Job Responsibilities
Investigate and prosecute felony offenses in federal court.
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Job Requirements
JD required. Hiring at the DOJ is very competitive for entry
level attorneys. Academic credentials are important, and
significant relevant work experience can be very helpful in
distinguishing you from other candidates. Relevant coursework,
research and writing skills, and academic achievement are usually
more important than the rank of the law school attended.
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Uppers
Flexibility and balanced lifestyle. Work is interesting and meaningful, with
opportunities to practice law at the highest levels very early in your career.
Job security matters, too.
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Downers
Travel is not always convenient, though it is usually only
frequent enough to keep the job interesting. Significant pay cut
as compared to private offers, but compensation improves rapidly.
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Lifestyle
Flex schedule permits taking off every other Friday (in addition to the standard
federal holidays, 13 sick days, and 13 vacation days per year). Travel is regular
-- about twice a month for me -- but usually only for one night. Dress code here
is business casual unless the day's appointments include court or meetings with
counsel. A very good lifestyle overall.
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Compensation
Starting salary is right aroun $50k with an opportunity (linked
to performance) of advancing to around $100k in less than 5
years. Limited monetary bonuses at the end of the year.
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Advice to Jobseekers
DOJ is a wonderful place to work and worth the effort to get
hired. Federal clerkships can be helpful but are certainly not
required. Do your homework and carefully select which offices or
divisions you rank highest on your application's preference list.
Legal work at DOJ can vary greatly - know where you want to go
and get specifics about that particular division, office, etc.
Not all government jobs are created equal! With a bit of research
and patience, though, you should be able to find something that
fits you quite well.
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