[Orin Kerr, September 4, 2009 at 6:11pm] Trackbacks
DOJ Honors Applications:
Over at ATL, David Lat notes that applications for the Justice Department's Honors Program are due soon (next Tuesday). If any VC readers who are 3Ls or current clerks are thinking of applying but haven't yet, I strongly recommend it: I joined DOJ though the Honors program in 1998, and it was pretty much the best experience a young lawyer could have. Great work, lots of responsibility, and great people.
lk (mail):
How hard is it to get into the Honors Program if you're not in the top 10% of a top ten school?
9.4.2009 7:40pm
Prosecutorial Indiscretion:
Orin, it remains the best experience a young lawyer can have. For law students thinking about it, the competition in this economy is *brutal* and I wouldn't be surprised if we see applications triple. The best thing you can do is intern in the Division you want, work your butt off, do great work, and work for as many lawyers as you can. There are way more hyperqualified applicants than there are positions, so do whatever you can to let DOJ know how committed you are to DOJ and public interest law and try to put a face to your resume for the hiring folks.

Quite a few Honors hires come from other than top 10 schools - my section hired 3/4 of its Honors lawyers the last three years from non-top 50 schools (I think one came from a tier 4, but was the best intern I've ever seen).

The numbers are more than daunting, but someone has to get hired eventually. So good luck to all, and if your heart is set on DOJ and you don't get in, you can always try to lateral in after a few years of experience.
9.4.2009 8:12pm
goodling (mail):

How hard is it to get into the Honors Program if you're not in the top 10% of a top ten school?


I'm sure Liberty U could place its entire graduating class in DoJ till a couple of years ago.
9.4.2009 9:19pm
DOJ Conspiracy Reader:
Everything "Indiscretion" said -- even this year, the quality of our hires amazes those of us around 2-3 years. One tip if you are at the applying point: within the Divisions, many branches &sections will only invest their offers in people they are convinced will choose them over other offices. So make sure you know the office you want to go to, and why: more so than with many clerkships or private law jobs, it matters.

DOJ bonus feAture: lots of VC readers!
9.4.2009 9:37pm
p.d.:
Seems like a great experience. If one didn't previously work for the government (in any capacity), will they still have a shot if their qualifications are otherwise quite impressive (top schools, top grades, good COA clerkship)? How disqualifying is a glaring lack of government/honors experience?
9.5.2009 1:38pm
Kyle G (mail):
@p.d.

I think if you have even a year of legal experience after law school that is NOT a clerkship, you are disqualified from DOJ Honors.

From the website:
"If you do not meet the criteria of one of the categories above, then you are not eligible for the Honors Program."

The "categories above" are law student, joint degree student, clerk, graduate student [LLM, SJD], President Management Fellow, other legal fellow, another graduate student (econ, e.g.), and that's it.
9.5.2009 6:08pm
Pendulum (mail):
Sounds good. However, I do not wish to work for the United States government.
9.5.2009 6:30pm
p.d.:
I'm eligible and applying now--it's more that I never worked for government during college or before law school, and I spent both of my law school summers at firms.
9.6.2009 9:41am

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