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Honors Program & Summer Law Intern Program Application Tips and Checklist

A well-written application for the Attorney General's Honors Program or Summer Law Intern Program takes time to complete, and assembling the information listed below in advance will be a helpful time saver.  To be considered for either program, applicants must submit an online application by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, September 6, 2022.  The application opens on July 31st, so allow yourself plenty of time to work on your application and submit it prior to the deadline. Please review the eligibility criteria for the Honors Program or Summer Law Intern Program (as appropriate) and application instructions before starting your application.

Required Information

Contact Information

  • Email Address: Justice communicates with candidates via email; applicants should have an email address that will not change during the course of the application and hiring process (September - February).

  • References: Names, telephone numbers, and email of 3 professional references who may be contacted to provide information about you. Please ensure their contact information is correct and not likely to change throughout the fall.

Educational Information

  • Undergraduate: Name of your college or university, the type of degree(s) received, your major(s), the year you graduated, any graduation honors, and the city and state or country where school is located.

  • Law School (J.D. or equivalent): Name of the law school, type of degree, dates attended, year J.D. received or expected, city and state, and, for graduates, any graduation honors.

  • Law school transcript: All applicants must attach their law school transcript in Part 1 of the application before proceeding to Part 2. Only a legible copy of your law school transcript (official or unofficial) in a format generated by the law school or downloaded and attached as a pdf from a law school system is acceptable. Transcripts may not be password protected.  An applicant-generated "grade report" or similar document is not acceptable. To ensure Justice has the most current information, applicants may provide information about their law school’s official grading scale or evaluation process on the "Additional Information" screen. Please attach only your law school transcript unless you are a joint degree applicant with an integrated transcript or you earned a law degree from a school outside the United States and attend/attended a U.S. graduate law program in order to meet U.S. bar admission requirements (attach the LL.M. transcript).

  • Graduate (Non-Legal) Degree: Name of the college or university, the type of graduate degree(s), the degree field, year received, and the city and state or country where the school is located.

  • Graduate Law Degree (LL.M.): Type of degree(s), specialty, year received, name of school, and city and state or country where school is located.

Employment Information

  • Legal and non-legal experience: Name of the employers or organizations, names and telephone numbers of supervisor(s), dates of employment, brief description of responsibilities, similar to what you list in your resume in terms of the work performed.

  • Legal internship or externship experience: Names and telephone numbers of supervisor(s), organization name(s), dates of employment, brief description of responsibilities, similar to what you list in your resume in terms of the work performed.

  • U.S. Department of Justice experience: The name of the employing component or office, name of supervisor, supervisor's phone number or email address, start and end date, and type of work (paid or unpaid), brief description of responsibilities, similar to what you list in your resume in terms of the work performed.

Post-Law School Experience (applies to law school graduates applying to the Honors Program and graduating law students applying to the Summer Law Intern Program for internships between law school graduation and the start of a full-time judicial clerkship/legal fellowship).

  • Legal Fellowships: Fellowship name, sponsoring organization/employer, link to the Fellowship's website or a copy of the vacancy announcement, start and end date, and contact information. Please see the Legal Fellowship requirements for information about the types of fellowships that qualify. 

  • Judicial Clerkships: Full name of court(s) served, type of court (e.g., state, federal), dates of clerkship(s), names of judge(s), telephone number in chambers.

Application Tips 

  • User ID and Password: Keep a record of the unique User ID and Password you must create to log on and access your application. Contact Avue for password resets rather than creating a new account.

  • Review the eligibility criteria and instructions once you log on: If you are eligible to apply, complete the acknowledgements page and click on Apply to the Department of Justice.

  • Apply to either the Honors Program or Summer Law Intern Program: You may apply to either one, but not to both. However, if you are graduating law student, you may apply to the Honors Program, then, if you accept a clerkship, for a limited time period after the deadline you may be able to transfer your application to the Summer Law Intern Program.
  • Resume: A resume is not required (and will not be accepted or reviewed) as part of the application, however, keep it handy as most of the information ordinarily listed is collected in the online application.
  • Law school career services staff: Talk to them for guidance, including a review of your response to the short answer questions.
  • Program-Wide Short Answer Questions:  Reviewing officials place significant weight on your responses. Treat these essays like a writing sample.  Approach your responses with the utmost professionalism. Your essays should reflect your ability to write clearly and concisely, with attention to style, spelling, grammar, and punctuation. You may want to have someone, such as a career advisor at your law school, review your answers prior to submission.

