How to Apply

Eligibility

The Honors Attorney Program is a two-year program.  To be eligible for our next program starting in August 2026, you must be a U.S. citizen graduating from law school in Spring 2026 or completing a judicial clerkship or judicial fellowship in Summer 2026.  

All eligible candidates will be considered regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability.

Required qualifications: 

• Law school GPA of 3.0 or higher; or law school class rank of 50% or higher.
• Demonstrated involvement in activities during law school beyond required coursework (e.g., law review, secondary journal, clinical activities, moot court, trial advocacy, club/organization leadership)

Compensation: GS11-GS12 ($85,447 - $133,142)

How to Apply

All interviews may be conducted virtually at this time.  Applicants will not be required to travel during the application process.

Application Requirements

Please submit the following materials to apply:

• Resume (no more than 2 pages)
• (Unofficial) Law School Transcript
• Writing Sample (no more than 10 double-spaced pages that is an accurate reflection of your legal writing abilities and not substantially edited by a third party)
• Optional: Short answer question responses (see below for details)

Candidates selected for second round interviews may be asked to participate in a brief writing assignment at that time.

Application Deadline

The application period for the 2026 Honors Attorney Program is open from April 3, 2026 until May 4, 2026.  

How to Submit Your Application

You may submit your application, with the required materials included as attachments, directly to the Department via email only with the subject line “<First Name> <Last Name>, <Law School>”.

Email:     honors.attorney@dot.gov

Optional Short Answer Questions

The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. In your response, you must provide a self-certification that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.

(1) How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience;

(2) In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes;

(3) How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help
implement them if hired. Executive Orders can be found here.

(4) How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.