Entry Level Attorneys

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.

Duties

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

Legal Careers | Entry-Level Attorneys

Salary

• $63,795 - $90,925/year

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. Other 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 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.

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