Apply for the Oregon Department of Justice Honors Attorney Program

Program:

The Honors Attorney Program is designed to provide outstanding recent law school graduates – including those who are serving as judicial clerks or in government fellowships – with the opportunity to gain public law experience after law school. As an Honors Attorney, you will immediately handle your own caseload and have the opportunity to work on  some of the most pressing issues facing the state.  Whether you  are interested in complex litigation, environmental law, criminal law, antitrust, consumer protection, protecting Oregon’s children, or constitutional issues, the Honors Attorney Program enables new attorneys to gain invaluable hands-on experience in a wide range of legal disciplines alongside more experienced attorneys.  As a member of DOJ, you will work with talented and dedicated attorneys and staff to represent the State ofOregon, its departments, agencies and institutions and, most importantly, its citizens.

Program Details:

The term of appointment is two years.  Honors Attorneys typically rotate from one division to another after their first year, enabling them to obtain a breadth of experience in diverse areas of the law and with colleagues from different divisions in the office.  Participants are eligible to apply for permanent positions with the department after completing their first year in the program.

Oregon Department of Justice:

With more than 1200 dedicated employees, including 300 excellent attorneys, the Oregon Department of Justice is the largest law firm in Oregon.  Their goal is to be the best public law office in the nation.  They are committed to finding, developing, and retaining the finest legal professionals.  The offer employees a challenging, fun, and rewarding work environment with great benefits – resulting in a satisfying career.  Because of our size and the volume of legal work, they are able to entrust each attorney with an appropriate level of responsibility, helping people work productively by facilitating growth and development of their knowledge and skills.  If you are looking for a fast-paced and challenging career, the Oregon Department of Justice is the place for you.

Assistant Attorneys General, on behalf of the Attorney General, represent the State ofOregon and officers and agencies of the State in most civil and many criminal proceedings.  The Department offers a broad range of opportunities for attorneys to work on significant and complex issues that face our state.  Assistant Attorneys General work in virtually every area of legal practice including protecting children, fighting crime, defending criminal convictions, protecting consumers and the elderly, protecting our natural resources, fighting discrimination, defending the state and state employees, and providing legal advice to state agencies, officers and elected officials.  This work makes a difference to the citizens ofOregon and provides unparalleled career satisfaction and professional opportunities.

Qualifications:

Applicants must be admitted to the Bar of the State of Oregon (or expect to be admitted shortly after appointment on 9/3/12) and be eligible to practice law before the courts of the State of Oregonat the time of appointment.

Applicants should possess a superior record of academic and/or other achievement and an interest in public service.  All final candidates for employment must pass a thorough criminal background investigation.

To Apply:

Apply online.  Applicants must attach a letter of interest, resume, law school transcript, writing sample (no longer than ten pages), and two letters of recommendation from persons acquainted with your legal work.  Failure to attach these materials may result in disqualification. 

The deadline to apply is October 6, 2011.

Salary:

Under the current compensation plan, the starting salary in the Honors Attorney Program is $62,520.00 per year, with a generous benefits package.