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Lets get to this fun topic!!
Have you applied yet? If not, when do you plan to apply? (any other updates/suggestions on this topic are welcomed).

Is this just for firms? I am really trying to figure out DOJ hiring timeline.

Currently trying to decide whether to go back to my firm, where I worked for a year prior to clerking, or to make a switch.

My dilemma: I don't want to practice where my firm is located, which is also the district in which I'm clerking (major market, think D.D.C., S.D.N.Y., N.D. Cal., C.D. Cal.). Instead, I want to move back to my home market, which is a smaller but still major city.

My former firm has an office in my home market, but doesn't let juniors transfer there. I'd be going back as a third year, but would still need to work in the major market for a year prior to being able to ask to switch (and even then, there's no guarantee). I liked my firm, but like several of the home-grown firms in my home market better.

Wondering if people think I should just go back to my firm, stay a while, then try to make a move when I'm a bit more senior, or if I should try and go on the market now in my home market and make the move immediately if I get hired. Long-term goal is not partnership, but to pay off my (substantial) debt and either practice at a smaller litigation firm or in state government.

Thanks!

If you are sure you want to be in your home market, better to get there ASAP in my opinion because 1) the more ties you have in the legal community, the better, and the only way to really develop those ties is to get there and 2) if it is a smaller market you will likely get more substantive experience there.

I say that as someone who practiced in big law in one of the districts you mentioned and is now clerking in a smaller district. Only took about a week to see how fundamentally different a legal community this was (in a good way in my opinion).

Shaggier1 wrote:Is this just for firms? I am really trying to figure out DOJ hiring timeline.

I'm applying for DOJ/DHS/etc., too. Working on those applications now.

Nice. You doing honors or did you spend time at a firm?

How do you apply to DOJ jobs if you're clerking after a couple of years of biglaw experience? USAjobs.gov?

Shaggier1 wrote:Nice. You doing honors or did you spend time at a firm?

Honors. Or, actually, both Honors and non-honors, since clerking for two years as a first job lets you kind of bat both ways. That said, since I have no non-clerking, post-grad work experience, I expect I will be beat out by those that do in all "experienced" attorney positions. Are you an honors applicant, or coming off of time at a firm, Shaggier?

Anonymous User wrote:How do you apply to DOJ jobs if you're clerking after a couple of years of biglaw experience? USAjobs.gov?

You can troll USAjobs, too, but the most comprehensive DOJ listing I've found for experienced lawyers is this one: http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/vacancies.

mi-chan17 wrote:

Shaggier1 wrote:Nice. You doing honors or did you spend time at a firm?

Honors. Or, actually, both Honors and non-honors, since clerking for two years as a first job lets you kind of bat both ways. That said, since I have no non-clerking, post-grad work experience, I expect I will be beat out by those that do in all "experienced" attorney positions. Are you an honors applicant, or coming off of time at a firm, Shaggier?

Anonymous User wrote:How do you apply to DOJ jobs if you're clerking after a couple of years of biglaw experience? USAjobs.gov?

You can troll USAjobs, too, but the most comprehensive DOJ listing I've found for experienced lawyers is this one: http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/vacancies.

Is it too early to be applying to (say) AUSA positions? I have no idea what the timeline is for them or other DOJ components having never worked for them before.

Are you an honors applicant, or coming off of time at a firm, Shaggier?

I spent about 9 months at a firm, so no Honors for me.

I just applied with a state AG's office, and I'm working on the DOJ honors application. If those don't work out I'll probably start networking and thinking about firms; not sure if I'm interested in going back to the firm I summered at. I'm in the middle of back-to-back clerkships (state supreme court to circuit court). I interviewed for both clerkships during my 2L summer, so I'm feeling a little out of practice on the whole job search thing.

Got an interview and a "referred" status on a couple fedgov jobs I applied to through USAjobs. Seems like the time to strike may be now, for people finishing up in 2015. Neither of them is an honors program, fwiw.

Also, DOJ Honors app is in. Good luck to my other honors peeps.

Anonymous User wrote:Got an interview and a "referred" status on a couple fedgov jobs I applied to through USAjobs. Seems like the time to strike may be now, for people finishing up in 2015. Neither of them is an honors program, fwiw.

Also, DOJ Honors app is in. Good luck to my other honors peeps.

Congrats! How long did it take to receive the "referred" status after you applied?

Two or three weeks after the closing date.

Got an interview and a "referred" status on a couple fedgov jobs I applied to through USAjobs. Seems like the time to strike may be now, for people finishing up in 2015. Neither of them is an honors program, fwiw.

Thanks for sharing! This is for a job starting in Fall 2015? Can I ask how much experience the posting said was preferred?

Both, as far as I can tell, would allow starts in fall 2015. The postings differed, but were in the GS 12/13 zone, so 1-3 years experience?

BUMP

Is anyone else trying to move markets? How big of a problem will it be if I haven't taken the bar in my target market? (I practiced for a year in State X and am admitted in State X, but want to go home to State Y and wont have a chance to take the State Y bar before my clerkship ends.)

If a firm is interested in hiring you, it is unlikely to be a problem that you are not barred in that state. Clerks frequently move jurisdictions.

run26.2 wrote:If a firm is interested in hiring you, it is unlikely to be a problem that you are not barred in that state. Clerks frequently move jurisdictions.

ty. is this based on your experience/experience of your friends? I initially thought that it was no big deal, but spoke to a recruiter a few days ago that said that I would be in the "second tier" of candidates (despite HYS, COA) because I was not barred in the state. This is a major market - think Chicago or SF/LA rather than Nashville or Denver.

I have no real intuition as to whether or not the recruiter is full of shit or not.

Feel free to PM for more details.

Your recruiter sounds like a total idiot. You would be in the "second tier" of candidate, despite HYS / COA experience, because you weren't barred in that state? Really?

Anyone have intel on when firms are going to start hiring? I am mostly interested in DC and NY.

Would appreciate some intel as well. So far I have been told that I am too early.

Anonymous User wrote:Would appreciate some intel as well. So far I have been told that I am too early.

Next year about spring time.