Presidential Management Fellowship: A Great Path to a Government Career
If you have an interest in federal government employment and expect to complete your Juris Doctor requirements between now and August 31, 2010, the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) may be your fast track to a government career.
The PMF Program is the principal means for more than 80 federal agencies to recruit law, masters and doctoral-level students to meet workforce and succession planning needs in positions involving the leadership and management of public policies and programs. Positions in the PMF Program do not require the traditional practice of law. However, the knowledge and skills acquired as a law student prove beneficial in positions that require, for example, completion of business transactions and the drafting and interpretation of regulations.
This two-year fellowship includes 160 hours of classroom training, mandatory developmental assignments, optional rotations, potential for accelerated promotions, generous federal benefits and salaries that, in 2009, ranged from $50,000 to $95,000. The PMF selection process consists of four phases: application, nomination, assessment and finalist selection, and agency placement as a Fellow. The application and nomination phases are very simple and require only submission of an electronic application to USAJobs and submission of a nomination request to a WSU Nomination Official. Thereafter, applicants take a three to four hour proctored written examination designed to assess critical thinking skills, writing fundamentals, and life experiences. Applicants who successfully complete the assessment phase are designated as Finalists and invited to seek appointments to positions in participating agencies via an exclusive career fair and targeted vacancy announcements. Upon accepting appointments, Finalists are officially designated as Presidential Management Fellows.
The PMF Program selected two Wayne Law graduates in 2008 as Presidential Management Fellows. The Program selected another two Wayne Law grads in 2009. Will you be a Wayne Law 2010 Presidential Management Fellow? The application period for the 2010 PMF Program runs from October 1 through October 15, 2009. For more details about the PMF Program, visit https://www.pmf.opm.gov or contact Diane Fears in the Career Services Office at (313) 577-8039 or dfears@wayne.edu.