Is taking admin law a prerequisite for most government jobs? Forum

[Anonymous User]

How much of a disadvantage would I be for govt/PI jobs if I graduate without having taken admin? I'm having a tough time fitting it into my schedule at present and am wondering if it really is as important as it is reputed to be.

[Anonymous User]

How much of a disadvantage would I be for govt/PI jobs if I graduate without having taken admin? I'm having a tough time fitting it into my schedule at present and am wondering if it really is as important as it is reputed to be.

Depends on what kind of government/PI job. Like a criminal AUSA or public defender won’t need it, but an environmental public interest attorney will. It’s very helpful for federal clerkships.

[Anonymous User]

It's helpful for admin agencies(obviously), clerkships, and more transactional forms of practice where you're working with/adjacent to the government. In my specific area I found it useless and the major ideas are easy enough to grasp in practice.

[Anonymous User]

I just finished clerking in a leading district and I'll be starting in bigfed soon.

I did poorly in admin law and never encountered or needed it as a law clerk.

[Anonymous User]

As a civil litigator at federal agency who has served on a hiring committee, I can tell you that it is unlikely (at least at my agency) that anyone will even know or care whether you took the class, but I am glad I took admin law given that a basic understanding of rule making and the administrative procedure act more generally is really quite helpful in appreciating how federal agencies work. With chevron deference's imminent demise, what I learned about deference to agency interpretations will probably soon be moot, but still.