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 Four Hiring Programs Frequently Asked Questions

Who We Are U.S. Department of Justice in a Nutshell 1

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. See 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 careers/ambassadors Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) careers/disability-points-contact

Four Hiring Programs Highly Qualified and Diverse Talent Pool 2

DOJ Legal Hiring Programs – At a Glance VOLUNTEER LEGAL INTERNSHIPS SUMMER LAW INTERN PROGRAM ATTORNEY GENERAL’S HONORS PROGRAM EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY HIRING DOJ LEGAL HIRING PROGRAMS

Opportunities for fall, spring, and summer internships Decentralized application process Requirements and deadlines vary VOLUNTEER LEGAL INTERNSHIPS

SUMMER LAW INTERN PROGRAM Compensated summer internships Eligibility Components participating and number of positions available vary each year Centrally-managed, online application  Opens: July 31  Deadline: September 8, 2015

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 PARTICIPANTS Other 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.

ATTORNEY GENERAL’S HONORS PROGRAM 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 application  Opens: July 31  Deadline: September 8, 2015

ATTORNEY GENERAL’S HONORS PROGRAM (2016)* 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

EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY HIRING Hundreds of opportunities As a general rule, an attorney who is an active member of the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction and has at least one year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience is eligible for an experienced attorney position. Interested candidates must submit application materials directly to the office to which they have an interest and in response to a specific vacancy announcement.

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

APPLICATIONS VOLUNTEER INTERNS AND EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS Decentralized Process Posted on and DOJ Law Jobs mobile app Apply directly to each office Typical application package:  Cover Letter  Resume  Writing Sample  Transcript Internships have early deadlines

APPLICATIONS SUMMER LAW INTERN PROGRAM AND ATTORNEY GENERAL’S HONORS 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

APPLICATIONS ALL APPLICATIONS Make a connection and proofread Prepare for interviews Enthusiasm!!

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 3

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS SECURITY 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. Answer 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. Answer 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: careers/field-offices and a list of USAOs at: 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 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. Answer FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Answer

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. Answer 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. Answer FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Answer

TOP TAKEAWAYS Volunteering at DOJ pays off Effective applications take effort – do your research! If at first you don’t succeed…

THANK YOU! U.S. Department of Justice Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management Mobile App: DOJ Law Jobs (202)