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I don’t have any inside info about whether all first-round offers have gone out yet - it is going to take a while to coordinate all that - but yes, my understanding is that if all first round offers are accepted, hiring would be done and it would be over. My understanding is that they make offers to all their openings, then go back to alternates as they get responses back. When you have 120 positions to fill it’s going to be a complicated process.

I guess I can see wanting to know if you’ve been designated an alternate, but I’m not sure how much difference it makes in practice. You don’t have an offer until you have an offer. I know it would be nicer not to have to jump every time the phone rings, but from the employer’s perspective I don’t think they can give you a much more specific timeline. They don’t know when they’ll hear back that someone’s turned the position down, and then they have to do whatever voodoo they do to determine which candidate is an appropriate placement for that location (do they just go to the next ranked candidate on the list even if they didn’t list that location as a preference? or the next ranked person who did? what if the next ranked person put that location lower than the person ranked after they? Is there a preference for particular experience at particular locations ie if the location has few clerks do you want someone with different experience than if they have a lot? etc). Plus I’m sure there are concerns about what they can tell candidates without getting into legal troubles.

amandaknotts wrote:Hi, Friends,

EOIR OCIJ finalist here. References were checked before designated as a finalist, but haven't received an offer.

For geographic preferences I put (1) Seattle or (2) anywhere. Anyone else put Seattle on their location preference sheet? Any other "anywheres" get offers?

My interviewer told me those who select “anywhere” are dang near guaranteed to get an offer.

amandaknotts wrote:Hi, Friends,

EOIR OCIJ finalist here. References were checked before designated as a finalist, but haven't received an offer.

For geographic preferences I put (1) Seattle or (2) anywhere. Anyone else put Seattle on their location preference sheet? Any other "anywheres" get offers?

I had Seattle as my #5... I'm trying to stay west coast, so not super attached to that location. I also haven't received an offer/same on references... but I'm refreshing my email constantly.

I didn't list anywhere, but I did list approx. 25 places, so we will see if that pans out.

Just accepted an OIL-DCS position. Any others out there?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:For those waiting for OCIJ offers—Last year, I interviewed in October, my references were checked immediately, and I received an offer in March. I heard nothing from October-March. I ended up declining. I have no idea if I was a first round pick, but it definitely takes time.

Curious to know if this person was really insistent on one court/area of the country or if they put lots of places, I feel like that probably could affect this.

OP here, I was insistent on two places.

amandaknotts wrote:Hi, Friends,

EOIR OCIJ finalist here. References were checked before designated as a finalist, but haven't received an offer.

For geographic preferences I put (1) Seattle or (2) anywhere. Anyone else put Seattle on their location preference sheet? Any other "anywheres" get offers?

I’m one of the Varick St/NYC posters from above - I did not check the anywhere box and ranked as follows: (1) Varick (2) NYC (3) Cleveland (4) Newark (5) Falls church (6) Arlington (7) Elizabeth NJ. I did not want to end up in the south or on the west coast and wanted to live in a city. I had a classmate that checked the anywhere box last year and got sent to somewhere in the boonies in AZ so that’s why I was specific.

Also I’m told first round offers typically go through mid Nov - mid Dec so don’t lose hope.

Hello, everyone! I have a question. I just got an offer for OCIJ. I’d like to work somewhere else in the DOJ eventually, or maybe as a permanent clerk. Is there a lot of lateral flexibility in the DOJ, or are you typecastinto immigration?

Anonymous User wrote:Hello, everyone! I have a question. I just got an offer for OCIJ. I’d like to work somewhere else in the DOJ eventually, or maybe as a permanent clerk. Is there a lot of lateral flexibility in the DOJ, or are you typecastinto immigration?

Congratulations! Which court was it if you don't mind sharing? Also, I think it depends what you plan to do within DOJ as working for EOIR (OCIJ) is pretty specific to immigration so it may be tough to go broader than that later on.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Hello, everyone! I have a question. I just got an offer for OCIJ. I’d like to work somewhere else in the DOJ eventually, or maybe as a permanent clerk. Is there a lot of lateral flexibility in the DOJ, or are you typecastinto immigration?

Congratulations! Which court was it if you don't mind sharing? Also, I think it depends what you plan to do within DOJ as working for EOIR (OCIJ) is pretty specific to immigration so it may be tough to go broader than that later on.

