Frequently Asked Questions

Members of the OARM staff have traveled to job fairs, law schools and conferences where they have met law students and judicial clerks interested in applying to the Honors or Summer Program. These individuals have often asked questions about the Programs. Following are answers to many of the questions that have been asked time and time again. We hope they will answer some of yours.

What credentials is the Department seeking in the Honors Program candidates it hires?

Candidates who are employed through the Honors Program are selected on the basis of multiple factors. Academic achievement is certainly one of those factors. The Department also looks for writing skills and experience (e.g., law review), the ability to reason independently and creatively (e.g., moot court competition), clinical/volunteer and work experiences which coincide with the specific work of the Department, and extra-curricular activities that indicate a candidate’s legal acumen. The best candidates for attorney positions through the Honors Program are those with well-rounded backgrounds, illustrating academic achievement, intellectual and analytical thinking, and commitment to the work of the Department.

What can I do to ensure that my application is fully considered by the Department?

Simple as it sounds, a candidate can ensure that his/her application is fully considered by following the instructions for completing and submitting the application to the Department. Sometimes candidates are extremely disappointed when they discover that they have failed to submit the required information or failed to submit the application on time. Both the Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program have specific application requirements and an absolute receipt deadline date. A candidate can save a lot of time and prevent disappointment by reading the instructions included in the application booklet for each program.

For example, the instructions in the application specifically ask for three (3) copies each of a candidate’s application, his/her resume and an official or unofficial transcript (the application “package”). If a candidate submits an application and fails to attach a resume or transcript, he/she is immediately disqualified because of the missing information. The instructions also advise the candidate that all parts of the application “package” must be submitted together. If an applicant sends a resume with the application, but has his/her law school send a transcript separately, the person would be disqualified because we do not have sufficient staff and/or time to match separate batches of mail.

We also stress in the instructions that the application receipt deadline is absolute and that the application must be in our office on or before the specific deadline. Candidates who send in applications that are postmarked on the deadline date are disqualified, as are candidates who do not allow sufficient time for mail delivery.

How can I enhance my chances of being selected for an interview?

The ability to "think on one’s feet" and correlate thoughts on paper are important for Department attorneys and interns since they, literally, enter-on-duty one day and begin work on a legal case the next. Writing experience gained working on law review or the ability to think quickly acquired while participating in moot court competition provide an invaluable background for work at the Department. Clinical, volunteer and work experience that is directly related to the work of the Department is also an important factor. For example, clinical or volunteer experience in immigration law is a valuable asset for attorneys working in the Executive Office for Immigration Review.

How can I contact you if I have questions?

You may call (202) 514-3396 for recorded information (available 24 hours a day). If you prefer to write to us, send your correspondence to the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20530. Please be aware, however, that the Department of Justice is still experiencing major delays in receipt of mail forwarded through the U.S. Postal Service, including first-class, express and priority mail. For information about where to send Honors Program and Summer Program applications, please consult the application leaflet or the OARM web page: www.usdoj.gov/oarm.

If I receive an offer of employment, how much time do I have to respond?

If you receive an offer prior to December 1st, you have two weeks from the day that you receive the offer or until December 1st, whichever is later. After December 1, you have two weeks from the day you receive the offer. The National Association for Law Placement (NALP) requires its members to allow candidates for employment two weeks to make a decision. The Department is a member of NALP and operates under its guidelines.

If I work at the Department during the summer, will that increase my chances of being selected for an Honors Program position?

It can certainly enhance your chances of being considered for an Honors Program position, but it does not guarantee that you will be offered a position. Occasionally, an intern receives an offer at the end of the summer for an Honors Program position after the intern’s graduation (we call these “funnel” offers because candidates are being “funneled” from one program into another). However, former summer interns who later apply to the Honors Program are often offered positions with the Department.

Can summer interns “split” a summer between two Department organizations?

