Justice Department OKs hiring prosecutors fresh out of law school
After mass departures at U.S. attorneys’ offices, the U.S. Department of Justice is waiving a policy requiring newly hired federal prosecutors to have at least one year of experience practicing law. (Image from Shutterstock)
After mass departures at U.S. attorneys' offices, the U.S. Department of Justice is waiving a policy requiring newly hired federal prosecutors to have at least one year of experience practicing law.
U.S. attorneys’ offices throughout the country previously adopted their own rules mandating at least three years of legal practice, rather than the nationwide baseline threshold of one year. But this month, federal districts, such as Minnesota and southern Florida, introduced reduced standards to fill slots left empty, according to a story by Bloomberg Law.
The move was confirmed by two sources and reflected in newly posted online vacancy announcements in at least a handful of offices, according to Bloomberg Law.
On March 13, DOJ headquarters sent a message to U.S. attorneys’ offices with the subject line, “Suspension of Attorney One Year Experience Requirement.” The memo said the department’s lawyer recruitment office now permits them to exclude the one-year minimum when advertising vacancies, and that the suspension would be in effect until Feb. 28, 2027. The reason given was an “exigent hiring need for attorneys across the department.”
There are now public postings for assistant U.S. attorney openings in Minnesota, South Florida, Montana, Alaska, and Louisiana that list a law degree and active state bar membership as required qualifications, without mentioning a minimum period of service, according to Bloomberg Law.
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