2021 DOJ MENTORING PROGRAM

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is pleased to announce the 2021 DOJ Mentoring Program. This year's program will be delivered in an all-virtual environment and includes online workshops and activities. The Program is open to ALL DOJ Components in all geographic locations. Fifty mentoring partnerships (50 mentors and 50 protégés) will be selected to participate in the 2021 Program.  The DOJ Mentoring Program Manager will notify all program selectees in a ‘welcome’ email that identifies next steps. Applicants not selected will also receive notification and will be placed on the priority list for the 2022 DOJ Mentoring Program.

The DOJ Mentoring Program application period is March 15,2021 to April 15,2021. Employees interested in being a mentor or protégé must complete the application online at https://www.mentoringconnection.com/TMC2/UnAuthenticatedMaster.asp?view=Signup1&Client_ID=566&Group_ID=DOJ. The DOJ Mentoring Program Manager will coordinate mentor and protégé pairing.

For questions, please contact the DOJ Mentoring and Coaching Program Manager, Yoneko Riley-Barrow, at 202-307 -07 7 1 or Yoneko.Ri ley-Barrow@usdoj.gov.

Thank you for your support of this important program that develops our talent pool in order to fulfill the Department's mission.

EVENT: Q&A on “Gentrification, Justice, and Cities”

DOJ- AHEAD invites all to a presentation, discussion, and Q&A on “Gentrification, Justice, and Cities” by Professor Brian McCabe on Tuesday, April 23, 2019. 

The program will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Lower Level Conference Room (Room LL 100) in the Liberty Square Building (entrances on 5th & 6th Streets NW between D & E Streets NW).  Please feel free to share this invitation with anyone you think may be interested. 

Brian J. McCabe is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University. He holds secondary appointments an adjunct instructor in the Regional and Urban Planning program at the School of Continuing Studies; a core faculty member in the program on Justice and Peace Studies; an affiliated faculty member in the Department of African-American Studies; and an affiliated faculty member in the McCourt School of Public Policy. Through his scholarship and teaching, Professor McCabe investigates the structures that contribute to social inequality, especially in American cities. His research offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of cities, combining his training in sociology, geography and public policy to investigate housing policy and other urban issues.  Professor McCabe graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 2002. He completed a Master’s degree in urban geography at the London School of Economics in 2004 and a PhD in the Sociology Department at New York University in 2011.  To learn more about Professor McCabe, please visit https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/00336000014RexIAAS/brian-mccabe. 

Over the last couple decades, the sweep of gentrification has remade many urban neighborhoods, including in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.  In doing so, it has raised new questions about the rights of long-term citizens to shape their own communities, and the unequal distribution of benefits from the process of gentrification.  Despite extensive neighborhood changes, the ghettoization of poverty and a legacy of racial segregation continue to pose unique challenges to the creation of more equitable, just cities. These challenges, many of which are heightened by the process of gentrification, push issues of social justice to the forefront of our conversations about contemporary cities.  They raise new questions about inequality, equity and the twenty-first century urban condition.

Please join us as we learn about and discuss these questions and issues.

Should you need access to the Liberty Square Building, please RSVP for the event by no later than Monday, April 22, 2019, to Sandra.Park@usdoj.gov.  To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact Ms. Park, and please submit requests for reasonable accommodation no later than Wednesday, April 17, 2019.  

S.G. Noel Francisco @ 2018 DOJ Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Program

Solicitor General Noel J. Francisco to Provide Keynote Address at the 2018 DOJ Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Observance Program 

To acknowledge the important contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to our Nation and the Justice Department, the Department of Justice will hold its annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Observance Program from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, Thursday, May 24, 2018, in The Great Hall, Robert F. Kennedy Main Justice Building.  The National theme for this year’s observance month is "Unite Our Vision by Working Together." 

During the program, DOJ employees will hear special remarks from Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, and the program keynote speaker, the Honorable Noel J. Francisco, Solicitor General of the United States.  Mr. Francisco was sworn in as the 48th Solicitor General of the United States on September 19, 2017.  To learn more about Solicitor General Francisco’s distinguished career, please visit https://www.justice.gov/osg/staff-profile/meet-solicitor-general. 

For additional information, please contact Sylvia Price, Asian American and Pacific Islander Program Manager, Justice Management Division (JMD) Equal Employment Opportunity Staff (EEOS), via email at Sylvia.Price@usdoj.gov.  To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact Granette Trent, Assistant Director for Affirmative Employment, JMD EEOS, via email at Granette.Trent@usdoj.gov.

The program will be broadcast live via the Justice Television Network (JTN).  

Professional Development: A Dialogue with Former Senior Department Officials

The Criminal Division invites all DOJ employees to a leadership forum hosted by the CRM Diversity Committee and Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan.  Please join us for this panel discussion with four distinguished former DOJ leaders covering such topics as defining leadership and measuring success, the importance of mentors, overcoming obstacles, and what it means to have a commitment to diversity.  Registration is requested; please register here.

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A Dialogue with Former Senior Department Officials—Alice Fisher, 

Channing Phillips, Mythili Raman, and Debra Wong Yang

Friday, April 27, 2018 

12 PM-1:30 PM

RFK Main Justice Department Building

Great Hall – Second Floor

950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530

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Mentorship Program Applications Open Now!