Yes. As long as both Department organizations agree, and the intern agrees to work the minimum number of weeks required for each organization. This is a great opportunity for a candidate who is considering permanent employment with the Department to determine which organization is most compatible with his/her career goals and academic and work experience.

How do I find temporary housing in Washington, DC?

Our office provides a “Resource Guide” to Department organizations that participate in the Summer Program. It provides information about housing, transportation, utilities, newspapers and banking in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The majority of the information cites web pages that are available on the Internet. This information is forwarded to summer interns from the hiring organization.

How much travel is required?

As an entry level attorney, the amount of travel required, if any, depends on the particular organization where you are employed and the nature of its practice. You can expect a moderate to heavy travel schedule in the litigating divisions, whose attorneys often conduct depositions, lead grand jury investigations, and/or appear before federal courts across the country. Other organizations may require little or no travel.

When do attorneys and interns begin employment? Do all attorneys and interns begin work at the same time?

Honors Program attorneys are eligible to begin work any time after graduation and the favorable adjudication of their background investigation. However, each organization determines its own best time frame for candidates to enter on duty. Many attorneys begin work around October 1st (the beginning of the new fiscal year) following graduation. Candidates may delay their entry on duty until the December following graduation if the hiring organization agrees to this delay.

Summer interns may enter on duty as early as the first week of May. All organizations participating in the Summer Program require a minimum commitment of six to eight weeks. Candidates may arrange a mutually agreeable work period with their hiring organization.

How long does the security clearance take? How many years of information do investigators review?

The “full field” background investigation for attorneys takes at least sixth months to complete; it depends upon the information that is provided in the pre-employment forms submitted by the candidate. For example, if a candidate has lived in five places over a seven year period, it takes longer to complete the investigation than if a person has lived in one place during the same period of time. Depending on the level of clearance required by the employing organization, the investigation covers from seven to ten years of the candidate’s history.

Summer law interns are subject to a complete name and fingerprint check, a review of pre-employment forms to determine suitability for employment, and satisfactory results from a drug test which screens for current illegal drug use.

The most common suitability issues that arise are: past unlawful use of drugs, failure to fulfill tax obligations, and failure to comply with financial obligations. After an applicant has received an offer of employment from the Department, OARM can advise him/her as to any issues regarding potential suitability problems.

Must my law school be accredited for me to apply for work at the Department?

Entry-level attorneys are required to pass a bar and be an active member of a bar (any jurisdiction) within 14 months of entry on duty. You must, therefore, attend a law school whose graduates are eligible to sit for a bar exam. If the state in which your law school is located allows only candidates from accredited law schools to sit for the bar exam, your law school must be accredited. If the state in which your law school is located (e.g., California) allows candidates from all law schools in that state to sit for the bar, accreditation is not required.

Since summer law interns are not required to pass a bar exam, accreditation does not apply to the Summer Law Intern Program.

Do advanced degrees (Masters, Ph.D.) make a candidate eligible for a higher salary?

In general, the answer is no. You would certainly not “automatically” qualify for a higher salary. On the other hand, if the advanced degree directly relates to your work within an organization, the organization might promote you more rapidly than it would have otherwise.

What is the Department’s promotion policy?

Attorneys may be considered for promotion from their current GS level (e.g., GS-11) to the next highest GS level (e.g., GS-12) once they have served the minimum time-in-grade. The following chart summarizes the promotion eligibility schedule for attorneys under the General Schedule:

Grade Level Minimum Waiting Time for Consideration

GS-11 to GS-12 6 months
GS-12 to GS-13 6 months (if hired at the GS-12 level; otherwise, one year)
GS-13 to GS-14 1 year
GS-14 to GS-15 1 year (with outstanding performance appraisal; otherwise, 18 months)

It is thus possible for attorneys starting at the GS-11 grade level to reach the GS-15 level in three and one-half years. Please note, however, that some organizations may require longer waiting periods or restrict the grade level to which non-supervisory attorneys may be promoted.

top