. There's nowhere on the form to explain that part but I would definitely clarify it happened once? I don't want them to think I was ever a drug dealer. I don't know if I should even check that box.
Any advice would help, thanks.
US Attorney's Office, DOJ, and Drugs Forum
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Re: US Attorney's Office, DOJ, and Drugs
*Also, for the mental health part I have to put down that I have seen a psychiatrist for ADHD. Will that look bad?
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Re: US Attorney's Office, DOJ, and Drugs
The for profit thing is basically asking if you've sold drugs for profit, i.e. have u ever dealt drugs. TBH if noone who knows you would say that "yeah, he smokes marijuana occasionally" you might want to keep those couple outlying occasions on the DL. Unless you are applying to the CIA or DEA, because they may have you take a lie detector test.
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Re: US Attorney's Office, DOJ, and Drugs
You should probably disclose ADHD. That is in your medical records and presumably you will be on ADHD medication when you are working, and you don't want to constantly hide that.
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Re: US Attorney's Office, DOJ, and Drugs
You will require a secret background and a lie detector CAN but normally will not be used, if it is used it is normally for national security issues which may or may not include drug questions. Your background packet is considered a signed sworn statement and intentional misrepresentation is considered a felony though i have never seen it prosecuted except in cases of assault, murder, child porn or such (yes it does happen where that is revealed on a background). How well your background is done will depend on the background investigator at OPM or if they farm it out to the FBI. If you lie and are caught pretty much consider all federal employment for the rest of your life tossed out the window.
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Re: US Attorney's Office, DOJ, and Drugs
You will sign a release of medical documents for any secret level position (pretty much any DOJ job) and they will pull those records if they have any reason to suspect they exist.Anonymous User wrote:You should probably disclose ADHD. That is in your medical records and presumably you will be on ADHD medication when you are working, and you don't want to constantly hide that.
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Re: US Attorney's Office, DOJ, and Drugs
OP here. I had no intention to lie at all. I don't feel right doing that, even though most people who know me know that I do not smoke pot anymore and did so in college. That's not the issue... I just was wondering how much people thought the weed use 11 months ago and the ADHD would affect my chances. I'm assuming the latter doesn't really matter, as it's not really something that affects one's mental stability, etc. as other mental issues can.
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Re: US Attorney's Office, DOJ, and Drugs
I know that this probably isn't a helpful response, but it might be a good idea under these circumstances to do something else for the summer. If you're not willing to lie (and kudos if you're not), then barring an answer from somebody here to the effect of "they took me even with my recent drug use," a 1L summer job might not be worth building that record in their personell/hiring files.
I was in a similar situation as you with pot/ADHD and I may want to work for the Federal government in the future, so I decided that it just wasn't worth applying until I was sure that I could put the proper time between my past drug use and my application. Theres a lot of pressure at some places (HYS) to do DOJ work your first summer, but I can honestly say that working somewhere else will not hurt you in the job/clerkship hunt, and you might even have a better substantive experience.
I was in a similar situation as you with pot/ADHD and I may want to work for the Federal government in the future, so I decided that it just wasn't worth applying until I was sure that I could put the proper time between my past drug use and my application. Theres a lot of pressure at some places (HYS) to do DOJ work your first summer, but I can honestly say that working somewhere else will not hurt you in the job/clerkship hunt, and you might even have a better substantive experience.
