DOJ Honors Program 2023-24 Forum

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know of any instances where unlisted USAOs hired through Honors? There’s an option to list all the states that I can relocate to if selected for a USAO. I’m wondering if that means that other USAOs that aren’t listed will get my application/if they will consider Honors applicants on an ad hoc basis.

Not a USAO, but I actually got an offer from ATF this way. I checked the box saying I'd work in West Virginia, and they reached out. I ended up going with a listed component, but it was close.

That is good to know. Did they contact you during the same timeline as the listed components?

Pretty much. I got an email from the Honors Program lady (Deanna maybe?) asking if I was interested, said sure, did a couple rounds of interviews. They actually moved slightly faster than the other components, so I was still waiting on other components when they offered.

Good to know. I am curious to see what unlisted USAOs end up hiring applicants. It seems pretty mysterious.

[Anonymous User]

How would a government shutdown affect hiring?

[Anonymous User]

How would a government shutdown affect hiring?

It shouldn't affect it financially. The money etc is already allocated. The timing could create problems in that if your interviewers/staff/etc aren't "excepted" from the shutdown they won't be allowed to work, if the shutdown extends into the interview period (or prevents OARM from arranging the interviews). I'm afraid I don't know how most employees involved in hiring for honors positions will be classified (I'm at a USAO and management and the criminal people are considered excepted; civil and contractors are non-excepted).

[Anonymous User]

How would a government shutdown affect hiring?

It shouldn't affect it financially. The money etc is already allocated. The timing could create problems in that if your interviewers/staff/etc aren't "excepted" from the shutdown they won't be allowed to work, if the shutdown extends into the interview period (or prevents OARM from arranging the interviews). I'm afraid I don't know how most employees involved in hiring for honors positions will be classified (I'm at a USAO and management and the criminal people are considered excepted; civil and contractors are non-excepted).

I believe it depends on which specific agency you're interviewing with, but I assume that they would just delay whole process in the event of a shutdown. I'm a current Honors Attorney at EOIR, and neither the supervising lawyers that conduct the interviews nor the HR staff that organize the interviews would be considered excepted. But yes, the budget is already allocated and a shutdown shouldn't affect the amount of hiring unless shit really hits the fan.

[Anonymous User]

Any chance these interview slots get released before the 28th? lol...the wait is killing me

[Anonymous User]

Civ Torts interviews are out

[Anonymous User]

Interview notices are out

[SuperJustin64]

Interviews are up!

[tschembri11]

If we don't know by now, are we basically out of luck? Or do different divisions release at different times throughout the day?

[Anonymous User]

Can someone confirm that you would see more than one component in the Selected By field if you got multiple interviews?

[Anonymous User]

If we don't know by now, are we basically out of luck? Or do different divisions release at different times throughout the day?

Check the message board, it typically gives updates. In the past, all interview requests were issued at the same time.

[Anonymous User]

I received an email congratulating me and saying I was selected for an interview but when I go to my portal I don't see the interview, does this mean I wasn't selected? I'm confused

[Anonymous User]

What are people's thoughts on producing an original writing sample unrelated to previous professional experience or legal education? Thought I might cook something up in the coming days since I'm about to be furloughed and will have some down time lol. I'm currently a DOJ Honors Attorney, but my research memos are mostly related to administrative law issues and I wanted to write something more substantively related to the subject matter expertise of the offices that I'm interviewing with. But at the same time, I'm concerned that these offices may think that I'm not confident in my current work--which is highlighted in my resume.

[Anonymous User]

What are people's thoughts on producing an original writing sample unrelated to previous professional experience or legal education? Thought I might cook something up in the coming days since I'm about to be furloughed and will have some down time lol. I'm currently a DOJ Honors Attorney, but my research memos are mostly related to administrative law issues and I wanted to write something more substantively related to the subject matter expertise of the offices that I'm interviewing with. But at the same time, I'm concerned that these offices may think that I'm not confident in my current work--which is highlighted in my resume.

I feel like it's a fair amount of work for not much reward - I think that it's actually hard to create a fact pattern/legal issue that would feel like a real one, and as someone who has reviewed at least a few applications, I would rather see how you approach a problem that someone presented to you (ideally a real life one, but alternately a school assignment) than one that you got to pick.

I also don't think anyone reviewing honors applications is going to weigh substantive subject matter expertise that heavily, compared to analytical/writing ability and potential. I mean, subject matter expertise is great if you have it, but since these are entry level positions, I don't think you need to show that in a writing sample (even though you are already working as an honors attorney; if you're eligible to keep applying I'm assuming you're in more of a clerkship-type position, so still not quite a lateral).

I don't know, I just think a self-generated piece would look kind of weird? This may just be the limits of my imagination, and if you have a good idea and come up with something that appropriately shows your critical and writing skills it would be fine. But I agree that I would likely wonder why you didn't use any of your own actual work product (assuming of course you're allowed to; not having anything you're allowed to use is a different situation).

I should also probably clarify that I'm assuming you're talking about some kind of practice-based piece - like a brief or a memo. If you're talking about something like a law review article where the whole point is that you come up with it, for me that would eliminate any weirdness. I just don't think that LR articles are the greatest writing samples for most jobs.

