2024-2025 Honors Attorney Program (BigFed, Non-DOJ) Forum

[Anonymous User]

Any info on FDIC movement?

They checked references for me last week. Not sure if it means anything, but some movement

[Anonymous User]

If a particular honors program is your #1 choice, would telling the point of contact about an offer from a law firm speed the decision process up or do agencies not care about that?

Banking reg agency fwiw

I think you can ask them what their timeline looks like as you have another offer with a deadline of [date], but they’re not likely to be able to change the timeline very much. There tend to be fairly strict procedures around hiring (welcome to the feds). It might depend a little on how many people they’re hiring - like there might be more flexibility for one slot than for multiple - and where they are in the interview process.

They are fairly likely to congratulate you on the offer and say there’s nothing they can do, though.

What did they say when you reached out?

[Anonymous User]

What is the point of going into one of these programs now when we have Elon Musk and a body literally called DOGE breathing down our backs the whole time?

It seems quite obvious that Honors Programs are either going to be totally gutted or re-shaped to add some fielty component.

[Anonymous User]

Do we think there could be some delay in hiring notifications due to the election?

[Anonymous User]

Do we think the election will impact CFPB hiring? Project 2025 explicitly calls for them to shutter

Hiring for this cycle? No. That was set in advance and will be complete by EOY.

First year on the job for '25 new hires, and hiring future cycles? Absolutely. Unlikely Trump will shutter the agency, but working there will be difficult.

Different anon, but I agree with this.

What is the point of going into one of these programs now when we have Elon Musk and a body literally called DOGE breathing down our backs the whole time?

It seems quite obvious that Honors Programs are either going to be totally gutted or re-shaped to add some fielty component.

That is a totally fair reaction (I’m horrified about Musk), but this will depend on the agency. If you’re one of the people here going only for the financial regulators, yeah, that may turn out badly. DHS will probably be fine. Something like ACE, who knows.

Do we think there could be some delay in hiring notifications due to the election?

No - again, the current programs are already funded and there’s nothing about the election that changes the day to day at the moment. It’s not like the people administering the programs didn’t know the election was coming.

[asdfghj9gh7]

Any OCC updates? Any offers go out yet?

I received an offer from an OCC field office in mid-October.

[Anonymous User]

Any OCC updates? Any offers go out yet?

Starting to count myself out and bummed about it :/

Any OCC updates? They had said their target was Veterans Day but I’m betting they got slowed down at least a little?

[Anonymous User]

Any OCC updates? Any offers go out yet?

Starting to count myself out and bummed about it :/

Any OCC updates? They had said their target was Veterans Day but I’m betting they got slowed down at least a little?

[Anonymous User]

Any OCC updates? Any offers go out yet?

Starting to count myself out and bummed about it :/

Any OCC updates? They had said their target was Veterans Day but I’m betting they got slowed down at least a little?

Has anyone reached out about whether they’re done making offers? I saw someone did that in one of the previous year threads on here.

[Anonymous User]

Any OCC updates? Any offers go out yet?

Starting to count myself out and bummed about it :/

Any OCC updates? They had said their target was Veterans Day but I’m betting they got slowed down at least a little?

Has anyone reached out about whether they’re done making offers? I saw someone did that in one of the previous year threads on here.

I've reached out, waiting to hear back

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard about BOP?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from BOP?

[Anonymous User]

Any OCC updates? Any offers go out yet?

I received an offer in mid-October

[Anonymous User]

Any OCC updates? Any offers go out yet?

I received an offer in mid-October

I think everyone in this thread was discussing the Comptroller OCC - which was doing second round interviews through October 23. Do you mean the IRS OCC?

[Anonymous User]

Any info on FDIC movement?

They checked references for me last week. Not sure if it means anything, but some movement

Just found out that I've also gotten at least one of my references checked for FDIC

[juliusho05]

Right, Comptroller OCC told me they were aiming to make offers late Nov-early Dec

[Anonymous User]

I've gotten my references checked by the FDIC. This + all the info in this thread checks out with the timeline they provided in my interview me so I imagine offers will be going out late this week/early next week before Thanksgiving or possibly the week after Thanksgiving.

With that being said, I am somewhat concerned with the agency becoming politicized and was wondering if others waiting on a fin reg program are feeling the same. On the one hand, FDIC's work seems to be fairly apolitical and they operate more under Skidmore than Chevron so that's nice. On the other hand, should I be offered the role, I'm worried that I'll just get fired after month 14 or something of the 2 years or funding will be totally cut or there will be some purging going on and I will be targeted as I have work experiences with lib politicians on my resume and linkedin. Would being a part of the Trump Administration screw me in the future if I want to lateral to big law?

I definitely don't think that Musk will succeed in achieving his cutting goals because they feel impossible, but Fed Honors Programs seem like a really easy line item to slash or substantially alter unfortunately. Am I appropriately concerned or am I being hyperbolic?

[Anonymous User]

Any OCC updates? Any offers go out yet?

I received an offer in mid-October

I think everyone in this thread was discussing the Comptroller OCC - which was doing second round interviews through October 23. Do you mean the IRS OCC?

I think they are, I've heard the Comptroller will likely not have decisions before Thanksgiving.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone heard from DHS OGC?

[Anonymous User]

Any OCC updates? Any offers go out yet?

Starting to count myself out and bummed about it :/

Any OCC updates? They had said their target was Veterans Day but I’m betting they got slowed down at least a little?

Has anyone reached out about whether they’re done making offers? I saw someone did that in one of the previous year threads on here.

I've reached out, waiting to hear back

Any update?

[Anonymous User]

I heard OCC (Treasury) is accepting six people for the honors program this year? Can anyone confirm?

[Anonymous User]

I heard OCC (Treasury) is accepting six people for the honors program this year? Can anyone confirm?

Both IRS and Comptroller are within Treasury so this is a bit confusing

[Anonymous User]

I heard OCC (Treasury) is accepting six people for the honors program this year? Can anyone confirm?

Both IRS and Comptroller are within Treasury so this is a bit confusing

Oh sorry I didn’t realize! OCC Comptroller - is where I heard they may be taking 6 Honors hires???

[Anonymous User]

I heard OCC (Treasury) is accepting six people for the honors program this year? Can anyone confirm?

Both IRS and Comptroller are within Treasury so this is a bit confusing

Oh sorry I didn’t realize! OCC Comptroller - is where I heard they may be taking 6 Honors hires???

I don’t know if that is true but one of my Comptroller interviewers referred to a year they hired two people as unusually small. I am guessing you don’t have any updates on offer timelines?

[Anonymous User]

Is it safe to assume it's a no if I haven’t heard back from the IRS (tax, field office) since OCI?