Honors Program Participating Components
Listed below are the 2025-2026 Attorney General's Honors Program (HP) participating components (hiring organizations). Applicants must meet Honors Program eligibility requirements for all positions listed below. Offers for Honors Program positions will specify whether the position is permanent or time-limited (for example, not to exceed 24 or 36 months).
Time-limited appointments may, at the Department's discretion, be extended or converted to permanent positions without further competition. Time-limited appointments also qualify as Honors Program eligibility preserving activities. Individuals hired for time-limited positions may reapply to the Honors Program in a subsequent year provided they meet eligibility criteria.
Hiring organizations may participate formally or informally. Informally participating components may not adhere to the standard hiring timeline. Some offices (e.g., U.S. Attorneys' Offices) may impose additional eligibility criteria. Applicants must meet any additional specified eligibility criteria by the application deadline.
For information about a hiring organization's mission, scope of responsibility, legal practice areas, and whether it is participating formally or informally, click on the name of the hiring organization in the body of the chart below. To move directly to the listing for a specific hiring organization or fellowship, use the quick links directly below.
LITIGATING OFFICES: Civil Division | Environment & Natural Resources Division | National Security Division
LEGAL POLICY & ADMINISTRATION: Executive Office for Immigration Review
LAW ENFORCEMENT & CORRECTIONS OFFICES: Drug Enforcement Administration Office of Chief Counsel | Federal Bureau of Investigation Office of General Counsel
JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS: Drug Enforcement Administration Administrative Law Judges | Executive Office for Immigration Review (Office of the Chief Immigration Judge & Board of Immigration Appeals)
U.S. ATTORNEYS' OFFICES: Eligibility restricted to law school graduates who are admitted to or pending admission to a bar. Not open to current law students.
District of Alaska | District of Arizona | Central District of California | Eastern District of California | Southern District of California | District of Colorado | District of Columbia | Southern District of Florida | District of Rhode Island
FORMAL PARTICIPANTS (Some formal participants further allow candidates to designate their interest in specific locations, branches, sections, positions, or Districts on the application.)
| Name of Component | Estimated Number of Hires |
|---|---|
The Civil Division offers permanent positions in Washington, D.C. Civil Division candidates may designate their interest in specific branches on the application, but, with the exception of the Office of Immigration Litigation, not to specific sections within branches. |
15 |
Executive Office for Immigration Review The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) offers two-year judicial clerkships and two-year time-limited appointments that may be extended or converted to permanent positions. EOIR candidates may designate their interest in specific sub-organizations on the application. U.S. citizenship required. Nationwide Opportunities
Falls Church, VA
|
103 |
Open only to law school graduates. Some Districts require incoming attorneys to agree to a service commitment, but this varies by District. Formally participating Districts are listed here. Additional Districts, participating informally, are listed below. Candidates may designate their interest in specific Districts on the application. U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona (2) U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California (2) The Central District of California offers permanent Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) positions in its Criminal & National Security Sections with possible placement in Los Angeles, Riverside, or Santa Ana, CA. Open only to eligible applicants who have a J.D. and are serving in (or will soon begin) a qualifying eligibility preserving activity and are admitted to a bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) or have taken a bar exam (results pending in fall 2025). Current law students are not eligible and will not be considered. Candidates must be admitted to practice and have an active bar membership (any U.S. jurisdiction) before entering on duty. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California (1-2) The Southern District of California offers permanent Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) positions for a civil and for a criminal AUSA in San Diego, CA. Open only to eligible applicants who have a J.D. and are serving in (or will soon begin) a qualifying eligibility preserving activity and are admitted to a bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) or have taken a bar exam (results pending in fall 2025). Judicial clerkship experience is strongly preferred. Current law students are not eligible and will not be considered. Candidates must be admitted to practice and have an active bar membership before entering on duty. U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (6) The District of Columbia offers permanent Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) positions in Washington, D.C. Open only to eligible applicants who have a J.D. and are serving in (or will soon begin) a qualifying eligibility preserving activity and are admitted to a bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) or have taken a bar exam (results pending in fall 2025). Current law students are not eligible and will not be considered. Candidates must be admitted to practice and have an active bar membership before entering on duty. Honors Program attorneys are asked to agree to a four-year commitment. |
11-12 |
The components and Districts listed below are participating informally in the Honors Program, subject to availability of funds. These components may not follow the regular Honors Program timeline or procedures and may contact a candidate at any time during or after the formal review and selection process. Candidates may, at their discretion, apply to any number of informally participating components and also may apply only to an informally participating component. The tentative number of hires is listed by the name of each informally participating component.
