Biglaw, Federal Government, Job Searches, Law Schools

Competition for Government Jobs Heats Up

By  
on

I’m not particularly interested in the history of the Titanic, but my cursory understanding of the tragedy tells me that there were not enough life boats for all of the passengers. That seems like a basic design flaw to me.
As clear as I can tell, current law students are suffering from a similar lack of suitable escape options. Future lawyers are responding to the difficulty of getting a job in private practice by bombarding government agencies with applications. But the sheer number of applicants is flooding the market for government lawyers, leaving many students out in the cold.
Applications are going far beyond obvious options like the Department of Justice. Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission decided it couldn’t even take on any more resumes:

Thank you for your interest in the Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Competition. Due to a record number of applications, we have ended our application period in advance of the September 30th deadline.
Again, thank you for your interest and please keep the Bureau in mind for future opportunities.
Sincerely,
Bureau of Competition Hiring Committee

When we’re at the point in the movie where the government is locking the doors to steerage, you know things are bad.
In response, Cornell Law School is urging students who want to work to move even more quickly. Details after the jump.


We’re not even out of September, but schools are urging law students to get applications in as quickly as humanly possible. Here’s the email that Cornell Law School sent around after the FTC closed ended its process early:

Dear 2Ls:
We have just learned that, due to the high volume of responses, the FTC’s 2L program in the Bureau of Competition was closed early in advance of the published September 30 deadline. For those of you planning to apply to Federal Government agencies, please take this as a cautionary tale. As we have advised in the past, you should re-think the meaning of deadlines. To the extent possible, you should prioritize your applications and send them in as soon as you reasonably can. We encourage you meet with one of us to help you manage this process – just contact [Redacted] to schedule an appointment.
Assistant Dean for Public Service

Essentially, Cornell is telling students to apply to jobs “near, far, wherever you are.”
It’s good advice. There is no job out there that is not hotly contested. There is no “fallback” option. People should apply to as many positions as they can, and do so as soon as possible.
Hustle people. Hustle.
Earlier: DOJ Honors Program Interview Invites Are Out
Clerkship Application Season: D-Day

Sponsored

Topics