DOJ Honors Program 2023-24 Forum

[ShoTime_17]

Any idea how many interviews they do per open slot? Also, if we have an offer from somewhere else, is there any chance they can expedite a decision?

It seems to vary a lot per component. I was told that expediting won't happen if all interviews and initial review meeting haven't happened. FWIW, I received advice from someone to either renege on a prior offer or turn down the one you get. It's stressful since all fed hiring is on very different timelines

Any idea what the ratio is for criminal tax?

[Anonymous User]

Any idea how many interviews they do per open slot? Also, if we have an offer from somewhere else, is there any chance they can expedite a decision?

It seems to vary a lot per component. I was told that expediting won't happen if all interviews and initial review meeting haven't happened. FWIW, I received advice from someone to either renege on a prior offer or turn down the one you get. It's stressful since all fed hiring is on very different timelines

Any idea what the ratio is for criminal tax?

I don’t know what criminal tax is specifically. But I work in a litigating component and we interview between 4-5 people per open spot.

[Anonymous User]

Is it a good sign if your references are checked right after your interview? Would they bother to check references even though you didn't do well in your interview? Any details help here

Also, is it just me or does it seem like this thread is dead compared to previous years? Which makes me think perhaps there hasn't been a lot of applicants for the DOJ honors program? Anyone have any idea if this is the case?

I think this forum is just slower than it's been in past years.

As for references getting checked, it's a sign that they haven't yet cut you from consideration, so better than no reference check, but it's impossible to say anything more than that.

[Anonymous User]

Any idea how many interviews they do per open slot? Also, if we have an offer from somewhere else, is there any chance they can expedite a decision?

It seems to vary a lot per component. I was told that expediting won't happen if all interviews and initial review meeting haven't happened. FWIW, I received advice from someone to either renege on a prior offer or turn down the one you get. It's stressful since all fed hiring is on very different timelines

Yeah, I don't think they'd make an offer without interviewing everyone first. For one thing, components need to get their offers processed/approved through OARM before they can issue them, and I don't think OARM would approve an offer before interviews are complete - the components submit their finalists to OARM as a slate, generally, and OARM is really bureaucratic.

I feel like I've heard of one component (I think it was antitrust) issuing offers earlier than any of the other components, I think before finalists for other components were announced? But they were definitely an outlier, whoever they were, and they made all their offers early, rather than expediting for an individual.

There's no harm in calling them up and asking about timing (though I'd probably wait till the interview period is over), in theory it's possible you'll find someone who's willing be indiscreet if they've actually made their final decision. But since the official approval is technically out of their hands (in theory, OARM could reject a component's choice of finalist, though there's absolutely no evidence that this has ever happened), I'd be surprised if a hiring official would be willing to do that. Most likely thing is that you'd tell them about your offer and they'd congratulate you and say that you have to do what works best for you. Or they might be able to unofficially let you know that they *haven't* picked you as a finalist.

(Also, I'm only talking about formal components - don't know for certain but I think the informal participants have more flexibility.)

[Anonymous User]

Today is the last interview day and finalists need to be posted by the 17th. Please share finalist postings that happen before then, if possible!!

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have reference checks with the USAOs? I’ve had them checked for two offices but not others, so I’m curious if anyone has had any success on that front.

[Anonymous User]

Looks like several finalist designations are out.

[Sarkhan]

Any idea which components?

[Anonymous User]

The community board says:

PARTIAL UPDATE AS OF THIS MORNING: I am in the process of posting status updates on Avue this morning. The hiring offices/components listed below have identified at least some of their finalists.

Tax-Criminal
Tax-Civil
EOIR-Office of the Director
USAOS:
- Southern District of Indiana
- Eastern District of California
- District of Columbia
- Central District of California
- District of Colorado
- Southern District of Texas

[Anonymous User]

Any idea which components?

From Deana:
PARTIAL UPDATE AS OF THIS MORNING: I am in the process of posting status updates on Avue this morning. The hiring offices/components listed below have identified at least some of their finalists.

Tax-Criminal
Tax-Civil
EOIR-Office of the Director
USAOS:
- Southern District of Indiana
- Eastern District of California
- District of Columbia
- Central District of California
- District of Colorado
- Southern District of Texas

[tomkrishna]

Anyone have reference checks with the USAOs? I’ve had them checked for two offices but not others, so I’m curious if anyone has had any success on that front.

Which USAOs? Haven’t heard from my references but hoping my the offices I interviewed for are moving slow.

[Anonymous User]

Any idea which components?

Community message says

Tax-Criminal
Tax-Civil
EOIR-Office of the Director
USAOS:
Southern District of Indiana
Eastern District of California
District of Columbia
Central District of California
District of Colorado
Southern District of Texas

[Anonymous User]

EOIR finalist here, checked this morning

[Anonymous User]

Finalists for Tax Civil and Criminal are out. Same with several USAOs (I know of SD Indiana, CD California, ED California, SD Florida, no clue about the rest).

[Anonymous User]

EOIR finalist here, checked this morning

Congrats! Is it safe to assume all of the currently designated finalists from the hiring offices/components listed in the “Finalists Update #1” post received an update to their application portal designating them as finalists?

[Anonymous User]

EOIR finalist here, checked this morning

Mind sharing which subcomponent?

[Anonymous User]

Any idea which components?

It looks like updates are being posted on the Community tab on the application website!

[Anonymous User]

EOIR finalist here, checked this morning

Mind sharing which subcomponent?

Has anyone else from any other component’s status changed?

[jron24]

HP Finalist Update #2 as of November 7, 2023 at Noon

Tax-Criminal
Tax-Civil
EOIR-Office of the Director
USAOS:
- Southern District of Indiana
- Eastern District of California
- District of Columbia
- Central District of California
- District of Colorado
- Southern District of Texas
- Southern District of California
- Southern District of Florida

[Anonymous User]

The message says “We don't always post a component's complete list of finalists at the same time.” Is there any veracity to that?

[Anonymous User]

HP Finalist Update #2 as of November 7, 2023 at Noon

Tax-Criminal
Tax-Civil
EOIR-Office of the Director
USAOS:
- Southern District of Indiana
- Eastern District of California
- District of Columbia
- Central District of California
- District of Colorado
- Southern District of Texas
- Southern District of California
- Southern District of Florida

If the two USAOs I interviewed for are listed am I out of the running? Don’t want to hold on to false hope.

[jron24]

Language from Deana is below. So I would keep some hope alive until the 17th.

MYTHS TO DISPELL:

1. Components post a complete slate of finalists simultaneously. Not true. We don't always post a component's complete list of finalists at the same time. Sometimes they send us the lists piece meal and we go with that.

2. If you don't get an offer 10 seconds after being identified as a finalist you are an alternate. Not true. The component may be completing its reference checks, the attorney who issues the offer may be in court, or they may be finalizing their budget to see how many offers they can extend. Components are free to hire more HPs than they listed provided they have the budget and positions to support it.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone who interviewed in any of the Civil Division components had their references checked?

[Anonymous User]

I've had my references contacted from the civil division beginning on Monday, though my status online didn't change. curious how we'll know when offers start rolling out

[Anonymous User]

I've had my references contacted from the civil division beginning on Monday, though my status online didn't change. curious how we'll know when offers start rolling out

Haven't heard from my references, so hopefully that's not a bad sign. Fingers crossed!