08/06/2020
UDC Law Students Graduating in the Fall of 2020 or Spring of 2021:
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Attorney Honors Program is a 2 year postgraduate position starting in the Fall of 2021. You can apply for this program between August 10 and September 11, 2020. It's a great agency and a great program, so I highly recommend you consider applying. I have copied the job posting for the Honors Program below. In addition, CFPB will be hosting a number of information sessions about the program. They are offering it 8 different days/times, so you should be able to find one that works for you.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Dave O'Brien
UDC Law Director of Career & Professional Development
CFPB Honors Attorney Program
About the Bureau
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) regulates the offering and provision of consumer financial products or services under federal law and educates and empowers consumers to make better informed financial decisions. The Bureau has rulemaking, supervisory, and independent litigating authority, and its jurisdiction includes certain aspects of mortgage lending and servicing, credit reporting, auto lending, debt collection, student lending, and consumer bank accounts.
The Honors Program
The Honors Program is a two-year program designed to provide exceptional recent law school graduates with early, substantive opportunities to use and develop their legal skills and make a difference in the lives of American consumers. Honors Attorneys are given increasingly complex assignments designed to build their legal skills and increase their ability to support the Bureau’s mission. Honors Attorneys serve a two-year trial period, after which, they are converted to permanent positions, which afford greater promotion potential.
Each Honors Attorney is permanently placed in a particular office in Washington, D.C. Honors Attorneys may be hired into the Office of Enforcement, the Office of Supervision Policy, the Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity, or the Legal Division. During the two-year program, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Honors Attorneys will also have the opportunity to rotate into a different Bureau office or other federal agency to develop additional skills. Such rotations typically last about six months.
The Honors Program also includes mentorship and both formal and informal training to enhance analytical thinking, writing, communication, and other legal skills, as well as an understanding of the Bureau’s mission and work.
Honors Attorneys are hired at the CN-51 level pay band (starting at $78,907), CN-52 level pay band (starting at $92,167), or the CN-53 level pay band (starting at $106,262), depending on their level of experience. Promotion opportunities are available during and after the program.
Sample assignments include:
Investigating and litigating potential unfair, deceptive, abusive, and discriminatory acts or practices or other potential violations of federal consumer financial law;
Defending Bureau rules and regulations in litigation;
Drafting appellate and amicus briefs regarding consumer financial law and other issues;
Providing analysis and advice for supervisory examinations;
Participating in complex rulemakings;
Developing policy guidance to improve industry compliance; and
Advising senior Bureau officials on various legal and policy issues, including those with general applicability to the federal government, such as labor, employment, ethics, and intellectual property.
To Apply
The application period runs from August 10 to September 11, 2020. Applicants must submit the following documents:
A current resume, highlighting your legal education and experience;
A law school transcript (an unofficial version is acceptable);
A cover letter, describing why you want to work at the Bureau, the type of work you would like to do, how your experiences will contribute to your success at the Bureau, and which office(s) you would prefer to work in (although your application will be reviewed by each participating office); and
Veterans’ Preference documentation, if applicable.
Application materials must be submitted through the formal announcement on USAJobs. Applications must be completed and received by 11:59 PM Eastern on the date the announcement closes to be considered.
Candidate Evaluation
Applicants will be evaluated for program eligibility and based on required submissions. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The Bureau may also consider additional materials requested throughout the process, such as writing samples and references. Applicants may be asked to complete additional screening processes, including interviews. Veterans’ preference will be applied as appropriate.
The program is highly selective, and successful candidates should have a distinguished academic and professional record, which may include graduation with honors, high class rank, experience on law review or other legal journals, moot court experience, a judicial clerkship or other post-graduate legal experience, and a demonstrated commitment to public service or consumer protection.
Program Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible, applicants must be either: (1) current law students who expect to graduate before August 1, 2021, or (2) attorneys who graduated from law school after August 1, 2018, and who, at the time of appointment, will have spent no more than one year since graduating law school in a position other than a graduate education program, judicial clerkship, public-interest position, or comparable activity. Applicants must also be U.S. Citizens.
If you are eligible for Schedule A appointments due to a qualifying disability, please reach out directly [email protected] for further information and assistance.
Selectees will be subjected to a background investigation.
If you have additional questions, please email [email protected].
Information Sessions
The Bureau will be hosting information sessions about the Honors Program, including a question- and-answer period, conducted over WebEx. They will take place on the following dates:
Monday, August 10, 12:00-1:00 Eastern
https://cfpbgov.webex.com/cfpbgov/j.php?MTID=m 50da01f6828c1ef74864b2c7306cec94
Meeting number: 199 128 4307
Password: cDvx6mJdD?53 (23896653 from phones)
Wednesday, August 12, 3:00-4:00 Eastern
https://cfpbgov.webex.com/cfpbgov/j.php?MTID=m 662451f95798e8793a39cc919c1a3280
Meeting number: 199 308 6525
Password: d4T2FftKMB@8 (34823385 from phones)
Tuesday, August 18, 12:00-1:00 Eastern
https://cfpbgov.webex.com/cfpbgov/j.php?MTID=m 3a6764f032503f1d9b8a105e1fb82eac
Meeting number: 199 976 0172
Password: sJ3mPhq37EV@ (75367473 from phones)
Thursday, August 20, 3:00-4:00 Eastern
https://cfpbgov.webex.com/cfpbgov/j.php?MTID=m aa6c0ca56c615d845a54e6f0f22adbbd
Meeting number: 199 476 0473
Password: fzJqVABp@865 (39578227 from phones)
Friday, August 28, 12:00-1:00 Eastern
https://cfpbgov.webex.com/cfpbgov/j.php?MTID=mb d0069b0875dc34249a3243d8813e244
Meeting number: 199 134 0702
Password: 8YcDidVB3X$5 (89234382 from phones)
Thursday, September 3, 12:00-1:00 Eastern
https://cfpbgov.webex.com/cfpbgov/j.php?MTID=m9 83012ca530874368b74cfc7c7fdb4ae
Meeting number: 199 864 3846
Password: x5mYbucip@73 (95692824 from phones)
Friday, September 4, 3:00-4:00 Eastern
https://cfpbgov.webex.com/cfpbgov/j.php?MTID=m8 b3df5b4695f8bd9d25cc656b8e3b7c3
Meeting number: 199 251 6303
Password: tyZPKZZC?369 (89975992 from phones)
Thursday, September 10, 12:00-1:00 Eastern
https://cfpbgov.webex.com/cfpbgov/j.php?MTID=mfa 6d15c909a64e57ba8bbf71da26d698
Meeting number: 199 013 4042
Password: KkVm4WXGJ*52 (55864994 from phones)
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to create and maintain a vibrant and diverse workforce. Women, minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
