Job Title: Attorney General’s Honors Program Participant
Job Responsibilities:
Participants in the Attorney General’s Honors Program will engage in a wide range of legal activities within the Office of the Attorney General. Responsibilities include:
- Rotating through various subject matter areas such as Antitrust, Civil Rights, Cyber Crimes, Environmental Justice, Human Trafficking, Public Corruption, and others.
- Working within one or more divisions: Division of Law (DOL), Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), Division on Civil Rights (DCR), Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA), or the Office of Public Integrity & Accountability (OPIA).
- Formulating policy and legal strategy, investigating cases, drafting legal pleadings, negotiating with opposing counsel, and arguing cases in court or administrative bodies.
- Participating in workshops and training sessions to develop legal skills and gain exposure to the full range of work performed by the Attorney General’s Office.
- Opportunities for rotations to different assignments in the second year, and ad-hoc work with the Attorney General’s Executive Leadership Team on priority programs and policy development.
Education and Experience Information:
Eligibility for the Honors Program is open to a diverse pool of highly qualified applicants, including:
- Third-year law students.
- Students in the final year of other graduate law programs (., LLM program).
- Judicial clerks completing their clerkship by September 2025, having started immediately after graduation from law school or a fellowship program.
- Individuals completing a fellowship by September 2025, which began immediately following graduation from law school or clerkship.
Applicants must submit a writing sample, statement of interest, resume, law school transcript, and two references. Selection criteria include academic achievement, legal writing and research skills, commitment to public service, and leadership in school or community activities.
Salary Information:
The starting salary for Honors Program participants is contingent on their admission to the New Jersey bar:
- If admitted to the New Jersey bar at the start date, participants will begin as Deputy Attorneys General with an annual salary of $93,.
- If not yet admitted to the bar, participants will be hired as Law Clerks with an annual salary of $59,494. Upon admission to the bar, they will be promoted to Deputy Attorneys General at an annual salary of $93,.
All participants, whether as Deputy Attorneys General or Law Clerks, receive employment benefits, including health and dental insurance. Honors Program attorneys in the Division of Law are entitled to union membership privileges.
The commitment includes a two-year service period with the Attorney General’s Office, a background check, bar admission within six months of starting the program, and compliance with the New Jersey First Act regarding residency requirements.
The Attorney General’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to inclusive hiring and diversity in staff, prohibiting discrimination based on various personal and demographic characteristics.
