Job Title: 2025 Attorney General’s Honors Program Participant
Job Responsibilities:
Participants in the Attorney General’s Honors Program will engage in a variety of legal tasks and responsibilities that are crucial to the enforcement of laws and protection of rights within New Jersey. These include:
- Enforcing statutory protections for reproductive health rights, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, and participating in the Reproductive Rights Strike Force.
- Rotating through various subject matter areas such as Antitrust, Civil Rights, Conviction Review, Cyber Crimes, Environmental Justice and Enforcement, Fatal Police Encounters, Firearms Civil Enforcement and Accountability, Human Trafficking, Public Corruption, Reproductive Health Rights, Sexual and Domestic Violence Policy, Prevention, and Enforcement, Social Media Accountability and Data Privacy/Cybersecurity, Solicitor General Fellow, Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance, Violence Suppression and Organized Crime, and Workers’ Rights and Labor Enforcement.
- Assisting in formulating policy and legal strategy, investigating cases, drafting legal pleadings, negotiating with opposing counsel, and arguing in court or before administrative bodies.
- Attending workshops and trainings to develop legal skills and gain exposure to the full range of work performed by the Attorney General’s Office.
- Potentially participating in rotations during the second year of the program, working with the Attorney General’s Executive Leadership Team on priority projects and policy development.
Education and Experience Information:
Eligibility for the program is open to:
- Third-year law students.
- Students in the final year of other graduate law programs (., LLM program).
- Judicial clerks who will complete their clerkship by September 2025, with the clerkship having started immediately following graduation from law school or a fellowship program.
- Individuals who will complete a fellowship by September 2025, which began immediately following graduation from law school or clerkship.
Candidates are expected to demonstrate academic achievement, legal writing, research, advocacy skills, and a commitment to public service. Leadership in school and/or community activities is also considered.
Application Process:
Applicants must submit an online application by October 13, 2024, including:
- A writing sample of no more than 5,000 words.
- A statement of interest of no more than 1,000 words.
- A current resume.
- A scanned copy of their law school transcript.
- Two professional references, including at least one law professor or legal academic.
Selection will be based on academic achievement, legal skills, commitment to public service, and leadership. Interviews will be conducted in Newark or Trenton or virtually, and offers will be extended in January – February 2025. Successful candidates will begin work in September 2025.
Salary Information:
The starting salary for Honors Program participants is contingent upon bar admission:
- Admitted to the New Jersey bar: Participants start as Deputy Attorneys General with an annual salary of $93,.
- Not yet admitted to the bar: Participants are hired as Law Clerks with an annual salary of $59,494. Upon admission to the bar, the salary increases to $93, as a Deputy Attorney General.
Participants are entitled to employment benefits, including health and dental insurance, and those assigned to the Division of Law may receive union membership privileges.
Additional Information:
- Participants must commit to two years of service with the Attorney General’s Office.
- A background check and bar admission are required before starting employment.
- Participants must establish New Jersey residency within 12 months of starting the program, as required by the New Jersey First Act.
- The Attorney General’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity and inclusion.
For further information on the application process, diversity initiatives, and employment benefits, applicants can refer to the provided links and resources.
