Upcoming AUSA interview Forum

[Anonymous User]

I have a few interviews coming up at USAOs, the most important (to me), and first, are in pretty competitive/prestigious districts. I’ve done a lot of searching the forums but wanted to solicit any recent advice. It seems like, according to other forums, it usually takes a few tries before one sticks. Really hoping to avoid that with my top choices being up front. Have tons of answers to standard questions but want to be sure not to speak in generalities the entire time with no benefit. Would love to hear things to avoid since it appears yield is rather low for these interviews, adding to my nerves. If people have office specific advice, I’d gladly PM. Wondering how the lack of USAs will affect as well, should anyone know.

As for me, I did two fed clerkships and then some years of mostly civil lit and white collar at ~v50. Above median at t10 before.

[JusticeJackson]

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[Anonymous User]

I have a few interviews coming up at USAOs, the most important (to me), and first, are in pretty competitive/prestigious districts. I’ve done a lot of searching the forums but wanted to solicit any recent advice. It seems like, according to other forums, it usually takes a few tries before one sticks. Really hoping to avoid that with my top choices being up front. Have tons of answers to standard questions but want to be sure not to speak in generalities the entire time with no benefit. Would love to hear things to avoid since it appears yield is rather low for these interviews, adding to my nerves. If people have office specific advice, I’d gladly PM. Wondering how the lack of USAs will affect as well, should anyone know.

As for me, I did two fed clerkships and then some years of mostly civil lit and white collar at ~v50. Above median at t10 before.

For SDNY, if you don't get in on the first try, they ask that you wait three years before reapplying (although I've seen people get in after only waiting 2 years). They are such a big office that I think getting an offer there is pretty straightforward if you apply at the right time. At EDNY, it takes a year to get hired and 3 rounds of interviews and months in between each panel so be patient. At EDVA, you have to have insane credentials or have done a rotation through main justice and really impressed people while doing it. Its a smaller office so it has infrequent openings and unlike SDNY or EDNY, you apply to specific units. NDCAL is also very competitive, but you can get hired in as few as 1 round. NDIL has become increasingly competitive and is a good choice if you hope to one day become a partner in a firm as a lot of chicago firms poach from NDIL. I got an interview there, but ultimately didn't take it so my knowledge is limited about that office.

As for advice, my big piece of advice is if you're against mandatory minimums, keep that to yourself. They'll definitely ask and if you have hesitation, most of these offices will ding u.

[Anonymous User]

I have a few interviews coming up at USAOs, the most important (to me), and first, are in pretty competitive/prestigious districts. I’ve done a lot of searching the forums but wanted to solicit any recent advice. It seems like, according to other forums, it usually takes a few tries before one sticks. Really hoping to avoid that with my top choices being up front. Have tons of answers to standard questions but want to be sure not to speak in generalities the entire time with no benefit. Would love to hear things to avoid since it appears yield is rather low for these interviews, adding to my nerves. If people have office specific advice, I’d gladly PM. Wondering how the lack of USAs will affect as well, should anyone know.

As for me, I did two fed clerkships and then some years of mostly civil lit and white collar at ~v50. Above median at t10 before.

For SDNY, if you don't get in on the first try, they ask that you wait three years before reapplying (although I've seen people get in after only waiting 2 years). They are such a big office that I think getting an offer there is pretty straightforward if you apply at the right time. At EDNY, it takes a year to get hired and 3 rounds of interviews and months in between each panel so be patient. At EDVA, you have to have insane credentials or have done a rotation through main justice and really impressed people while doing it. Its a smaller office so it has infrequent openings and unlike SDNY or EDNY, you apply to specific units. NDCAL is also very competitive, but you can get hired in as few as 1 round. NDIL has become increasingly competitive and is a good choice if you hope to one day become a partner in a firm as a lot of chicago firms poach from NDIL. I got an interview there, but ultimately didn't take it so my knowledge is limited about that office.

As for advice, my big piece of advice is if you're against mandatory minimums, keep that to yourself. They'll definitely ask and if you have hesitation, most of these offices will ding u.

Even though you didn't take it, do you (or anyone else lurking) have any insight into their hiring? Number of interviews/timing as expressed with EDNY?