AUSA/USAO hiring Forum

[Anonymous User]

A much more helpful distinction is border/not border. Border usaos are sooooo much easier to get into because they suck sooooo bad. It’s not impossible to go Del Rio>Chicago, but it’s probably not happening, either. The problem for you catching onto a border office is you may have too much experience, so they’ll have to pay you more than you want.

Anon because I am an AUSA and I have to push back on this. I have seen many border AUSAs go to work in other districts. And I have seen many people with more experience than that mag clerk get hired by border USAOs. (Also, my experience in a border district did not “suck sooooooo bad,” though admittedly it wasn’t under this administration so I can’t comment on what it’s like there now. As with most things, a huge amount depends on the people you work with.)

[Anonymous User]

Hey all, so for USAO positions, what does the drug testing entail? Is it a urine test or a hair test? And if urine test, how is it monitored? Like is someone going to be staring directly at my business or just at the door or something?

Should add that I’m just interviewing for a summer intern program (I’m a 2L), but figure anyone who’s in the department probably has gone through the same test.

Yes I know I shouldn’t smoke weed and work for the USAO, but an answer to the question would be very helpful, thanks!

[mariamacapa]

It is just a urine test. They will call you and you have 48 hours to complete the test. No one was watching but there was someone outside the door and they made me leave my stuff outside.

[Anonymous User]

And just to clarify the above a little - they call you to tell you that you have 48 hours to get the test done at a given location in your city (probably some kind of walk-in/urgent care - they often do testing for employers etc). So you'll go to a clinic to take the test, and the clinic will give you the procedure. You won't be watched literally peeing but yeah, you can't take anything into the stall with you. And since you asked about monitoring... please please please don't think about trying to fool the test (I can't tell you how often I have defendants who fail at this). If you think you're going to fail, you're almost certainly best off telling your hiring official and asking them how you should proceed. They may tell you it won't matter, or they may tell you that it will matter, but that they'll let you withdraw your application rather than have a failure on your record. The absolute worst thing will be to try to lie.

[Anonymous User]

If you've smoked weed since you started law school you should consider pulling your application. I know someone who was accepted to the honors program in law school, disclosed to the recruiter college drug use, and was told to withdraw before things got bad.

Even if you can pass the test, how far does this go? Do you lie to the FBI agent who may one day do your background? Do you tell your friends who may be interviewed to lie to the federal government on your behalf?

[Anonymous User]

Is it true that an office like SDNY hires year round--rolling applications (in addition to specific posts it may make)? And anyone have insights into how many new AUSAs are hired each year for an office of that size?

[Anonymous User]

Is it true that an office like SDNY hires year round--rolling applications (in addition to specific posts it may make)? And anyone have insights into how many new AUSAs are hired each year for an office of that size?

I think they're always hiring, especially if you have someone willing to reach out on your behalf. When I was in Big Law in DC, people left year round because the bigger offices are essentially always recruiting.

[cali7802000]

Is it true that an office like SDNY hires year round--rolling applications (in addition to specific posts it may make)? And anyone have insights into how many new AUSAs are hired each year for an office of that size?

I think they're always hiring, especially if you have someone willing to reach out on your behalf. When I was in Big Law in DC, people left year round because the bigger offices are essentially always recruiting.

So did people from your Big Law in DC ever make it up to SDNY/EDNY? Wondering if those New York offices have a preference for NYC BigLaw (or just that more applicants apply from NYC Big Law)...

[Anonymous User]

On a related note, I applied to a few of the biggest offices (SDNY/EDVA/NDCA) in early January and have heard crickets. Would it be weird if I sent a follow-up note to the hiring contact or assume a soft rejection? Should I ask one of my recommenders to put in a call for me?

[Anonymous User]

On a related note, I applied to a few of the biggest offices (SDNY/EDVA/NDCA) in early January and have heard crickets. Would it be weird if I sent a follow-up note to the hiring contact or assume a soft rejection? Should I ask one of my recommenders to put in a call for me?

