Entry Level Attorneys Job

Vacancy No. DOJ Honors Program Department Offices, Boards and Divisions
Salary $63,163.00 to $90,025.00 Grade 11 to 13
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/22/2025 Close Date 9/2/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Anchorage, AKFairbanks, AKJuneau, AKPhoenix, AZ


Summary

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.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All groups of qualified individuals.

Duties

Duties vary according to the mission of the hiring office. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/honors-program-participating-components.

Requirements

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).

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

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. Security clearance requirements vary by hiring office.

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://www.usajobs.gov/Help/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: Although not identified above under specific locations, the District of Alaska has two vacancies with placement options in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau. The District of Arizona has two vacancies with placement options in Phoenix or Tucson. The Central District of California has two vacancies with placement options in Los Angeles, Riverside, or Santa Ana. The Eastern District of California has two vacancies with placement options in Sacramento or Fresno. The Southern District of Florida has one vacancy with placement options in Miami or West Palm Beach. Moving and/or relocation expenses are not authorized. See https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/honors-program-participating-components.

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.

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. 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.

Required Documents

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.

How to Apply

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
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 in whom the hiring offices are interested 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 receive notification online or by email. A general timeline is available at https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/entry-level-attorneys.

Additional Locations

  • Tucson, AZ 2 vacancies
  • Fresno, CA 3 vacancies
  • Los Angeles, CA 1 vacancy
  • Riverside, CA 4 vacancies
  • Sacramento, CA 9 vacancies
  • San Diego, CA 2 vacancies
  • Santa Ana, CA 1 vacancy
  • Denver, CO 1 vacancy
  • Washington, DC 32 vacancies
  • Miami, FL 1 vacancy
  • West Palm Beach, FL 2 vacancies
  • Providence, RI 1 vacancy
  • Arlington, VA 32 vacancies
  • Falls Church, VA 19 vacancies


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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