I don’t necessarily think that’s true - I interned at the USAO NDOH in the Civil Division and I know two AUSAs who did OCIJ, reapplied to the Honors program at the end of their clerkships, and got into some other DOJ division (one was civil rights the other I can’t remember) in DC before becoming AUSAs.

Has anyone heard from the Board of Immigration Appeals? I was designated as a finalist but haven’t heard anything - just wondering if I’m an alternate at this point.

amandaknotts wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Received/Accepted offer for OCIJ in the Houston Immigration Court. Anyone aware of a Facebook group for OCIJ yet? Should we get a google doc going for the court offers?

Yes! We should!

I made a Google Doc for tracking EOIR OCIJ offers. I have scoured this thread for information about offers received and added it to the document. If you feel comfortable sharing, as offers come in, please add your information to the document (or add addition columns as necessary) at the below link. No names or contact info, unless you feel so inclined.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

amandaknotts wrote:

amandaknotts wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Received/Accepted offer for OCIJ in the Houston Immigration Court. Anyone aware of a Facebook group for OCIJ yet? Should we get a google doc going for the court offers?

Yes! We should!

I made a Google Doc for tracking EOIR OCIJ offers. I have scoured this thread for information about offers received and added it to the document. If you feel comfortable sharing, as offers come in, please add your information to the document (or add addition columns as necessary) at the below link. No names or contact info, unless you feel so inclined.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

This is great! Thanks for putting this together

I am a finalist for OCIJ as well. I spoke with an IJ yesterday who mentioned that this year’s class is “huge” and that it will no doubt take a long time for the offers to go out. So for those similarly situated and waiting, there are perhaps more offers than usual coming out.

DC ATR finalist here. Has anyone heard anything from ATR or the Rill Fellowship? Thanks!

Anonymous User wrote:DC ATR finalist here. Has anyone heard anything from ATR or the Rill Fellowship? Thanks!

I received an offer from ATR DC a few weeks ago.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:DC ATR finalist here. Has anyone heard anything from ATR or the Rill Fellowship? Thanks!

I received an offer from ATR DC a few weeks ago.

What section did you get an offer from? If you don't mind me asking...

Anonymous User wrote:DC ATR finalist here. Has anyone heard anything from ATR or the Rill Fellowship? Thanks!

Congrats! Would you mind sharing a little about your background?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:DC ATR finalist here. Has anyone heard anything from ATR or the Rill Fellowship? Thanks!

I received an offer from ATR DC a few weeks ago.

Congrats! Would you mind sharing a little about your background?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:DC ATR finalist here. Has anyone heard anything from ATR or the Rill Fellowship? Thanks!

Congrats! Would you mind sharing a little about your background?

Yah! I interned at ATR in DC Spring 2018 and in NYC this past summer. Law Review and Moot. Interviewed with NYC and they checked my references about a little over a month ago. Somehow I have only been designated as a finalist for DC tho...not sure what that means

Anonymous User wrote:Has anyone heard from the Board of Immigration Appeals? I was designated as a finalist but haven’t heard anything - just wondering if I’m an alternate at this point.

Nothing here yet either

Received an offer from OCIJ in San Francisco today. Planning to accept this week (working on pay negotiation). Interviewed Nov. 6 and reference check completed on Tuesday.

Info for those interested: San Francisco was my first choice. 2nd was Seattle, 3rd Los Angeles, 4th LA Detained, etc (9th Cir. mostly). This is my second time applying. Applied back in 2016 and was designated a finalist, but turned out to be an alternate and did not get it. Rejection email sent sometime in February. Did not go to a prestigious law school, but did law review, graduated with honors (not top 20 though), interned with local Immigration Court 1L summer, and a local immigration non-profit 2L summer. Currently clerking at a state trial court and will have clerked for 2 years by OCIJ start date. Hoping to negotiate to GS13.

.

Anything else from the BIA?

I have been a finalist for a while now...

Anonymous User wrote:Anything else from the BIA?

I have been a finalist for a while now...

I’m in the same boat. Have been a finalist for two weeks now but haven’t heard anything. Haven’t heard of anyone else receiving an offer either.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Anything else from the BIA?

I have been a finalist for a while now...

I’m in the same boat. Have been a finalist for two weeks now but haven’t heard anything. Haven’t heard of anyone else receiving an offer either.

I’m the same person who just posted but just to clarify, did you also post yesterday that you hadn’t heard anything? Just trying to get an idea of how many of us there are still waiting to hear.