Having a recommender check in by e-mail or a quick call with someone they know seems fine. I think it would be weird to e-mail the office and ask, most don't do rejection e-mails and you shouldn't expect one. Your e-mail would probably be ignored anyway.

I've been assuming soft rejection if I don't hear back in 4 weeks. The one interview I received was extended within a month of me applying and the posting closing. It's all very hard to predict and every office is different. I didn't apply to the offices you did.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know how dual citizenship is affected by the security clearance background check? I'm a U.S. citizen (born here), but hold a passport with a foreign country. I would denounce if necessary, but curious if there would be any impediments to my application as a result.

[Anonymous User]

It may depend a little on what the other country is (and what its current relationship to the US is), but generally dual citizenship is fine. I am a dual citizen (born a citizen of the US and of a very long-term ally country), and when I went through my first hiring/background check, I did have to sign something saying that if I was asked to renounce my foreign citizenship, I would, but I did not have to actually renounce anything. When they redid my background check, I got a lot of questions about the dual citizenship and it seemed to confuse them (I was born a US citizen abroad and they seemed very confused by the very concept), but since it is a thing they eventually got over it. Now, I can't guarantee that it won't make a difference if your second citizenship is with a country the US is currently hostile to, but it shouldn't automatically be a deal breaker.

(I'm trying to remember, but I don't think you even have to indicate being dual before you get an offer, so I doubt it would be a problem with your application.)

[andythefir]

Can anyone speak to USAO hiring during COVID? Are the interviews postponed indefinitely or via Skype/Zoom/VTC? Does social distancing mean 1 everything is slowed down anyway, might as well take the prospects you want because no one is in court anyway or 2 experience is now invaluable because you need to do work now? Are offices trying to get out in front of a potential hiring freeze?

[Anonymous User]

I can only speak for my own office, but we had a search underway when this all went down, and interviews got delayed but eventually went forward via video. The expressed goal is to go forward with the hire on an ordinary timeline, although I think everyone recognizes that it's probably going to be strange as hell to on-board someone remotely.

I don't think the pandemic had any effect at all on how the candidates were evaluated, though - the needs of the office, in the sense of what we want a candidate to be able to do, haven't changed. Things are a bit weird since courts have put off jury trials/grand juries until [fill in date in your jurisdiction here], but that's not going to last forever, so the evaluation is just the same as it would be at any other time.

I also haven't seen any indications at all of a hiring freeze, or attempt to get out in front of it, but that's probably above my paygrade. That said, my office is small, and people tend to stick around/they tend to hire people who will stick around, so there isn't really a need?

[Anonymous User]

I can only speak for my own office, but we had a search underway when this all went down, and interviews got delayed but eventually went forward via video. The expressed goal is to go forward with the hire on an ordinary timeline, although I think everyone recognizes that it's probably going to be strange as hell to on-board someone remotely.

I don't think the pandemic had any effect at all on how the candidates were evaluated, though - the needs of the office, in the sense of what we want a candidate to be able to do, haven't changed. Things are a bit weird since courts have put off jury trials/grand juries until [fill in date in your jurisdiction here], but that's not going to last forever, so the evaluation is just the same as it would be at any other time.

I also haven't seen any indications at all of a hiring freeze, or attempt to get out in front of it, but that's probably above my paygrade. That said, my office is small, and people tend to stick around/they tend to hire people who will stick around, so there isn't really a need?

Thanks for replying. Do you know anything about how OARM is functioning right now? I submitted paperwork about three months ago for BI preemployment waiver and haven’t heard anything. I imagine COVID-19 has slowed work down, but I’m also concerned that it’s been three months with seemingly no movement.

[Anonymous User]

My experience has been that you never hear anything from OARM, frankly. You'll get called out of the blue by the investigator on your case to set up an interview, and HR from your office will contact you about the drug test. I got sent the eqip stuff about 2 months before I was notified about the drug test. Can't remember how long it took the investigator to contact me.

I have no idea what's happening right now due to COVID, but if you have questions, you're probably better off asking the HR people at the office hiring you than contacting OARM.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have insight into how Civil Rights Division does its hiring and interview process? Culture?

Also, does anyone have insight into District Hawaii and what the office is like and what typical pay is?

