Entry Level Attorneys

Department of Justice

Offices, Boards and Divisions

Summary

Since 1953, the Attorney General's Honors Program (HP) has been recognized as the nation's premier entry-level federal attorney recruitment program. As a Justice attorney, you will be a member of a team where you can achieve your career goals and apply your skills and talents to our important mission. New attorneys work on cutting edge legal issues that are meaningful and have an impact on our nation.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

This is a public notice flyer. Applications will not be accepted through USA Jobs. If you are interested in applying, please see the official announcement on the DOJs Legal Careers page.

Duties

Duties vary according to the mission of the hiring office. For more information, visit-

Legal Careers | Entry-Level Attorneys

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must be a United States Citizen or National.
Qualifying non-citizen (see Other Information)
Admitted to or eligible for admission to a bar (any U.S. jurisdiction)

Qualifications

Open to law students graduating this academic year (between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027) and recent law school graduates in qualifying post J.D. activities. The Honors Program has specific eligibility requirements. For details visit:
Legal Careers | Eligibility for the Attorney General's Honors Program.
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 eligible and qualified individuals. For details, see
Legal Careers | Eligibility for the Attorney General's Honors Program.

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., 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 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 USAJOBS Help Center - Employment of 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.

TRAVEL-Varies by hiring office.
Some clerkship and fellowship positions are time-limited (24 to 36 months).

Geographic Locations: For a complete list of offices and specific geographic locations, please see Legal Careers | Honors Program Participating Components for details. Many vacancies are in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Moving and/or relocation expenses are not authorized.

Washington, DC
114 vacancies

Chicago, IL
2 vacancies

San Francisco, CA
5 vacancies

New York, NY
2 vacancies

Falls Church, VA
32 vacancies

Phoenix, AZ
1 vacancy

Tucson, AZ
1 vacancy

Sacramento, CA
2 vacancies

Fresno, CA
2 vacancies

San Diego, CA
4 vacancies

Miami, FL
2 vacancies

Ft. Lauderdale, FL
2 vacancies

West Palm Beach, FL
2 vacancies

Dallas, TX
2 vacancies

Columbia, SC
1 vacancy

Stockton, CA
1 vacancy

Kansas City, KS
1 vacancy

Annapolis Junction, MD
1 vacancy

Indianapolis, IN
1 vacancy

Grand Rapids, MI
1 vacancy

Concord, NH
1 vacancy

Beaumont, TX
3 vacancies

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 Legal Careers | Entry-Level (Honors Program) and Experienced Attorneys - 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 work experience, academic achievement, extracurricular activities, e.g., law review/journal or moot court, and specialized academic studies, including undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. In addition, each hiring office considers the applicants skills and 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. Legal Careers | Honors Program & Summer Law Intern Program Application Tips and Checklist

Required Documents

See - Legal Careers | Honors Program & Summer Law Intern Program 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 only accepted through an online applicant assessment system, the Central OARM Recruitment Application (CORA), that has been specifically configured for the Department of Justice by the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Even if you have already developed a resume in USAJOBS, you must use CORA to apply to the HP at CORA - US DOJ.

Agency contact information

OARM Office

Email: AskOARM@usdoj.gov

Address: Justice Management Division, Office of Adjudication, Recruitment, and Management
450 5th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20530
US

Next steps

This is a public notice flyer. Applications will not be accepted through USA Jobs. If you are interested in applying, please see the official announcement on the DOJs Legal Careers page by following the links below:

CORA - US DOJ

This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Legal Careers| Department of Justice (www.justice.gov/legal-careers)

Entry Level Attorneys Job in Location Negotiable After Selection