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

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone received an official offer letter from the SEC?

[Anonymous User]

Legal division might have hired, I don’t know the official numbers! This is all just based on what people told me. I also heard that enforcement might have only hired one person, so who knows. The gist of it is that the hiring was really minimal this year (which might work out well for folks applying next year!)

[moploplop]

NLRB sent me an email stating I am eligible for an interview.. That took 4 months, and I'm not even sure if that means the local offices I applied to have the budget to hire or are hiring.. What a long and drawn out process.

[Anonymous User]

I think around 10 is right. IIRC there were 4 hired last year just in enforcement, so idk where that person got the idea that the numbers were so low in 2022.

I don’t know if the 2022 numbers were right, but I do know that there was very little hiring done this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were only around 5 new honors attorneys starting at the CFPB in fall 2023.

How do you know? Is it normally around 10?

[Anonymous User]

Received an interview request for security clearance process. They told me it's going to be 4 hours. Is this normal?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have a start date yet, or any idea when honors attorneys started in previous years? (I’m guessing each agency has their own timeline, so I’m just looking for a general idea)

I was offered a start date in August or September, multiple options. Start date will be the start of a new pay period, so you're limited in that respect (but still two options per month).

[Anonymous User]

NLRB sent me an email stating I am eligible for an interview.. That took 4 months, and I'm not even sure if that means the local offices I applied to have the budget to hire or are hiring.. What a long and drawn out process.

Same. I assume it's related to the issues around their budget (https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news ... -on-budget). I've already accepted a job at a different federal agency, which I'm more excited for than the NLRB, but getting started so late might be good for candidates who otherwise might not have received offers.

[Anonymous User]

I did too. My interview is 2 hours long. I asked if they interview everyone and they said they only interview if something is flagged on your report. I asked what was flagged on mine and they provided me with that information. (It wasn’t a surprise to me)

Received an interview request for security clearance process. They told me it's going to be 4 hours. Is this normal?

[Anonymous User]

I did too. My interview is 2 hours long. I asked if they interview everyone and they said they only interview if something is flagged on your report. I asked what was flagged on mine and they provided me with that information. (It wasn’t a surprise to me)

Received an interview request for security clearance process. They told me it's going to be 4 hours. Is this normal?

Yeah, in the follow up they explained me the reason at it is totally valid one lol.

[Anonymous User]

I did too. My interview is 2 hours long. I asked if they interview everyone and they said they only interview if something is flagged on your report. I asked what was flagged on mine and they provided me with that information. (It wasn’t a surprise to me)

Received an interview request for security clearance process. They told me it's going to be 4 hours. Is this normal?

Yeah, in the follow up they explained me the reason at it is totally valid one lol.

I’m still super nervous though! Good luck with the interview

[Anonymous User]

NLRB sent me an email stating I am eligible for an interview.. That took 4 months, and I'm not even sure if that means the local offices I applied to have the budget to hire or are hiring.. What a long and drawn out process.

Got the same email recently as well. You hear back on an interview yet?

[Anonymous User]

I did too. My interview is 2 hours long. I asked if they interview everyone and they said they only interview if something is flagged on your report. I asked what was flagged on mine and they provided me with that information. (It wasn’t a surprise to me)

Received an interview request for security clearance process. They told me it's going to be 4 hours. Is this normal?

Yeah, in the follow up they explained me the reason at it is totally valid one lol.

I’m still super nervous though! Good luck with the interview

Had the interview. Turns out people at your agency decided whether the clearance could be granted or not. These people(who do the investigation) are just collecting and writing up a report with the information they get from the interview, and then provide it to your agency security people.

[Anonymous User]

I did too. My interview is 2 hours long. I asked if they interview everyone and they said they only interview if something is flagged on your report. I asked what was flagged on mine and they provided me with that information. (It wasn’t a surprise to me)

Received an interview request for security clearance process. They told me it's going to be 4 hours. Is this normal?

Yeah, in the follow up they explained me the reason at it is totally valid one lol.

I’m still super nervous though! Good luck with the interview

Had the interview. Turns out people at your agency decided whether the clearance could be granted or not. These people(who do the investigation) are just collecting and writing up a report with the information they get from the interview, and then provide it to your agency security people.

How did it go? Was it intimidating?

Did they say how long it will take before you hear whether your clearance is granted? And what clearance level are you applying for?

[Anonymous User]

I did too. My interview is 2 hours long. I asked if they interview everyone and they said they only interview if something is flagged on your report. I asked what was flagged on mine and they provided me with that information. (It wasn’t a surprise to me)

Received an interview request for security clearance process. They told me it's going to be 4 hours. Is this normal?

Yeah, in the follow up they explained me the reason at it is totally valid one lol.