[Anonymous User]

Hey everyone, new to the board. Have read through this thread and gotten some great info! Aside from a few random applications last year, I'm really starting to dive in on AUSA applications for the first time. Essentially, I've applied to every criminal position available that has popped up on USAjobs in the last two months. I saw a timeline right at the beginning of this thread from 2016 that said the normal contact time for an initial interview is 2-3 weeks after the posting ends? Is this still accurate? Just curious as the waiting is misssserable haha. thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have insight into how Civil Rights Division does its hiring and interview process? Culture?

Also, does anyone have insight into District Hawaii and what the office is like and what typical pay is?

Do you mean the Civil Rights Division in DC, at Main Justice? Might need to ask in another thread. Or do you mean civil or affirmative civil enforcement AUSAs?

As for Hawaii, google "administratively determined pay plan charts" and then "federal locality pay" and you can see the range of pay. (I don't know anything about the office, I'm afraid.)

[Anonymous User]

Also, re: time to contact re: initial interview, it's been pretty short in my experience, but it can vary a lot, by office and what they have going on. And the pandemic could certainly be making a difference (my office moved forward and did interviews by video, but some offices might not want to).

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have insight into how Civil Rights Division does its hiring and interview process? Culture?

Also, does anyone have insight into District Hawaii and what the office is like and what typical pay is?

Do you mean the Civil Rights Division in DC, at Main Justice? Might need to ask in another thread. Or do you mean civil or affirmative civil enforcement AUSAs?

As for Hawaii, google "administratively determined pay plan charts" and then "federal locality pay" and you can see the range of pay. (I don't know anything about the office, I'm afraid.)

I am referring to Civil Rights Division in DC.

[Anonymous User]

Hey everyone, new to the board. Have read through this thread and gotten some great info! Aside from a few random applications last year, I'm really starting to dive in on AUSA applications for the first time. Essentially, I've applied to every criminal position available that has popped up on USAjobs in the last two months. I saw a timeline right at the beginning of this thread from 2016 that said the normal contact time for an initial interview is 2-3 weeks after the posting ends? Is this still accurate? Just curious as the waiting is misssserable haha. thanks!

I have been at a large USAO (largest office by number of cases) for about two years now so just a little more recent than 2016 but my experience was applied in mid May. About one month after posting ended I was contacted for interview in early July. Follow up interview a week later. Offer on the same day as follow up interview. Actual start date November 26.

[Ohiobumpkin]

Does anyone know what the interview procedure is with COVID-19? Video interviews, socially distanced in-person interviews with PPE?

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the response re timeline! So do they set you up for your security clearance/background check between offering you the job and your start date? So in your situation between July and November? I looked up the SF-86 form online and saw it but I haven't filled it out or anything. This is something that you fill out after you've been offered the job, right?

Also, as to the background check, did you call the people you listed to give them a heads up that they're going to be contacted by someone? I'm guessing the answer is yes (just so they're not caught off guard) but I wasn't sure. I'm pretty sure I filled out the SF-86 back when I was applying for Marine Corps OCS but I never remember any of the people I listed telling me that agents had called them about me. I also don't remember interviewing with agents or anything so maybe that was a different clearance?

[Anonymous User]

Re: interviews - my office was doing them right when everything started. We did a couple in person but no handshakes, then everything really shut down and we switched over to video. However, I'm not sure how they handled the final interview with the USA, whether that was video or socially-distanced local. I think it may have been a mix of both depending on candidate preference and location.

Re: background check - yes, you get set up for it between offer and start date. They're not going to start the process before someone has accepted an offer - it's a pain in the ass and they have to set up a personalized SF-86 online for you, so they only do it once someone has accepted. But they have to do it before you can start - you can't start the job without having at least a prima facie successful check (i.e. they determine that on its face your SF-86 has no issues, you start work, and they continue the deep dive into your background once you've started).

I'm pretty sure I told some people I'd listed them but probably not everyone. I notified people I listed as personal references (friends who knew me at various places), but didn't notify former employers or the like. They will interview you and people who knew you.