DOJ Honors Program: Ranking of Components Forum

[ZyzzBrah]

I've heard that certain components won't even consider you if you don't select them as #1, any truth to this?

[Connor Benz]

It's not that they will not consider you, your application will be less competitive with that division that ranked you low. It's common sense. Would you hire somebody who ranked your firm dead last and there are just as many other impressive candidates who didn't?

You need to rank the division/section that you want to work most at. Meaning you need to rank them #1 or #2. If you have impressive marks (which the majority of the candidates will) and if you did really well in your interview, but you ranked that division 3 or 4, your application may go towards the bottom pile and you won't be considered as strongly as someone else who ranked them higher - because there is always someone else who is just as good as you, if not better.

The point is, be strategic in how you rank the components because you could potentially play yourself out of a position. They will call all your references too. Also, find something to distinguish yourself. Most of the applicants probably clerked or did a fellowship and wrote a law review note or something.

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[Anonymous User]

I've heard that certain components won't even consider you if you don't select them as #1, any truth to this?

My wife's component, which doesn't get a lot of people ranking them #1 or #2, simply chooses not to hire if no one ranks them high. They have zero desire to train someone who is most likely going to leave at the three year mark or try to transfer before that.

[Anonymous User]

FWIW, I got hired by the component I ranked #3. But I have heard that Criminal only interviews people who rank them first. (Can't confirm or deny, I didn't list Crim.)

You need to rank the division/section that you want to work most at. Meaning you need to rank them #1 or #2. If you have impressive marks (which the majority of the candidates will) and if you did really well in your interview, but you ranked that division 3 or 4, your application may go towards the bottom pile and you won't be considered as strongly as someone else who ranked them higher - because there is always someone else who is just as good as you, if not better.

I realize this is totally pedantic, so I apologize, but I feel compelled to point out that you can only rank 3 components, so ranking something #4 just isn't going to happen. (I guess I'm sort of curious where your information is coming from as I thought you just finished 1L? Or are you talking about SLIP?)

[ZyzzBrah]

^^ when people say "criminal" component, are they referring to any subdivision-- or is it only the criminal trial/appeals type divisions


The reason I ask is because I would like to select strategically--i recognize that top 20% at a 40-50 school, lr published, ssc clerkship is ok, but not enough for antitrust for example

My wife's component, which doesn't get a lot of people ranking them #1 or #2, simply chooses not to hire if no one ranks them high. They have zero desire to train someone who is most likely going to leave at the three year mark or try to transfer before that.

mind pm'ing which component? if not i understand--i just cant imagine any division being uninteresting

[Anonymous User]

My wife's component, which doesn't get a lot of people ranking them #1 or #2, simply chooses not to hire if no one ranks them high. They have zero desire to train someone who is most likely going to leave at the three year mark or try to transfer before that.

mind pm'ing which component? if not i understand--i just cant imagine any division being uninteresting

I said component when I meant section (within a component). My bad. What I wrote applies to placement (once you've been made an offer/hired) within a component. Unfortunately, I don't know anything for certain about how components make their hiring decisions. If my wife has any information about how her component selects its hires, I'll pass it along by PM.

[Anonymous User]

Re: Criminal - I said that, and I meant the Criminal Division. If you go to the Honors page, it lists the participating components. Criminal is one of them. You begin the application by ranking 3 components - those are the only components that will consider your application. For some of the components, once you've ranked them, you then have to rank sections or divisions within the general component (e.g. Civil does this, ENRD does not). When I said some components won't consider you unless you rank that component #1, I was talking about the three components that you apply to. Within a component, I don't know how much this holds true.

[ZyzzBrah]

Another question for those who've applied

I read that you submit info for recommenders: does this just mean a list of references or do you submit LORs--the reason I ask is because a federal judge offered to be a reference, but doesn't write LORs.

[Anonymous User]

List of references.