Timeline for Seeking AUSA Position Post Clerkship Forum

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coramnonjudice

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Timeline for Seeking AUSA Position Post Clerkship

Post by coramnonjudice » Tue Apr 03, 2018 1:55 pm

I am going to start a federal clerkship in August this year, finishing up in late July 2019. I’ve got 4 years of experience as a BigLaw associate prior to that. State school, law review, top 25% of class. Seeking an AUSA position in flyover country. Curious about what kind of timeline I should be looking at as far as when to apply bc I’ve heard the process could take up to a year! TIA

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Re: Timeline for Seeking AUSA Position Post Clerkship

Post by Rowinguy2009 » Tue Apr 03, 2018 2:18 pm

I was in a similar boat - did a midcareer clerkship and targeted fed positions (including AUSA) for after.

The honest, unhelpful answer is "it depends." Timelines can vary quite a bit among different federal offices. I basically applied for fed jobs throughout the entirety of my clerkship. Some of them filled up within a month or so, meaning they were filled far before my clerkship ended, some were sending me notices that they had just filled the position more than a year after I originally applied.

I think the most common timeline is something around six months - the positions that I applied for around February/March seemed like they had the best chance of syncing with the end of my clerkship. But I think the best advice is just to apply to as many positions as possible and hope for the best. From around December until I got my fed gov offer in April of the clerkship year, I checked USAjobs pretty much every day, and applied for anything that looked close to what I was interested in. (Note, it then took a couple months from the time of my offer to process paperwork and complete the background check. My background check was a pretty basic one; what DOJ does is involved, and takes a bit longer, from what I understand).

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Re: Timeline for Seeking AUSA Position Post Clerkship

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Apr 03, 2018 7:34 pm

Mind saying when you were able to start? I am currently interviewing in various rounds for AUSA positions and clerking through the summer. I am thinking I will have to accept a private offer, even in the amazing situation that one of these turns into an offer as well. Seems like it would likely be an April/May acceptance for me as well (though there might be some more complicated background check stuff for me, but nothing nuts)

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Re: Timeline for Seeking AUSA Position Post Clerkship

Post by coramnonjudice » Wed Apr 04, 2018 10:34 am

Rowinguy2009 wrote:I was in a similar boat - did a midcareer clerkship and targeted fed positions (including AUSA) for after.

The honest, unhelpful answer is "it depends." Timelines can vary quite a bit among different federal offices. I basically applied for fed jobs throughout the entirety of my clerkship. Some of them filled up within a month or so, meaning they were filled far before my clerkship ended, some were sending me notices that they had just filled the position more than a year after I originally applied.

I think the most common timeline is something around six months - the positions that I applied for around February/March seemed like they had the best chance of syncing with the end of my clerkship. But I think the best advice is just to apply to as many positions as possible and hope for the best. From around December until I got my fed gov offer in April of the clerkship year, I checked USAjobs pretty much every day, and applied for anything that looked close to what I was interested in. (Note, it then took a couple months from the time of my offer to process paperwork and complete the background check. My background check was a pretty basic one; what DOJ does is involved, and takes a bit longer, from what I understand).

Really helpful--thanks so much!

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Re: Timeline for Seeking AUSA Position Post Clerkship

Post by Rowinguy2009 » Thu Apr 05, 2018 1:20 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Mind saying when you were able to start? I am currently interviewing in various rounds for AUSA positions and clerking through the summer. I am thinking I will have to accept a private offer, even in the amazing situation that one of these turns into an offer as well. Seems like it would likely be an April/May acceptance for me as well (though there might be some more complicated background check stuff for me, but nothing nuts)
I started my fed job at the very end of July, even though my clerkship was supposed to go from September until the end of August. My judge was very accommodating and allowed me to leave earlier than scheduled - I was upfront that I was trying to go from firm to fed when I interviewed for the clerkship, so he told me during my first couple months that he would be flexible with my dates so I could accomplish that goal (we also, perhaps rather unusually, had a law school graduate who was interning with our chambers for free for the year. When I left the clerkship that person got my position for about a month, allowing them to be paid for a short while).

Once all the application/background stuff was done for my fed job, HR called and offered me two potential start dates that were two weeks apart (because those days were when a pay period started). After checking with my judge I accepted the later of the two. I probably could have asked for a start date that was a couple pay periods later if I really needed to.

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Re: Timeline for Seeking AUSA Position Post Clerkship

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 06, 2018 6:21 am

Extreme emphasis on the "it depends" point, although I imagine things are less capricious/random in "flyover country." During my COA clerkship, three out of the four clerks (myself included) were interested in going coastal USAO. We put in applications, with the Judge's permission, about three months into the clerkship. By the time the clerkship was over, one of us had gotten a round-1 with one of the offices, but none of the rest of us had even heard.

Take from that what you will.

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Re: Timeline for Seeking AUSA Position Post Clerkship

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 06, 2018 8:18 am

I think "flyover" is even more random/capricious, because they're only going to hire when there's an opening, and not simply take rolling applications. So basically you have to apply for the "flyover" positions when/if you see an opening advertised.

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Re: Timeline for Seeking AUSA Position Post Clerkship

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 06, 2018 12:43 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Extreme emphasis on the "it depends" point, although I imagine things are less capricious/random in "flyover country." During my COA clerkship, three out of the four clerks (myself included) were interested in going coastal USAO. We put in applications, with the Judge's permission, about three months into the clerkship. By the time the clerkship was over, one of us had gotten a round-1 with one of the offices, but none of the rest of us had even heard.

Take from that what you will.
On the other hand, I applied right when my second one started and had seven interviews so far.

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Re: Timeline for Seeking AUSA Position Post Clerkship

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Apr 07, 2018 4:29 pm

On the other hand, I applied right when my second one started and had seven interviews so far.
Oh, certainly. My point is just that it's really hard to set out a distinct timeline for this sort of thing (doubly so if you apply to a USAO in your Circuit, which generally requires preclearance from the judge).

I imagine "flyover" country is less capricious in the sense that they'd be more open/willing to communicate than the "preftigious" offices, which know full well that radio silence, odd hiring schedules, and months-upon-months between rounds won't quell the deluge of applications.

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Re: Timeline for Seeking AUSA Position Post Clerkship

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Apr 08, 2018 11:05 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
On the other hand, I applied right when my second one started and had seven interviews so far.
Oh, certainly. My point is just that it's really hard to set out a distinct timeline for this sort of thing (doubly so if you apply to a USAO in your Circuit, which generally requires preclearance from the judge).

I imagine "flyover" country is less capricious in the sense that they'd be more open/willing to communicate than the "preftigious" offices, which know full well that radio silence, odd hiring schedules, and months-upon-months between rounds won't quell the deluge of applications.
I don't think this actually makes much of a difference - flyover offices still get 100s of apps for any opening.

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