For question one, draft this answer like the body of a cover letter. The hiring offices value thoughtful, well-crafted responses that address the reasons why you want to work for each of the specific components that you selected on your application (both formal and informal), and makes a connection between your skills and experience and the mission and work of the components you selected.

For question two, please use your professional judgment when drafting an answer. Use the space provided, be specific, and remember this is a job application.

The standard essay questions are:

1. Why did you apply to each of the components you selected?  Please address the characteristics and qualifications that make you a strong candidate for a position in each component. (HP Applicants: Do not include USAOs). (6000 characters maximum, including spaces)

2. If you could tell the selecting official one thing about yourself, what would it be? (All applicants should provide a response). (2000 characters maximum, including spaces)

*Please note that some positions, such as AUSA positions and the Indian Country Fellowship, require you to answer additional questions. 

  • Add details when prompted:  The "Professional Accomplishments & Experience" and "Honors & Awards" screens offer a series of "check the box" options. When you check the box, many of those options will open a text box for your use in providing relevant details about your participation in the activity, much as you would on a resume.  For example, if you received a prestigious law school academic award or prize, reviewers would find it helpful to know not only the name of the award (which may be specific to your law school) but also the basis for the award, the relevant dates, etc.  

  • Submit only one application: If you make an error prior to the application deadline, you may withdraw your application, make desired changes, then resubmit. If you submit more than one active application, Justice will only consider one.

  • Take your time: You do not have to complete the application in one sitting. Prior to certifying and submitting your application, you may update or change information provided you save your changes on the application using the “save and continue” button at the bottom of each screen of the application. Review your application prior to submission. If, after submission but prior to the application deadline, you want to make a change, you must withdraw your application, make any desired changes, then resubmit the revised application prior to the deadline.   

  • Don't wait until the last minute: We strongly recommend submit your application well in advance of the deadline for your geographic location (11:59 p.m. Eastern; 10:59 Central: 9:59 Mountain, 8:59 Pacific). Increased volume associated with the approaching deadline can adversely impact your ability to timely submit and for your application to be timely received. Post-deadline, you will not be able to submit your application, even if you were logged in and actively working on it. The system automatically blocks all late submissions. DOJ does not accept late applications.    

  • Avoid hopping from screen to screen: We strongly recommend that you complete each screen on the application in the order it is presented.  Some screens will prompt you to add information or respond to a question.  If you skip past that screen, it is easy to overlook the additional information/question or forget to return and complete it.  

  • Save your information: Always click the “save and continue” button at the bottom of each screen of the application. Some questions on the screen require a response and you will not be permitted to save your information or continue to the next screen if you do not answer a required question.

  • Document Veterans' preference: If you claim veterans’ preference, attach documentation associated with your veterans' preference eligibility when prompted.

  • Do not attach unrequested materials: Justice will not review unrequested materials, such as resumes.

  • Print and proofread: You may print a blank application, a partially completed application, or your completed application. Review your application prior to submission. Make sure it is accurate (especially the date of law school graduation and other relevant dates) and free of typos or grammatical errors. Substantive changes cannot be made to the application once it has been certified and submitted unless, prior to the deadline, you withdraw it for correction and resubmit.   

  • Receive E-mail confirmation: After submitting your application you will receive an email acknowledging receipt. If you do not receive a confirmation email, then log onto your account and check your status online. If your online status does not indicate that your application has been submitted, check your application to confirm you properly submitted it. If you are unable to confirm submission, please contact Avue Digital Services using the “Live Chat” or “Concierge Service” links on the top and right of the application screen for assistance.

 

Applications for Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program positions in 2023 will closed on September 6, 2022. 

 The submission deadline was Tuesday, September 6, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. EST (10:59 p.m. Central; 9:59 p.m. Mountain; 8:59 p.m. Pacific).   Applications for Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Programs in 2024 will open on July 31, 2023.  

 

Updated March 1, 2023