I’m still super nervous though! Good luck with the interview

Had the interview. Turns out people at your agency decided whether the clearance could be granted or not. These people(who do the investigation) are just collecting and writing up a report with the information they get from the interview, and then provide it to your agency security people.

How did it go? Was it intimidating?

Did they say how long it will take before you hear whether your clearance is granted? And what clearance level are you applying for?

I am applying for secret clearance. Because of my background (born and raised in Russia), my experience was probably be different from your average applicant lol. Mostly questions about being affiliated with/having any allegiance to foreign countries. The investigator told me there shouldn't be any reason to not receive the clearance because the biggest reasons for denial(extensive contacts with a foreign government and/or serious financial troubles that would make you susceptible to bribes) are not present in my case. But again, my agency will adjudicate this case, the investigator simply collects the info.

[Anonymous User]

I did too. My interview is 2 hours long. I asked if they interview everyone and they said they only interview if something is flagged on your report. I asked what was flagged on mine and they provided me with that information. (It wasn’t a surprise to me)

Received an interview request for security clearance process. They told me it's going to be 4 hours. Is this normal?

Yeah, in the follow up they explained me the reason at it is totally valid one lol.

I’m still super nervous though! Good luck with the interview

Had the interview. Turns out people at your agency decided whether the clearance could be granted or not. These people(who do the investigation) are just collecting and writing up a report with the information they get from the interview, and then provide it to your agency security people.

How did it go? Was it intimidating?

Did they say how long it will take before you hear whether your clearance is granted? And what clearance level are you applying for?

I am applying for secret clearance. Because of my background (born and raised in Russia), my experience was probably be different from your average applicant lol. Mostly questions about being affiliated with/having any allegiance to foreign countries. The investigator told me there shouldn't be any reason to not receive the clearance because the biggest reasons for denial(extensive contacts with a foreign government and/or serious financial troubles that would make you susceptible to bribes) are not present in my case. But again, my agency will adjudicate this case, the investigator simply collects the info.

Did they ask you any questions about loyalty to the US? I too have dual citizenship (but to a much friendlier US ally) and have close friends and family who live in that country. I’m a little nervous about those questions because I can’t honestly say I have no ties to the other country, although I don’t have ties to government or any financial interests

[Anonymous User]

I did too. My interview is 2 hours long. I asked if they interview everyone and they said they only interview if something is flagged on your report. I asked what was flagged on mine and they provided me with that information. (It wasn’t a surprise to me)

Yeah, in the follow up they explained me the reason at it is totally valid one lol.

I’m still super nervous though! Good luck with the interview

Had the interview. Turns out people at your agency decided whether the clearance could be granted or not. These people(who do the investigation) are just collecting and writing up a report with the information they get from the interview, and then provide it to your agency security people.

How did it go? Was it intimidating?

Did they say how long it will take before you hear whether your clearance is granted? And what clearance level are you applying for?

I am applying for secret clearance. Because of my background (born and raised in Russia), my experience was probably be different from your average applicant lol. Mostly questions about being affiliated with/having any allegiance to foreign countries. The investigator told me there shouldn't be any reason to not receive the clearance because the biggest reasons for denial(extensive contacts with a foreign government and/or serious financial troubles that would make you susceptible to bribes) are not present in my case. But again, my agency will adjudicate this case, the investigator simply collects the info.

Did they ask you any questions about loyalty to the US? I too have dual citizenship (but to a much friendlier US ally) and have close friends and family who live in that country. I’m a little nervous about those questions because I can’t honestly say I have no ties to the other country, although I don’t have ties to government or any financial interests

Yeah, a lot. Basically the same questions you are asked if you ever applied for the US citizenship and then some very specific to the job.

[Anonymous User]

DOJ honors person who had to fill out the SF-86 form, so not your agency, but I answer in case it’s helpful. I have dual citizenship with the UK and married a Canadian who actually has a bunch of friends who went into local government. I had to explain that I knew various foreign government people through my husband and that I had family in the UK, but that was it in terms of questions (I don’t have financial interests in either other country). I did have to sign a form saying that if they asked me to renounce my dual citizenship, I would, but it’s never come up again since then. I guess might change if we go to war with the UK or something, not something I’m worrying about.

[Anonymous User]

DOJ honors person who had to fill out the SF-86 form, so not your agency, but I answer in case it’s helpful. I have dual citizenship with the UK and married a Canadian who actually has a bunch of friends who went into local government. I had to explain that I knew various foreign government people through my husband and that I had family in the UK, but that was it in terms of questions (I don’t have financial interests in either other country). I did have to sign a form saying that if they asked me to renounce my dual citizenship, I would, but it’s never come up again since then. I guess might change if we go to war with the UK or something, not something I’m worrying about.

Thanks, that’s helpful and reassuring.

