Judicial and Executive Appointments Project

The NAPABA Judicial and Executive Appointments Project is accepting applicants to recommend to the Biden administration for:
1)   Article III Judicial Appointments and DC (state) Courts;
2)   Executive Branch Appointments: Senate Confirmed (PAS) and Non-Senate Confirmed Presidential Appointments; and
3)   Boards and Commissions.

Please note there are some offices that are bi-partisan that will require the applicant to be a registered Democrat, Republican, or Independent, e.g. U.S. Court of International Trade, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, etc.

Article III Judicial Appointments and DC (state) Courts
This application is only for the U.S. District Court, U.S. Court of International Trade, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and Superior Court and Court of Appeals for District of Columbia. Applicants interested in in non-Article III courts should complete the Executive Branch Appointments application, e.g. Tax, Federal Claims, Bankruptcy, Veterans Claims, etc. Do not submit an application if you interested in being a U.S. Magistrate -- that process is directly handled by the courts. For more information about the process, review The Path to the Federal Bench, which is a joint NAPABA publication with the American Constitution Society and other partners.

Executive Branch Appointments: Senate Confirmed (PAS) and Non-Senate Confirmed Presidential Appointments
1)  Review the Plum Book (current edition 2016) and identify positions of interest that you are qualified for. Please note that the Plum Book is the most current public resource available. Many applicants will do additional research to determine if there are new positions that exists in the agencies/departments they are interested in. In the Plum Book, pay particular attention to the “Legend” on page v that identifies the type of position.
2)  Review the resources available at the Partnership For Public Service. This organization works directly with the administration to assist in presidential transition. Useful resources include position descriptions, background checks and security clearances, overview of the Senate confirmation process, etc.
3)  The vast majority of presidential appointments will require you to move to Washington, DC. The primary exceptions are Regional Directors of certain government agencies, which are presidentially appointed.
4)  In addition to completing the NAPABA endorsement form, you MUST submit your application to the Biden administration at this link. Here is additional FAQ guidance from the Biden Transition that was released on November 10.

Boards and Commissions
Generally these positions are part-time and will not require applicants to move if successful. Researching the available boards and commissions can be difficult. NAPABA recommends that applicants start by reviewing the FACA Database and certain Independent Agencies and Government Corporations in the Plum Book - these lists are not exhaustive. Past NAPABA members have served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, State Justice Institute, U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors, etc. Certain positions have additional "special" commitments, e.g., Kennedy Center Board of Trustees. Also note that certain boards and commissions are appointed by the President, while others are appointed by the Cabinet Secretaries

Additional Tips
Please keep in mind that at the start of a presidential administration there are thousands of qualified candidates that are interested in serving. Candidates that take the time to understand the process and positions, and who are willing to be flexible, are generally more successful in the process. The presidential transition team and White House Presidential Personnel are small staffed in comparison to the volume of applications received. Applicants that cannot be easily classified into positions are disadvantaged as compared to applicants who provide thoughtful and specific information.

For example:
Applicant X indicated they are interested in being the Solicitor at the Department of Labor. White House Presidential Personnel checks and that position is already filled. However, they determine that Applicant X would be ideal for two positions that are available: Commissioner on the EEOC or Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at Justice.

Applicant Y is a highly successful attorney, but does not take time to identify positions. Instead Applicant Y states that they would be interested in serving wherever the administration thinks best. White House Presidential Personnel does not have an immediate position to check for Applicant Y or a reference point on what Applicant Y would be interested in. With hundreds of other similar highly successful attorney applicants that defined positions they are interested in, it is likely that Applicant Y would be put to the side for consideration at another time.

Lastly, applicants should be candid and realistic. For example: A 2018 law grad should not identify that they would be interested in being the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at DOJ or Deputy General Counsel of Homeland Security. Notwithstanding a special skill, a special assistant or counselor position would be more appropriate.

Please do not contact NAPABA to inquire which positions NAPABA thinks you would be interested in or qualified for. Applicants should do the requisite research on their own to determine appropriate positions.

If you revise or re-submit your application, the Committee will only consider the most current application submitted.

If you questions, please contact appointments@napaba.org.