Attorney General's Honors Program

UPDATE: Due to the number of applications received and the time need to process those applications, the Honors Program will not notify applicants if they are selected for an interview until the end of October. Consequently, in-person interviews will not take place until mid-to-later November.

For more than 150 years, the Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, has served as the people’s own law office and California’s leader in law enforcement, crime prevention and consumer protection. More than 1,100 deputy attorneys general in Fresno, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco provide legal services in three legal divisions: Civil Law, Criminal Law and Public Rights.

Founded in 2011 by Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, the Honors Program and the Earl Warren Solicitor General Fellowship offer an opportunity for lawyers to gain meaningful experience in the public sector early in their careers. If you are interested in using your legal skills to serve your community and share our determination to make a better California, a better nation and a better world, we invite you to apply to become a member of the inaugural class of the Honors Program.

The Attorney General’s Honors Program

The Attorney General’s Honors Program is a highly competitive, two-year program for recent law-school graduates and newly admitted lawyers who are committed to public service. Honors attorneys will work on substantive, high-impact legal matters of public importance, and will have the chance to help formulate the Attorney General’s policy initiatives. Participants will assume substantial individual responsibility for their work and will have the opportunity to gain courtroom experience and independently draft motions and pleadings.

Honors attorneys will also participate in periodic events to introduce them to the work of the Attorney General’s Office, and will have the opportunity to attend a variety of training sessions, community-outreach meetings and public-service events. Additionally, participants will receive on-the-job instruction and mentorship advice from some of the most senior members of the Attorney General’s Office. For the 2012-2014 program, participants will be based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Selecting a Division

Applicants to the Attorney General’s Honors Program should indicate on their applications which divisions (e.g., Civil, Criminal, Public Rights) they would prefer. While we will attempt to place you according to your preference, placements will depend on the staffing needs of the office. For more information about the work of the three legal divisions, please visit:

• Civil Division
• Criminal Division
• Public Rights Division