2022-2023 Honors Attorney Program (BigFed, Non-DOJ) Forum

[Anonymous User]

Starting a thread since deadlines are coming up and movement's on the horizon.

For starters, I already received an FTC antitrust bureau email ding

[Anonymous User]

DOL regional office - interview late August.
DOT national office - interview early August.

Could also somebody tell me what does "You were referred for further consideration." mean?(I am new to everything law school). App status been like this for a while now for both national and regional DOL offices.

[Anonymous User]

DOL regional office - interview late August.
DOT national office - interview early August.

Could also somebody tell me what does "You were referred for further consideration." mean?(I am new to everything law school). App status been like this for a while now for both national and regional DOL offices.

“Referred for further consideration” on USAJobs is the site’s way of tracking whether your application met the criteria and has been forwarded on to someone on the hiring committee. You’re already past that point if you’ve had interviews.

In general, USAJobs is terrible about updating statuses, and they don’t mean much - I would rely on any email communications you receive from DOL/other agencies over trying to read the USAJobs tea leaves. (My application for a job that I accepted in the last application cycle is still listed as “referred for further consideration,” as an example…)

[Anonymous User]

Referred for further consideration means that you meet all the requirements to get passed on for a substantive review, which means you have the requisite years of experience/degree/GPA/whatever.

FWIW, DOL at least has a standard hiring process that takes place throughout the fall, and historically they aim to make offers early December but often don't manage it until later (it often depends on budget stuff). I think DOT is largely the same. There's a deadline for applications (August 29 for DOT, I think DOL got extended to Sept 31) and only then do they review all the apps and usually they do some form of interviews after (I interviewed in November the year that I applied) and then hire at the end of that process. They don't do rolling hires so you may have to wait a while (were your August interviews through OCI?).

[Anonymous User]

Referred for further consideration means that you meet all the requirements to get passed on for a substantive review, which means you have the requisite years of experience/degree/GPA/whatever.

FWIW, DOL at least has a standard hiring process that takes place throughout the fall, and historically they aim to make offers early December but often don't manage it until later (it often depends on budget stuff). I think DOT is largely the same. There's a deadline for applications (August 29 for DOT, I think DOL got extended to Sept 31) and only then do they review all the apps and usually they do some form of interviews after (I interviewed in November the year that I applied) and then hire at the end of that process. They don't do rolling hires so you may have to wait a while (were your August interviews through OCI?).

I interviewed with DOL in august of last year (not through OCI, I applied directly on USAjobs). They do interview before the application closes, but you’re correct they do not do rolling offers. So you could interview in August and not get an offer until February (like last year).

[Anonymous User]

Referred for further consideration means that you meet all the requirements to get passed on for a substantive review, which means you have the requisite years of experience/degree/GPA/whatever.

FWIW, DOL at least has a standard hiring process that takes place throughout the fall, and historically they aim to make offers early December but often don't manage it until later (it often depends on budget stuff). I think DOT is largely the same. There's a deadline for applications (August 29 for DOT, I think DOL got extended to Sept 31) and only then do they review all the apps and usually they do some form of interviews after (I interviewed in November the year that I applied) and then hire at the end of that process. They don't do rolling hires so you may have to wait a while (were your August interviews through OCI?).

DOL regional office through OCI.
DOT was through just sending them an email.

[Anonymous User]

Had an OCI interview with the IRS yesterday for 2023 summer. What’s the typical timeline to hear back through OCI? Just trying to manage expectations / potential timelines. First time posting on a forum!

[Anonymous User]

Accepted my FTC BC offer this week. Best of luck to all!

[Anonymous User]

Accepted my FTC offer this week. Best of luck to all!

How are they this quick? I had screeners with other agencies in August, and they told me that they will be in touch mid-October about whether I am getting to a second round interviews or not. Are different agencies on different timelines?

[Anonymous User]

Had an OCI interview with the IRS yesterday for 2023 summer. What’s the typical timeline to hear back through OCI? Just trying to manage expectations / potential timelines. First time posting on a forum!

I interviewed for the IRS last summer through my school's OCI. It was roughly a month until I was called for an interview. IIRC, the day my application status switched from under review to referred for consideration (not exact language). The interview was the same week. And it was only one interview with a three person panel. Then they asked for my references, gave me the contact information for someone else in the current honors program to talk to about the program itself.

I was formally rejected the week of Thanksgiving

[Anonymous User]

Accepted my FTC BC offer this week. Best of luck to all!

congrats!!! do you mind providing some insight as to your timeline??

