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I think you should go for it. ID is a career death trap in private practice and once you are in DOJ it opens up a world of opportunities in government.
Thanks for the input! I’ve heard the same re both ID and DOJ..ppl seem to branch out to lots of areas of government, so the 2 year contract shouldn’t be too much of a worry..I just started my second year of practice anyway
Most government lawyers I know are happy where they are. Suggests that it is a pretty good place to work as they are usually people who started in private practice. Not having to chase billable targets must be nice.
Ditching billable targets is a big incentive for me. I think im gonna try negotiating the salary and taking it
Have you factored in the value of the defined benefit pension? If it’s still 2% per year x average salary over best 5 years, it can easily add 30-40% to your salary. Public sector organizations don’t advertise this as much as they should (probably because everyone else would complain), and a lot of people (including government employees) don’t realize the value until retirement or when they leave (and get a commuted value calculation for payout purposes).
Depending on which region you're in, DOJ has some really excellent law nerds. The work is interesting, from constitutional, firearms, customs and excise, tax, immigration, insolvency, some civil defense ... You name it! I've always enjoyed all of the DOJ lawyers I've interacted with. They have always been smart and courteous. They stay a long time. I do immigration and insolvency.
If money is not the primary concern, take the DOJ position. If you have salary goals that exceed what government pays, stay private. I am a bit biased because I am a plaintiff's counsel at heart.
Good luck!