[Anonymous User]

What are people's thoughts on producing an original writing sample unrelated to previous professional experience or legal education? Thought I might cook something up in the coming days since I'm about to be furloughed and will have some down time lol. I'm currently a DOJ Honors Attorney, but my research memos are mostly related to administrative law issues and I wanted to write something more substantively related to the subject matter expertise of the offices that I'm interviewing with. But at the same time, I'm concerned that these offices may think that I'm not confident in my current work--which is highlighted in my resume.

I feel like it's a fair amount of work for not much reward - I think that it's actually hard to create a fact pattern/legal issue that would feel like a real one, and as someone who has reviewed at least a few applications, I would rather see how you approach a problem that someone presented to you (ideally a real life one, but alternately a school assignment) than one that you got to pick.

I also don't think anyone reviewing honors applications is going to weigh substantive subject matter expertise that heavily, compared to analytical/writing ability and potential. I mean, subject matter expertise is great if you have it, but since these are entry level positions, I don't think you need to show that in a writing sample (even though you are already working as an honors attorney; if you're eligible to keep applying I'm assuming you're in more of a clerkship-type position, so still not quite a lateral).

I don't know, I just think a self-generated piece would look kind of weird? This may just be the limits of my imagination, and if you have a good idea and come up with something that appropriately shows your critical and writing skills it would be fine. But I agree that I would likely wonder why you didn't use any of your own actual work product (assuming of course you're allowed to; not having anything you're allowed to use is a different situation).

I should also probably clarify that I'm assuming you're talking about some kind of practice-based piece - like a brief or a memo. If you're talking about something like a law review article where the whole point is that you come up with it, for me that would eliminate any weirdness. I just don't think that LR articles are the greatest writing samples for most jobs.

I actually was thinking something essentially akin to a mini law review article--one of the components I'm interviewing with is EOIR, and one of their offices is literally a clerkship for an immigration judge. But I think you're right that they wouldn't necessarily expect a writing sample that was substantively relevant to their work, and a classic memo would probably be more relevant to most of the other components anyways.

Thanks for helping me noodle my thoughts!

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have any insight on Crim’s interviews (either section)?

[Anonymous User]

What are people's thoughts on producing an original writing sample unrelated to previous professional experience or legal education? Thought I might cook something up in the coming days since I'm about to be furloughed and will have some down time lol. I'm currently a DOJ Honors Attorney, but my research memos are mostly related to administrative law issues and I wanted to write something more substantively related to the subject matter expertise of the offices that I'm interviewing with. But at the same time, I'm concerned that these offices may think that I'm not confident in my current work--which is highlighted in my resume.

I feel like it's a fair amount of work for not much reward - I think that it's actually hard to create a fact pattern/legal issue that would feel like a real one, and as someone who has reviewed at least a few applications, I would rather see how you approach a problem that someone presented to you (ideally a real life one, but alternately a school assignment) than one that you got to pick.

I also don't think anyone reviewing honors applications is going to weigh substantive subject matter expertise that heavily, compared to analytical/writing ability and potential. I mean, subject matter expertise is great if you have it, but since these are entry level positions, I don't think you need to show that in a writing sample (even though you are already working as an honors attorney; if you're eligible to keep applying I'm assuming you're in more of a clerkship-type position, so still not quite a lateral).

I don't know, I just think a self-generated piece would look kind of weird? This may just be the limits of my imagination, and if you have a good idea and come up with something that appropriately shows your critical and writing skills it would be fine. But I agree that I would likely wonder why you didn't use any of your own actual work product (assuming of course you're allowed to; not having anything you're allowed to use is a different situation).

I should also probably clarify that I'm assuming you're talking about some kind of practice-based piece - like a brief or a memo. If you're talking about something like a law review article where the whole point is that you come up with it, for me that would eliminate any weirdness. I just don't think that LR articles are the greatest writing samples for most jobs.

I actually was thinking something essentially akin to a mini law review article--one of the components I'm interviewing with is EOIR, and one of their offices is literally a clerkship for an immigration judge. But I think you're right that they wouldn't necessarily expect a writing sample that was substantively relevant to their work, and a classic memo would probably be more relevant to most of the other components anyways.

Thanks for helping me noodle my thoughts!

Are the writing samples due today? Seems like a quick turnaround to make something new.

[VictoriaLS_19]

I got an interview with CRT. Does anyone have any experience with the interview process? Mostly wondering what to expect as far as questions.

[Anonymous User]

What type of writing sample did you all submit? Was it close to the ten pages? Does the program prefer a certain writing sample type over another? How important is the writing sample in being selected?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just stressing over this portion of the application.

[Anonymous User]

Ideally, submit something that’s as close as possible to the kind of work you might need to do in the job, but if your best writing and analysis is in your LR note, or some other kind of format, then submit that.

Whether it’s close to 10 pages or not doesn’t matter as long as you don’t go over. That said, it’s probably hard to do yourself justice in something much shorter than 7-ish pages. But if you can pull a sample you think is great out 5 pages, then cool, go for it.

And yes, the writing samples are going to be reasonably important and at this point in the process, will be read. It’s probably not going to be the thing that gets or loses you the job (it’s going to be a fairly holistic process), but you never know, it might.

[Anonymous User]

Are all references checked if you are considered for a position, or are there cases where only some references are checked?

[Anonymous User]

[Double post]

[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?

[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

[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?