And if we go to war with the UK, the world will be so fucked that renouncing citizenship would be the last thing on anyone’s mind lol

[Anonymous User]

DOJ honors person who had to fill out the SF-86 form, so not your agency, but I answer in case it’s helpful. I have dual citizenship with the UK and married a Canadian who actually has a bunch of friends who went into local government. I had to explain that I knew various foreign government people through my husband and that I had family in the UK, but that was it in terms of questions (I don’t have financial interests in either other country). I did have to sign a form saying that if they asked me to renounce my dual citizenship, I would, but it’s never come up again since then. I guess might change if we go to war with the UK or something, not something I’m worrying about.

Thanks, that’s helpful and reassuring.

And if we go to war with the UK, the world will be so fucked that renouncing citizenship would be the last thing on anyone’s mind lol

Exactly!

[Anonymous User]

I accepted a tentative offer to work for the IRS starting in the fall. I just received a request to interview for the NLRB. The IRS position is my top choice job. Is there any reason for me to accept this NLRB interview and potentially accept another TO? I know that's common for fed gov't jobs in general, but it seems like the Honors Attorney program is a little different.

[graywarriorknight]

NLRB sent me an email stating I am eligible for an interview.. That took 4 months, and I'm not even sure if that means the local offices I applied to have the budget to hire or are hiring.. What a long and drawn out process.

I received that as well and then a few days later got an email saying I was referred to hiring manager. However I talked to the regional director and was told that they didn't even have hiring approval yet so it could still be a longer wait for some of us. I know some regions HAVE already started interviewing so might be taking it one at a time.

[solomonjsolomon]

NLRB sent me an email stating I am eligible for an interview.. That took 4 months, and I'm not even sure if that means the local offices I applied to have the budget to hire or are hiring.. What a long and drawn out process.

Got the same email recently as well. You hear back on an interview yet?

Not OP but I received an email last week stating that I was referred to some field offices. Nothing since then.

I reached out to someone to ask if I could update my application materials (it has been five months after all) but nothing from that individual either.

[Anonymous User]

I accepted a tentative offer to work for the IRS starting in the fall. I just received a request to interview for the NLRB. The IRS position is my top choice job. Is there any reason for me to accept this NLRB interview and potentially accept another TO? I know that's common for fed gov't jobs in general, but it seems like the Honors Attorney program is a little different.

I am interviewing with another agency even though I have accepted a TO from the IRS honors program. But the other agency is my top choice. I’m not sure how common it is to keep interviewing once you’ve accepted an honors position.

[Anonymous User]

I accepted a tentative offer to work for the IRS starting in the fall. I just received a request to interview for the NLRB. The IRS position is my top choice job. Is there any reason for me to accept this NLRB interview and potentially accept another TO? I know that's common for fed gov't jobs in general, but it seems like the Honors Attorney program is a little different.

I would definitely not accept both TOs (maybe that’s common in non-law fed jobs? but that seems wrong to me). If you want to interview with the NLRB I suppose you could, but only if you think you’d actually take NLRB over IRS, which it sounds like you don’t. I think the agencies would be pissed to both commit a potential spot to the same person - sure, if your IRS offer fell through then you’d have a backup, but if it didn’t, the NLRB would be potentially screwed out of a hire. I realize your interest is in you, not the agency, but I also don’t think that TOs are really that tentative, barring something really problematic in your background that would likely also be a problem for the NLRB.

(One caveat I just thought of: if the IRS offer isn’t tentative in the way that I’m familiar with, which is contingent on a background check, but is actually tentative in that they’re waiting on funding and genuinely don’t think they’ll get it, I retract most of what I said above. Honors programs jobs are generally very secure in this way, the funding is pretty much a given because the government is committed to these programs and they’re planned ahead of time. But if there’s something distinctly weird/unusual about IRS funding this year my that makes the position genuinely up in the air, yeah, maybe go forward with NLRB. But honors program funding is pretty much never like that and I think most agencies would be pretty honest if it’s really actually up in the air. If the IRS is moving forward as if of course you’ll be starting there in the fall, I wouldn’t second-guess that. I haven’t been following this thread enough to know if there’s anything weird about this year, but if not, you have the job you want.)

[Anonymous User]

I accepted a tentative offer to work for the IRS starting in the fall. I just received a request to interview for the NLRB. The IRS position is my top choice job. Is there any reason for me to accept this NLRB interview and potentially accept another TO? I know that's common for fed gov't jobs in general, but it seems like the Honors Attorney program is a little different.

I am interviewing with another agency even though I have accepted a TO from the IRS honors program. But the other agency is my top choice. I’m not sure how common it is to keep interviewing once you’ve accepted an honors position.

Same person who just posted. Just wanted to make clear that yeah, if the other agency is your top choice and you’d bail on the IRS for it, interviewing with the other agency is totally reasonable.