Trump hiring freeze prompts DOJ to pull job offers in AG’s Honors Program: report
The Department of Justice is facing a setback as it revokes job offers for the prestigious Attorney General’s Honors Program due to President Donald Trump’s federal hiring freeze. Established in 1953, this program traditionally recruits top law school graduates from institutions such as Harvard, Duke, Georgetown, Stanford, and the University of Virginia.
The Attorney General’s Honors Program is known for its role in attracting top legal talent to the public sector and serves as a valuable pipeline for the Department of Justice to bring in promising young lawyers. However, recent reports indicate that job offers for this program have been rescinded, leaving many aspiring attorneys in limbo.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the Department of Justice informed selected candidates via email that their offers were being revoked in response to the hiring freeze announced on January 20, 2025. This decision has left many aspiring lawyers disappointed and uncertain about their future career prospects.
The Attorney General’s Honors Program typically recruits over 100 lawyers annually, placing them in various divisions within the Department, including antitrust, national security, and criminal law. The program is seen as critical for replenishing the Department’s legal talent pool and grooming young attorneys for long-term careers in public service.
It remains unclear whether the program will resume once the federal hiring freeze is lifted. The Department of Justice has yet to provide any official comment on the matter, leaving many questions unanswered for affected candidates.
President Trump’s series of executive orders on Inauguration Day included not only the federal hiring freeze but also the withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement and directives to address the cost-of-living crisis. These actions have had a significant impact on various government agencies and departments, including the Department of Justice.
As the situation continues to unfold, aspiring lawyers who had their job offers revoked are left in a state of uncertainty and disappointment. The future of the Attorney General’s Honors Program remains uncertain, casting a shadow over the prospects of young legal talent looking to make a difference in the public sector.