Other Department hiring offices and USAOs may participate informally in the Honors Program on an ad hoc basis throughout the year. Applicants who wish to be considered by informally participating U.S. Attorneys’ Offices or Department of Justice offices that are not listed on the application may check a box on the application requesting to be included in a general USAO or Department-wide candidate pool. Candidates will be required to identify the specific States or U.S. territories to which they would relocate if they received an offer.
Drug Enforcement Administration Administrative Law Judges (3) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrative Law Judges offer two-year judicial clerkships in Arlington, VA. These attorney positions are not prosecutorial positions. DEA may extend these appointments for a third year. |
Drug Enforcement Administration Office of Chief Counsel (2) The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Office of Chief Counsel offers permanent positions in Northern Virginia. |
Environment & Natural Resources Division (5) The Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) offers permanent positions in Washington, D.C. from among the sections listed below. ENRD candidates apply to the Division as a whole, with section preference identified at a later time. Honors Program attorneys are asked to agree to a three-year commitment. |
Federal Bureau of Investigation Office of General Counsel (3) The FBI Office of General Counsel (FBI-OGC) offers permanent positions in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Honors Program attorneys must pass a rigorous screening process and be able to obtain a Top Secret security clearance. U.S. citizenship required. |
National Security Division (3) The National Security Division (NSD) offers permanent positions in Washington, D.C. The NSD sections and offices participating in the Honors Program vary by year but will be one or more of the sections and offices listed below. Honors Program attorneys are asked to agree to a three-year commitment and must be able to obtain a Top Secret security clearance. |
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska (2) The District of Alaska offers two three-year time-limited Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) appointments (with possible conversion to permanent). One is in the Civil Division in Anchorage, Alaska; one in the Criminal Division in the candidate's choice of Anchorage, Juneau or Fairbanks, Alaska. Open only to eligible applicants who have a J.D. and are serving in (or will soon begin) a qualifying eligibility preserving activity and are admitted to a bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) or have taken a bar exam (results pending in fall 2025). Judicial clerkship experience is strongly preferred. Current law students are not eligible and will not be considered. Candidates must be admitted to practice and have an active bar membership (any U.S. jurisdiction) before entering on duty. The District of Alaska requests a two-year commitment. |
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California (2) The Eastern District of California offers permanent Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) appointments (one in the Civil Division; one in the Criminal Division) with potential placement in Sacramento or Fresno, CA. Open only to eligible applicants who have a J.D. and are serving in (or will soon begin) a qualifying eligibility preserving activity and are admitted to a bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) or have taken a bar exam (results pending in fall 2025). Judicial clerkship experience is strongly preferred. Current law students are not eligible and will not be considered. Candidates must be admitted to practice and have an active bar membership (any U.S. jurisdiction) before entering on duty. |
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado (1) The District of Colorado offers a two-year time-limited Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) appointment (with possible conversion to permanent) in Denver, Colorado. Open only to eligible applicants who have a J.D. and are serving in (or will soon begin) a qualifying eligibility preserving activity and are admitted to a bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) or have taken a bar exam (results pending in fall 2025). Current law students are not eligible and will not be considered. Candidates must be admitted to practice and have an active bar membership (any U.S. jurisdiction) before entering on duty. |
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida (1) The Southern District of Florida offers a two-year time-limited Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) appointment (with possible conversion to permanent) in Miami or West Palm Beach, FL. Open only to eligible applicants who have a J.D. and are serving in (or will soon begin) a qualifying eligibility preserving activity and are admitted to a bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) or have taken a bar exam (results pending in fall 2025). Judicial clerkship experience is strongly preferred. Current law students are not eligible and will not be considered. Candidates must be admitted to practice and have an active bar membership (any U.S. jurisdiction) before entering on duty. The Southern District of Florida requests a two-year commitment. |
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island (1) The District of Rhode Island offers a three-year time-limited Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) appointment (with possible conversion to permanent) in Providence, Rhode Island. Open only to eligible applicants who have a J.D. and are serving in (or will soon begin) a qualifying eligibility preserving activity and are admitted to a bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) or have taken a bar exam (results pending in fall 2025). Current law students are not eligible and will not be considered. Candidates must be admitted to practice and have an active bar membership (any U.S. jurisdiction) before entering on duty. The District of Rhode Island requests a two-year commitment. |