Interim Associate Dean for Law Career Development
Roughly 55% of entering GGU Law students are interested in working for the government. Early fall is the season for post-graduate, government hiring deadlines. One of the first deadlines approaching is for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - arguably the most progressive federal agency.
HUD has a remarkably low rate of attrition among its employee attorneys: people work there for their entire careers, raving about the opportunities to grow as attorneys at the agency, as well as the diversity of litigation and transactional work available and the east of changing roles within the agency over time. Eighty percent of HUD attorneys are hired as entry-level fellows through HUD’s post-graduate Legal Honors Program. This program is the only mechanism for securing employment as an entry-level attorney with the agency, and few lateral hires are ever hired. Once accepted into the Legal Honors Program, most attorneys are transitioned to permanent positions.HUD has a regular track record of hiring entry level attorneys from GGU Law. Now is the time for members of the class of 2016 (and 2015 graduates currently clerking) to apply for post-graduate positions. The 2016 application for the HUD Honors program is due on September 4, 2016. Interested? Read up on applying and make an appointment with Cynthia Chandler at LCD for more application tips!
To get a better feel for the benefits of working at HUD, LCD staff interviewed 2014 GGU Law graduate and HUD Legal Honors Attorney Katie Flynn about her experience with the agency. The views of Ms. Flynn are her personal views regarding her work experience. They do not represent her employer’s views, and are not endorsed by her employer.
What inspired you to apply to HUD?
Cynthia Chandler from LCD provided the HUD Legal Honors Program brochure to me when I wandered into her office – I had missed the on-campus info session, so otherwise I would never have known what a good program it was!
What do you like about working at HUD?
Broadly, I really love our Agency’s mission – providing housing, fighting discrimination, building inclusive communities. Even if my daily work doesn’t always connect directly to those activities, I am glad I can play a role in something I think is so valuable to society. As a new lawyer, my favorite part of my job day-to-day has been the mix of law I get to work with – from Fair Housing to employment to labor to defensive litigation to FOIA and ethics…every day is something different and something challenging. I also appreciate how much independence and real work they gave me right away, along with supportive mentorship and training opportunities. And we have a really friendly, supportive office with a respect for work-life balance. That’s hard to find.
What kind of work do you do?
I am a litigation attorney so I do anything the Region needs litigation-wise, from fair housing litigation to personnel to defensive litigation. Some days I am writing guidance for our fair housing office, other days I am writing a Motion for Summary Judgment on an employment case. I also handle FOIA and ethics issues. On the other side of the house, our transactions attorneys do closings for HUD-funded projects and work with Public Housing Authorities.
How important is applying to the Legal Honors Program if one wants to work with HUD?
It’s extremely important! The Legal Honors Program is the typical way that an attorney starts work with HUD. Many of the attorneys in our office came in through the Legal Honors Program so we’ve all had the same foundation.
Are there opportunities for work and growth beyond the honors program?
Yes! If you meet all the requirements, after your Legal Honors year you become a regular HUD attorney and can have a long career with the Agency. And once you are in, there are opportunities for growth within the Agency.
For more information on upcoming government positions, check out LCDonline as well as the Government Honors and Internship Handbook - an online subscription service that tracks all government jobs nationally. Passwords for the Handbook are available through LCD. Coming up quickly, the US Department of Justice Honors Program post-graduate deadline is soon approaching on September 8.