[Anonymous User]

Accepted my FTC offer this week. Best of luck to all!

How are they this quick? I had screeners with other agencies in August, and they told me that they will be in touch mid-October about whether I am getting to a second round interviews or not. Are different agencies on different timelines?

Yes? They hire entirely independently of each other, so while most honors programs tend to follow a similar timeline just by virtue of hiring 3Ls and such, there’s nothing keeping them from whatever timeline they like within that broad framework.

[Anonymous User]

Accepted my FTC offer this week. Best of luck to all!

How are they this quick? I had screeners with other agencies in August, and they told me that they will be in touch mid-October about whether I am getting to a second round interviews or not. Are different agencies on different timelines?

Yes? They hire entirely independently of each other, so while most honors programs tend to follow a similar timeline just by virtue of hiring 3Ls and such, there’s nothing keeping them from whatever timeline they like within that broad framework.

Ah, ok, thanks. Congrats!

[Anonymous User]

HUD just extended the app deadline to Oct. 17th. Does that mean they haven't gotten enough applications at this point?

[Anonymous User]

HUD just extended the app deadline to Oct. 17th. Does that mean they haven't gotten enough applications at this point?

Probably means they have additional room in the budget to add another spot or two. They did it last year as well

[Anonymous User]

Got an interview with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through OCI. Can somebody tell me what kind of law they do (their online page is very vague) and is the process the same as with the other agencies? Thank you!

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from SEC or IRS yet regarding interviews?

[Anonymous User]

Got an interview with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through OCI. Can somebody tell me what kind of law they do (their online page is very vague) and is the process the same as with the other agencies? Thank you!

Mostly environmental. They do a lot of regulatory permitting work under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and lots of NEPA work to go along with that. Unfortunately don't know what their process is like.

[Anonymous User]

Got an interview with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through OCI. Can somebody tell me what kind of law they do (their online page is very vague) and is the process the same as with the other agencies? Thank you!

I'm a civil AUSA who works with a wide variety of agencies and their agency counsel on all kinds of crazy cases. One thing all agency counsels have in common are the need to handle employment discrimination claims. Tort claims happen pretty much with every agency too. There might be disputes arising out of the Administrative Procedures Act that involve land disputes, environmental issues, construction issues, and that sort of thing.

[Anonymous User]

Got an interview with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through OCI. Can somebody tell me what kind of law they do (their online page is very vague) and is the process the same as with the other agencies? Thank you!

I'm a civil AUSA who works with a wide variety of agencies and their agency counsel on all kinds of crazy cases. One thing all agency counsels have in common are the need to handle employment discrimination claims. Tort claims happen pretty much with every agency too. There might be disputes arising out of the Administrative Procedures Act that involve land disputes, environmental issues, construction issues, and that sort of thing.

Thank you! Do they place people according to the preferences or needs? I really love regulatory stuff and Admin Law, would prefer doing it as my career.

[Anonymous User]

Got an interview with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through OCI. Can somebody tell me what kind of law they do (their online page is very vague) and is the process the same as with the other agencies? Thank you!

I'm a civil AUSA who works with a wide variety of agencies and their agency counsel on all kinds of crazy cases. One thing all agency counsels have in common are the need to handle employment discrimination claims. Tort claims happen pretty much with every agency too. There might be disputes arising out of the Administrative Procedures Act that involve land disputes, environmental issues, construction issues, and that sort of thing.

Thank you! Do they place people according to the preferences or needs? I really love regulatory stuff and Admin Law, would prefer doing it as my career.

The civil AUSA here, and I would have no way of knowing that. You should just count on a crap shoot, although with that particular agency your odds are probably pretty decent.

[Anonymous User]

Accepted my FTC offer this week. Best of luck to all!

How are they this quick? I had screeners with other agencies in August, and they told me that they will be in touch mid-October about whether I am getting to a second round interviews or not. Are different agencies on different timelines?

Yes? They hire entirely independently of each other, so while most honors programs tend to follow a similar timeline just by virtue of hiring 3Ls and such, there’s nothing keeping them from whatever timeline they like within that broad framework.

Also hiring at the FTC is rolling so they can give out offers in September as well as in December depending on the application pool

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from SEC or IRS yet regarding interviews?

I was contacted by the IRS for an interview within the last 2 weeks.

[Anonymous User]

NLRB hasn't posted their Honor's program yet, right?

[Anonymous User]

Any movement with the IRS field offices?