Honors Program
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Honors Program is a comprehensive two-year law program designed to introduce highly motivated selected candidates to the field of employment and labor law. NLRB Honors Program also allows the selected candidates an opportunity to work directly beside practicing employment/labor lawyers and technical professionals in its Washington, D.C. Headquarters and Regional Offices. The selected candidates will gain valuable experience and benefit from a wide variety of learning experiences. Placement within the Agency will be based on the candidates interests, experience and/or needs of the NLRB.
Candidates applying to this highly competitive program are selected on the basis of merit. Selection is based on the consideration of many factors including academic achievement; law journal or other relevant writing experience; relevant labor relations and/or law courses; moot court competition, legal aid, and legal clinic experience; and summer and/or part-time employment, particularly experience dealing with labor and employment matters.
Applications should be submitted via USAJobs.com. The position postings can be found by clicking here.
The NLRB maintains three completely separate Honors Programs, one for offices on the General Counsel side, one for offices on the Board side, and one for specific Regional Offices.
1. Board Offices. Washington, DC. Assignments will include rotations of work on one or more Board Members staffs, in the Office of Representation Appeals, the Office of the Solicitor, and/or the Office of the Executive Secretary.
Honors Program attorneys can look forward to participating in the review of unfair labor practice decisions issued by administrative law judges and representation election rulings issued by Agency hearing officers and regional directors, which are on appeal to the Board Members in Washington, D.C. The cases are intellectually challenging and require strong analytic, research, and writing skills. They also offer a rewarding opportunity to sharpen oral and written communications skills, and to assist the Board in interpreting its statute and resolving policy differences. Honors Program attorneys will obtain valuable experience which will benefit them throughout their careers in labor and employment law, and derive the satisfaction of making an important contribution to public service.
2. General Counsel Headquarters. Washington, DC. Assignments will include rotations of work in the Division of Enforcement Litigation, the Division of Advice, and the Contempt, Compliance, and Special Litigation Branch of the Division of Legal Counsel.
The Honors Program of the Office of the General Counsel is designed for attorneys with exemplary records who are completing law school or judicial clerkships and are interested in joining the preeminent legal office involved in the development and implementation of Federal labor law and policy.
3. Regional Offices. Assignments will be made as Field Attorneys in six of the NLRB Regional Offices listed below. One placement per Regional office. Field attorneys act on behalf of the General Counsel by investigating charges of unfair labor practices, resolving or litigating cases, conducting elections to determine union representation preferences, and acting as hearing officers in contested representation matters.
length of appointment
Candidates hired for permanent attorney positions are subject to a two-year probationary period. In addition, all J.D. graduates are required to pass a Bar examination and be duly licensed to practice as an attorney in any state, territory, or the District of Columbia within 14 months of appointment.
starting salaries
Attorneys with J.D. - GS-11
The annual starting salary for a General Schedule (GS) grade and step may be reviewed at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website. This website provides salary tables for all NLRB duty locations.
For questions and to obtain more information about the program, please email OHRHonors@nlrb.gov.