LEGAL HIRING PROGRAMS AT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management

DOJ OVERVIEW

Law Student and Experienced Attorney Recruitment

Who We Are

HPand

SLIP

Frequently Asked

Questions

Who We Are

U.S. Department of Justice in a Nutshell

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We have:• Over 10,000 attorneys worldwide• 110,000 employees• Most component headquarters in Washington, DC• 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAO)• 59 Immigration Courts across the U.S. (EOIR)• 21 regional U.S. Trustee Offices nationwide and an

Executive Office for U.S. Trustees (EOUST) in Washington, DC.

• Virtually every legal practice area. Seewww.justice.gov/legalcareers/practice-area-chart.pdf

Each year, we hire:• 1800 – 2000 Law Student Volunteers• 70 – 110 Paid Summer Interns• 80 – 200+ Entry-Level Attorneys• Hundreds of Experienced Attorneys

WORLD’S LARGEST LEGAL EMPLOYER

We offer:• Immediate responsibility• Incredible training• Cutting edge legal issues• Meaningful work

Perks… Perks… PERKS!• Mentor Program• Virtually every legal practice area• Offices nationwide• Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program• Balanced work-life

WHY JUSTICE?

OFFICE OF ATTORNEY RECRUITMENT AND MANAGEMENT (OARM)WHAT DO WE VALUE? DIVERSITY

• The greatest asset of the Justice Department is its dynamic and diverse workforce.

• Justice welcomes applications from candidates whose backgrounds reflect the Nation’s rich diversity.

• Our goal is to eliminate barriers and make available opportunities for people with disabilities to contribute to and thrive at Justice.

• DOJ Ambassador Program http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/ambassadors

• Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/disability-points-contact

Attorney General’s Honors Program and the Summer Law Intern Program

Highly Qualified and Diverse Talent Pool

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ATTORNEY GENERAL’S HONORS PROGRAM

http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/entry-level-attorneys

• Only way to enter the Department as an entry-level attorney

• Eligibility

• Components participating and number of positions available vary each year

• Centrally-managed, online applicationOpens: July 31Deadline: September 8, 2015

ATTORNEY GENERAL’S HONORS PROGRAM (2016)*

http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/entry-level-attorneys

PERMANENT POSITIONS• Antitrust Division (14)• Civil Division (30)• Civil Rights Division (12)• Criminal Division (9)• Environment and Natural Resources (10)• Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of

General Counsel (2) NEW!• Federal Bureau of Prisons (4)• INTERPOL (1) NEW!• National Security Division (3)• Tax Division (12)• U.S. Trustee Program (8)• U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in AZ, CA, NY, and

OH (7) (Eligibility restricted to law school graduates who meet specific bar admission requirements.)

FELLOWSHIPS• Criminal Division Asset Forfeiture

Fellowship Program (3)• Indian Country Fellowship (1)• National Security Division (2) NEW!

CLERKSHIPS• Drug Enforcement Administration (3)• Executive Office for Immigration Review

(Immigration Courts nationwide) (95)

INFORMAL PARTICIPANTS• Office of Information Policy (1)• U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in VT and IL (2)

(Eligibility restricted to law school graduates who meet specific bar admission requirements.) NEW!

*Subject to Change

http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/summer-law-intern-program

SUMMER LAW INTERN PROGRAM

• Compensated summer internships

• Eligibility

• Components participating and number of positions available vary each year

• Centrally-managed, online applicationOpens: July 31Deadline: September 8, 2015

http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/summer-law-intern-program

SUMMER LAW INTERN PROGRAM (2016)*

*Subject to Change

FORMAL PARTICIPANTS• Antitrust Division (23)• Civil Division (23)• Executive Office for Immigration

Review (18)• Federal Bureau of Prisons (11)• Office of Information Policy (3)• Professional Responsibility Advisory

Office (2)• Tax Division (15 – 20)• U.S. Parole Commission (1)

INFORMAL PARTICIPANTSOther Department components may participate informally in the Summer Law Intern Program. They may not follow the regular Program timeline and may contact a candidate at any time during or after the review and selection process. Some informal participants request to be listed on the online application. Applicants are then able to check a box to indicate their interest in being considered by that office. This does not count as one of an applicant's three employment preferences.

