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Office of the Solicitor General

Bristow Fellows

 
The Office of the Solicitor General of the United States is interested in receiving applications for its program of one-year Bristow Fellowships in the Solicitor General's Office. Bristow Fellows help draft briefs in opposition to certiorari filed against the government in the Supreme Court of the United States and prepare recommendations to the Solicitor General regarding authorization of government appeals in the lower courts. The Fellows also assist staff lawyers in preparing petitions for certiorari and briefs on the merits in Supreme Court cases, work on special projects, and assist the Solicitor General and other lawyers in the office in the preparation of oral arguments in the Supreme Court. In recent years, four Bristow have been selected each year.

Qualifications

Applicants must be law school graduates with excellent academic records. They typically come to the Fellowship after completion of a one-year judicial clerkship, most frequently with a federal appellate-court judge. The Solicitor General's Office is interested in receiving applications from a diverse group of graduates of law schools throughout the United States.

The Fellowship has a one-year term that cannot lead directly to regular employment in the Solicitor General's Office. The salary is established at the GS-12 level.

Application Process

Fellows are appointed for a one-year period starting in August or September of each year. Applications should be submitted by October 15 of the preceding year. Fellowship selections will be announced in December or early January.

Application Materials Required

  • Applicant's letter containing a statement of the reasons for interest in participating in the Fellowship Program
  • Resume
  • Official Law School Transcript
  • Three letters from references familiar with the applicant's work and abilities
  • Writing sample
Application materials should be sent to:
Department of Justice
 Office of the Solicitor General
 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Room 6640
 Washington, D.C. 20530
Attention: Kaletus L. McCain, Personnel Specialist
 
If further information is required, please call 202-514-2203.

About Benjamin H. Bristow

 
 



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