Job Description
Frequently voted one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government, the Department of Justice leads the nation in ensuring the protection of all Americans while preserving their constitutional freedoms. As a Justice employee, you'll be a member of a team where you can achieve your career goals and apply your skills and talents to our important mission. The Attorney General's Honors Program is the Department of Justice recruitment program for entry-level attorneys.
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
All groups of qualified individuals.
Duties vary according to the mission of the hiring office. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/honors-program-participating-components.
Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen, or
- Qualifying non-citizen (see Other Information) and
- Admitted to or eligible for admission to a bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
TRAVEL - Varies by hiring office.
Some clerkship and fellowship positions are time-limited (24 to 36 months).
Telework eligibility is determined by agency policy.
Qualifications
Open to law students graduating this academic year and recent law school graduates in qualifying post-J.D. activities. The Honors Program has specific eligibility requirements. For details visit https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/honors-program-eligibility. Incoming hires must have a law degree (J.D. or equivalent) and be eligible for admission to the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) at the time of entry on duty. Some hiring offices require applicants to be admitted to a bar or to have recently taken a bar exam with results pending as a condition of consideration. Certain U.S. Attorneys' Offices may require incoming hires to become admitted to the bar of the state where the office is located.
TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS:
Applications will be accepted from all groups of eligible and qualified individuals. For details, see https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/honors-program-eligibility.
Education
EDUCATION:
Incoming hires must have a law degree (J.D. or equivalent) and be eligible for admission to the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) at the time of entry on duty.
Additional information
Security clearance requirements vary by hiring office. Applicants for some hiring offices (e.g., National Security Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation) must be eligible to obtain and retain a TOP SECRET security clearance at the time of the appointment.
If hired by a U.S. Attorney's Office, following appointment, Assistant U.S. Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which they are appointed. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district-specific information.
Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation and fitness/suitability review. It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test that screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment.
U.S. citizens and qualifying non-U.S. citizens who meet immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply. See: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/non-citizens. The appointment of non-U.S. citizens is subject to strict security requirements and is extremely rare. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Some positions are open only to U.S. citizens.
Locations: To clarify the information listed in locations, although listed under its Washington, DC, headquarters, the EOIR Office of the Chief Immigration Judge offers 76 positions in Immigration Courts nationwide. The USAO, District of Alaska has two vacancies with placement options in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau. The USAO, District of Arizona has two vacancies with placement options in Phoenix or Tucson. The USAO, Central District of California has two vacancies with placement options in Los Angeles, Riverside, or Santa Ana. The USAO, Eastern District of California has two vacancies with placement options in Sacramento or Fresno. The USAO, Southern District of Florida has one vacancy with placement options in Miami or West Palm Beach. Many vacancies are in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Moving and/or relocation expenses are not authorized. See https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/honors-program-participating-components for location details.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
See the Department's web page at https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/attorney-salaries-promotions-and-benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Each participating hiring office independently selects interview candidates based on many elements of a candidate's background including academic achievement, law review or moot court experience, legal aid and clinical experience, and summer or part-time legal employment. The Department also considers specialized academic studies (including undergraduate and post-graduate degrees), work experience, and extracurricular activities that directly relate to the work of the Department. In addition, each hiring office considers the applicants qualifications as they relate to its specific mission or legal practice areas. A law school transcript is required. Documents supporting veterans' preference eligibility are required. See https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/application-tips-and-checklist.
See https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/application-tips-and-checklist.
Law school transcript is required.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Applications for this program are processed through an on-line applicant assessment system that has been specifically configured for Department of Justice by Avue Digital Services (AVUE). Even if you have already developed a resume in USAJOBS, you must access this on-line system to apply: https://www.avuedigitalservices.com/casting/aiportal/control/mainmenu?agency=dojoarm.
Agency contact information
Office of Attorney Recruitment & Management
Phone
2025148900
Email
ASKOARM@usdoj.gov
Address
Office of Attorney Recruitment & Management
450 5th Street N.W. Suite 10200
Washington, Dist of Columbia 20530
US
Next steps
The Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management will contact applicants selected for interview(s) by email with instructions on how to arrange interviews. For detailed information about Honors Program interviews, see https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/honors-program-interviews. Applicants not selected for an interview will be notified. A general timeline is available at https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/entry-level-attorneys.
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
08/22/2025 to 09/02/2025
Salary
$63,163 to - $90,025 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 13
Locations
155 vacancies in the following locations:
Anchorage, AK
2 vacancies
Phoenix, AZ
2 vacancies
Los Angeles, CA
2 vacancies
Sacramento, CA
2 vacancies
Show morefewer locations (7)
San Diego, CA
2 vacancies
Denver, CO
1 vacancy
Washington, DC
110 vacancies
Miami, FL
1 vacancy
Providence, RI
1 vacancy
Arlington, VA
5 vacancies
Falls Church, VA
27 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes?as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Varies by Office
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Multiple
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
DOJ Honors Program
Control number
844054700
