Career Strategy

Government Careers

Many people believe that all government lawyers are litigators, primarily criminal prosecutors. But the work government lawyers do is as diverse as it is for private sector lawyers. Thousands of governmental attorneys perform varied tasks for a variety of federal, state and local agencies, including but not limited to:

• Direct representation, including litigation on behalf of governmental clients in both civil and criminal cases, and in appellate cases, class actions and other impact litigation.
   
• Legislation and regulation drafting.
   
• Contract negotiation, monitoring, and enforcement.
   
• Policy development, implementation or reform.
   
• Adjudicating administrative claims and disputes.
   
• Finance of public works projects.
   
• Regulation of securities markets, insurance industry, health care, and financial institutions.
   
• Reviewing patent, trademark, and copyright applications.
   
• Legal counseling on all of the day-to-day issues involved in running a governmental agency, include employment issues, administration of policies, etc.

Just as in private sector employment, the kind of work a government lawyer can do is limited only by the lawyer's initiative and creativity.

The following is an overview of typical government sectors. NOTE: a number of government employers participate in Villanova Recruitment Programs and Job Fairs.

Federal

The United States government is the nation's largest single employer of attorneys. The variety of legal work is vast.

• Department of Justice ("DOJ")

  The United States Attorneys in the Department of Justice (DOJ) handle prosecution of federal crimes, such as organized crime, narcotics, terrorism and economic crimes. DOJ and U.S. Attorney's Offices nationwide also enforce a variety of civil laws and regulations, for example, in the areas of civil rights, the environment, tax, securities, employment and labor-just to name a few. In both criminal and civil cases, U.S. Attorneys work closely with other federal agencies, such as the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), etc. Many U.S. Attorney's offices hire law students for the summer, and several offices recruit specifically from Villanova Law. As for post-graduate positions, the DOJ typically hires attorneys with several years of experience. However, entry-level DOJ positions are usually available only through the Department of Justice Honors Program (application deadlines in September).
   

• Other Federal Agencies: Entry-Level Positions

  The range of federal regulatory agencies-and lawyers working in them-is vast. There are numerous regional federal offices throughout the country, although many federal positions are in Washington, D.C. Many federal agencies also have staff attorneys serving as "in-house" counsel for the agency itself, including but not limited to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Each agency (and usually each regional office) typically does its own hiring

  For more information about Federal employment generally, see the NALP Guide To Federal Employment.

  Also see the full array of Federal Employment job postings-whether legal, law-related, or otherwise-check out www.usajobs.opm.gov, the website for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. Government's official site for jobs and employment information.
   

• Federal "Honors Programs"

Legal division "Honors Programs" can be an ideal way for new and recent law graduates to obtain extensive training and wide exposure to an agency's legal divisions and activities. Positions in Honors Programs are different from typical entry-level positions because they are for a limited duration of time (generally 2 years); provide attorneys with broad exposure and training through structured rotations; and provide exposure to other agencies and cabinets through inter-departmental policy meetings and activities. Upon completion of an Honors Program, a number of attorneys stay with the agency to work as senior attorneys in a particular division. Others will use their experience in the private sector or make lateral moves with federal, state, or local government. Federal Honors Programs typically consider graduates in the top 1/3 of their class or with law journal, moot court, or other similar experience. Most application deadlines are in the fall of a candidate's third year in law school (the earliest begin in September).

US Military

Each branch of the military has a Judge Advocate General's Office that handles a wide variety of legal work for military branches and their members. However, the military (including the JAG corps) is legally permitted to consider certain factors in employment (like age, disability and sexual orientation) that other employers may not. For more information about this issue, see Villanova Law School Non-Discrimination Policy and "Message About JAG Recruiting,"

State

Every state has an Attorney General's Office (or equivalent), which represents the state in civil and criminal litigation and provides legal representation and advice to various state officials and agencies. Some state Attorney General's Offices have taken on complex litigation, for example, the lawsuits against the tobacco companies.

States also have the full panoply of other regulatory agencies where lawyers are needed, including but not limited to securities, health & human services, labor & employment, insurance, banking, housing and development, you name it. Many state government positions are located in the state capital, but you can find significant regional agency offices throughout the state. Many of these agencies recruit from Villanova and hire for summer and full time positions.

To get started on state government research try this private website, http://www.wheretodoresearch.com/States.htm, which contains links to official government sites for all 50 states and beyond.

Local

There are many local governmental entities that employ lawyers, such as counties, cities, school districts and public authorities, such as those that operate airports or other public works projects. A larger municipality may have employ a group of full time "in house" lawyers in what are sometimes called "city solicitor's offices" or "corporation counsel" or "law department." These full time attorneys provide direct counsel and representation similar to what an Attorney General's Offices provides on the state level. Smaller municipalities may contract out their legal work to private firms of all sizes that specialize in public sector (i.e., "municipal" law).

An good place to start exploring larger city government structures is: http://www.wheretodoresearch.com/Cities.htm.

Legislative Bodies (Federal, State, Local)

Attorneys also work for individual members or legislative committees of federal, state, or local legislatures. They perform a variety of tasks, including reviewing and commenting on proposed changes in legislation or researching and drafting legislation on behalf of constituents or legislators. They advise individual legislators or committees. Through their work, they obtain a unique perspective on local, state or federal political processes and can have an impact on legislation. These positions are very competitive, but very rewarding. Networking is usually the best way to get into these jobs.

To get started via the web, check out http://www.wheretodoresearch.com/States.htm.

Government Job Search Strategies

Job search strategies for each of these positions will vary. Some positions, especially those in the federal government, have a formal application process, including deadlines and official government application forms.

Government Externships through Villanova (offered through Registrar's course registration) can enhance your preparation for, and chances of, securing public sector employment with that agency or others.

The Internet can be an important source of job search information for many governmental agencies, some of which have their own websites. See the Career Strategy website at "Federal Government Opportunities" and "Job Search Links" for excellent websites to start your research.

The hiring process for many government positions, however, may be fairly informal and can depend on networking and other pro-active efforts by the applicant. But many government agencies recruit through Villanova Recruiting Programs-so pay close attention to the Student Recruitment Database, the Gavel Gazettes, and upcoming deadlines.

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