DOJ Honors Program 2022-2023 Forum

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard back following their FBI background checks? It's been crickets since they were done early/mid-April.

For reference, last year my EQIP was submitted in February. FBI interview in June. Cleared right before my September start date. Though, no one told me I was cleared until I checked in on it later lol.

[Anonymous User]

For any lurkers, I applied for honors last fall, had a few interviews, did not get any offers. Fast forward to May, a few sections had additional honors spots opened up and offered anyone who applied to DOJ Honors last fall to apply before they put the positions on USAJobs. I applied and got an offer a few weeks ago at a section I am stoked for. Do not have the best stats and did not go to a top law school with no clerkship. Even if you don't think you have a chance at Honors, just apply! Even If you don't get an offer in the fall, they could have more spots open up in the following spring. You will then be able to apply for honors spots against a much smaller pool of applicants, but only if you did the application in the fall. As the saying goes, you can not win the lottery if you do not buy a ticket!

[Anonymous User]

For any lurkers, I applied for honors last fall, had a few interviews, did not get any offers. Fast forward to May, a few sections had additional honors spots opened up and offered anyone who applied to DOJ Honors last fall to apply before they put the positions on USAJobs. I applied and got an offer a few weeks ago at a section I am stoked for. Do not have the best stats and did not go to a top law school with no clerkship. Even if you don't think you have a chance at Honors, just apply! Even If you don't get an offer in the fall, they could have more spots open up in the following spring. You will then be able to apply for honors spots against a much smaller pool of applicants, but only if you did the application in the fall. As the saying goes, you can not win the lottery if you do not buy a ticket!

Happy to hear that it worked out for you, congratulations!

[Anonymous User]

Has any heard from HR about the '23 Honors Program start date, background clearances, information from HR, etc.? I recently finished my clerkship and I'm wondering if I need to extend healthcare from my former position. Relatedly, it would be nice to know whether I passed my FBI background checks lol.

[Anonymous User]

Has any heard from HR about the '23 Honors Program start date, background clearances, information from HR, etc.? I recently finished my clerkship and I'm wondering if I need to extend healthcare from my former position. Relatedly, it would be nice to know whether I passed my FBI background checks lol.

I'm in a weird position because my security specialist transferred out of my component and my employer reference forms were never sent to my new specialist, and I didn't find out about it until last week. Had at least one unhappy former employer.

I also haven't been interviewed by the FBI, but I've apparently passed whatever review my component does, and now it's off to OARM with a request to be expedited so I can make my planned start date later this month.

Is it normal that HP hires get an FBI interview before starting, or does it normally come with the investigation after you start? Or does it depend on the component (e.g., NSD always requires it before starting, but other components with less sensitive work delay it to after starting)?

[Anonymous User]

Has any heard from HR about the '23 Honors Program start date, background clearances, information from HR, etc.? I recently finished my clerkship and I'm wondering if I need to extend healthcare from my former position. Relatedly, it would be nice to know whether I passed my FBI background checks lol.

I'm in a weird position because my security specialist transferred out of my component and my employer reference forms were never sent to my new specialist, and I didn't find out about it until last week. Had at least one unhappy former employer.

I also haven't been interviewed by the FBI, but I've apparently passed whatever review my component does, and now it's off to OARM with a request to be expedited so I can make my planned start date later this month.

Is it normal that HP hires get an FBI interview before starting, or does it normally come with the investigation after you start? Or does it depend on the component (e.g., NSD always requires it before starting, but other components with less sensitive work delay it to after starting)?

It might depend on the component? I went to a USAO and I had an FBI interview really early, maybe a couple months after getting the offer. But my understanding was also that because there was such a long lead time before an honors hire's start date, they completed the full investigation before you started, as opposed to when someone gets hired as a lateral, when they do only the preliminary/short version before you start, but the full investigation is ongoing. But the USAOs may just do things differently. Did you have to submit the SF-86?

Sucks about them losing the forms, though. It's one thing to have to jump through the bureaucratic hoops but it's another when you have to do it twice because they screw something up.

[Anonymous User]

Has any heard from HR about the '23 Honors Program start date, background clearances, information from HR, etc.? I recently finished my clerkship and I'm wondering if I need to extend healthcare from my former position. Relatedly, it would be nice to know whether I passed my FBI background checks lol.

I'm in a weird position because my security specialist transferred out of my component and my employer reference forms were never sent to my new specialist, and I didn't find out about it until last week. Had at least one unhappy former employer.

I also haven't been interviewed by the FBI, but I've apparently passed whatever review my component does, and now it's off to OARM with a request to be expedited so I can make my planned start date later this month.

Is it normal that HP hires get an FBI interview before starting, or does it normally come with the investigation after you start? Or does it depend on the component (e.g., NSD always requires it before starting, but other components with less sensitive work delay it to after starting)?

It might depend on the component? I went to a USAO and I had an FBI interview really early, maybe a couple months after getting the offer. But my understanding was also that because there was such a long lead time before an honors hire's start date, they completed the full investigation before you started, as opposed to when someone gets hired as a lateral, when they do only the preliminary/short version before you start, but the full investigation is ongoing. But the USAOs may just do things differently. Did you have to submit the SF-86?

Sucks about them losing the forms, though. It's one thing to have to jump through the bureaucratic hoops but it's another when you have to do it twice because they screw something up.

Yes, I have completed the SF-86. If it matters, I'm a Civil Division HP hiree, but I was "ad hoc" (offered a position earlier this year, not during the main round of offers at the end of last year).

EDIT: Just got confirmation today (August 23) that I'm cleared to start on time. No FBI interview. I'm guessing that will come during the 14-month probationary period.