RESTRICTED ELIGIBILITY POSITIONS• Open to 3Ls entering a judicial clerkship in Fall 2016/Winter 2017

Office of the Solicitor General (2) Office of Legal Counsel (1)

• These hires enter as law school graduates, and not as interns, per se.

APPLICATIONS

ATTORNEY GENERAL’S HONORS PROGRAM AND SUMMER LAW INTERN PROGRAM

• Centralized Process• Fill-in online application• Rank office preferences

Select 1 – 3 organizations Think through your ranking Highlight your skills under experience

• Applicants type in their education, experience, and transcript as well as answer essay questions “Why do you want to work for the Department of Justice and what

attracts you to the components you selected?” “If you could tell the hiring official one thing about yourself, what

would it be?”• Application opens July 31 and closes September 8, 2015

http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/volunteer-legal-internships

• Opportunities for fall, spring, and summer internships

• Decentralized application process

• Requirements and deadlines vary

VOLUNTEER LEGAL INTERNSHIPS

WHO WE HIRE

• Demonstrated commitment to the mission and work of the office• Strong writing• Oral advocacy skills• Academic achievement and involvement• Practical experience in the area• Judicial clerkship experience (for Honors Program applicants)

Common Indicators of Success

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: STEPPING STONES TO SUCCESS - APPEALING TO THE HIRING OFFICIALS!

Do your research

Make a connection

Be more than a GPA

Public Service

SUCCESS!

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources for You

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSSECURITY AND SUITABILITY

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS• Credit issues• Drug use• Tax issues• Providing false or misleading information• Residency and citizenship requirements

Advisory opinions on potential problems available post-offer

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q:• Are graduates eligible for the HP if

they take a judicial clerkship (JLC)?

Q:• Are joint degree, LLM, or fellowship

program candidates eligible for HP?

Q:• Can applicants choose where they

want to work within DOJ if they apply to SLIP and HP?

Q:• Will an applicant’s future chances of

employment with DOJ be hurt if they are not selected for HP or SLIP?

Graduates remain eligible to apply to HP if their JLC begins within 9 months following law school graduation and apply during correct time frame. They are also eligible for experienced attorney vacancies.

Full-time graduate law (LLM) students and law school graduates in qualifying full-time legal fellowships are eligible to apply to the HP, but they should check the website under HP Eligibility.

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Applicants apply to/rank three different DOJ components in order of preference; website will list participating components; rankings are important so applicants should select carefully.

No. In fact, an applicant is demonstrating an interest in the Department specifically by applying. A vast majority of attorneys hired into DOJ come in as experienced attorneys.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q:• Are there any opportunities with DOJ

outside of Washington, D.C.?

Q:• Can students split their summer?

Q:• Where can candidates find a listing of

available job opportunities at DOJ?

Q:• What is the best route to DOJ? Is it HP,

private practice, judicial clerkship, DA, or another federal agency?

Yes. A complete list of DOJ offices by state is available at: http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/field-offices and a list of USAOs at: http://www.justice.gov/usao/us-attorneys-listing. Candidates can also search by state on our website and mobile app.

Many offices accommodate students who want to split the summer but these requests are handled on a case-by-case basis. Answer

Every attorney and law student vacancy is posted on our website at www.justice.gov/legal-careers or on our mobile app DOJ Law Jobs.

There is no “best” route. The Department looks at a diverse array of experiences. Candidates can be successful coming from a variety of paths, including judicial clerkships, government, public interest, private firms, academia, fellowships, etc.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Q:• How do candidates get a position

with a U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO)?

Q:• Does the Department give

preference to veterans for attorney positions?

Q:• Does the Department provide

reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities?

Q:• Does Justice hire non-U.S.

citizens?

A few USAOs participate in the Honors Program. Typically, USAOs hire litigators with 3 – 5+ years’ litigation experience.

Yes. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, DOJ considers it a positive factor in attorney hiring.

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Yes. DOJ encourages apps from individuals with physical and mental disabilities and will reasonably accommodate their needs.

In very limited circumstances – the threshold is very high. Dual citizens of the United States and another country are considered on a case-by-case basis.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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THANK YOU!

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management

http://www.justice.gov/legal-careersMobile App: DOJ Law Jobs

(202) 514-8900