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Justice Dept. Hiring Changes Draw Fire
Law Grads Chosen Based on Politics, Say Critics
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A special Justice Department recruitment program long overseen by career employees has been moved firmly under the control of Attorney General John D. Ashcroft and his senior aides, prompting complaints that the effort is being politicized, according to current and former department officials.
Ashcroft decided last year that the Attorney General's Honors Program, which offers new law school graduates full-time positions within Justice and its component agencies, would benefit from more direct participation by him and other political appointees, officials said.
The administrative changes have alarmed some current and former Justice employees, especially those who identify themselves as Democrats, who said the previous version of the program was highly regarded and had the crucial benefit of being separated from any hint of politics. Many of these officials said they fear that the Bush administration, which has made clear its intention to place political conservatives on the federal bench, is aiming to do much the same within the career ranks at Justice.
The shift has also exacerbated the sometimes chilly relationship between the Ashcroft regime and career employees, who have been effectively cut out of many policymaking decisions. Over the past two years, some Bush administration officials have frequently characterized career Justice attorneys as underqualified or too liberal.
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" ... other career advisers, most of whom requested anonymity because they said they did not want to undermine their students' prospects, said there has been a noticeable political shift in the types of candidates who interviewed with Justice.
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"It is much, much more politicized than last year," said one adviser at a prominent East Coast law school. "They have gotten the front office people involved, and that has resulted in a different type of student. . . . There were several students taken this year who would not be considered under objective standards, and all of them were politically conservative."
Great. Affirmative action for stupid assholes.
Joking aside, this is very serious.
Nathan Newman has more. I hope some of our other lawyer bloggers chime in.