We are now accepting applications through Monday, April 23, 2018, from both mentors and mentees for its 2018 mentorship program!  The mentorship program is open to all DOJ employees and alumni.  We have already begun to receive interest from a diverse group people and hope that we will be able to provide mentorship opportunities to a wide variety of individuals across fields of practice and located throughout the country.

We view the mentorship program as an important means of actively promoting diversity in the federal government by providing professional development opportunities to Hispanics in DOJ – and we hope and expect that it will be a personally and professionally rewarding experience for our mentors and mentees alike.  The program is mentee-driven, meaning mentees are responsible for reaching out to mentors, getting on their calendars, and making sure they get the most out of this program.  Mentees will learn how to define career goals, strategize, and identify options.  Additionally, mentors and mentees will enhance their knowledge of the Department and grow professionally and personally. 

To learn more, join us for a kick-off happy hour Thursday, April 19, at Flight (777 6th St NW) at 5:30pm.  Mentors and mentees from past years will be there to share their experiences.  Or contact contact Jennifer Mondino, DOJ AHEAD’s Director of Professional Development, at 202-305-3176 or at dojahead@gmail.com (mention “Mentorship” in the subject line). 

To participate as either a mentor or a mentee, please take 4 minutes to fill out this application form.

We look forward to another great year of the DOJ-AHEAD Mentorship Program!

Congratulations to Award-Winning DOJ-AHEAD Members

Please congratulate your DOJ-AHEAD fellow members who have been recognized by the Department for their accomplishments!

• JoHanna Hall, Bureau of Prisons, graduated from the Department’s Leadership, Excellence, & Achievement Program (LEAP) on August 24, 2017, and received a Special Commendation Award from the Attorney General.

• Jorge Gonzalez, National Security Div., received the Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division's Award for Excellence. 

• Gerardo Despian, Antitrust Div., received a Special Commendation Award from the Assistant Attorney General of the Environmental Natural Resources Division for his work with the Environmental Justice Group.  

• Jennifer Mondino, Civil Rights Div., was on the Baltimore Police Department Team (in the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section), which was awarded the Assistant Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award at the Civil Rights Division’s awards ceremony in December 2016.  

• Benjamin Hernandez-Stern, Office Justice Programs, received a Special Act award.

• Carmen M. Banerjee, Tax Div., on November 1, 2017, received an Outstanding Attorney Award from the Assistant Attorney General of the Tax Division.

• Beatriz T. Saiz, Tax Div., on November 1, 2017, received an Outstanding Attorney Award from the Assistant Attorney General of the Tax Division.

Felicidades, amig@s!  If any other members have accomplishments they (or their colleagues) would like to share, please email dojahead@gmail.com with the details!

Professional Development: How to Become a Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

Professional Development: The DOJ Association of Hispanic Employees for Advancement and Development (DOJ-AHEAD) is pleased to host a presentation to learn about the process of applying for a judicial vacancy on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and efforts by the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission (JNC) to enhance the diversity of the pool of applicants.  The program features Katherine L. Garrett, Executive Director of JNC.

Date and Time:  Wednesday, September 27, 2017, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location:  Judiciary Center Building, 555 4th Street, NW, Room 6310, Washington, DC 20001 (Hewitt Training Room)

There is no need to R.S.V.P.; you may just show up!  For additional information, please contact Cathy Meza, DOJ-AHEAD Director of Professional Development, by email at catherine.meza@usdoj.gov.

Professional Development: SES Panel Well Received

DOJ-AHEAD and the Department of Justice’s JMD EEO Staff hosted a panel on preparing for Senior Executive Service ("SES") on July 18, 2017.  Guided by moderator Carmen M. Banerjee, Chair of DOJ-AHEAD, the panelists provided attendees with expert advice on preparing for a crafting a successful SES application.  The discussion ranged from recognizing opportunities for the necessary professional/leadership development to surviving all levels of review in the application process.  

A special thanks to our panelists, Bob Bruffy, Executive Officer, Tax Division; Jamila Frone, Director, Office of Attorney Recruitment & Management; and Richard Toscano, Director, EEOS.  

Click here for the handout that includes panelist backgrounds and a short resource list.

Click here for the PowerPoint slides used by the panel.

Professional Development: “Preparing for the Senior Executive Service”

Professional Development:  DOJ-AHEAD and the Department of Justice’s Equal Employment Opportunity Staff will host  a panel session called “Preparing for the Senior Executive Service.”

            When:  July 18, 2017, 12:00pm-1:00pm
            Where: DOJ Conference Center (Room 7411), RFK Main Justice Building.

Carmen M. Banerjee, Chair of DOJ-AHEAD, will moderate a discussion in which Bob Bruffy, Executive Officer, Tax Division; Jamila Frone, Director, Office of Attorney Recruitment & Management; and Richard Toscano, Director, EEOS, Justice Management Division will share their insights on developing leadership competencies necessary to succeed as a Senior Executive, offer helpful hints on how to prepare an effective SES application, and impart their lessons learned from serving as Senior Executives.  All Department employees of the Department are welcome and managers and supervisors are encouraged to grant employees reasonable official time to attend this event.

Professional Development: Our Mentorship Program 2017 Is Well Under Way!

The six-month mentoring program of DOJ’s Association of Hispanic Employees Advancement and Development (DOJ AHEAD) has begun!  The program runs from April 2017 through October 2017.

The Mentorship Program seeks to:

• Increase mentors’ and mentees’ knowledge of the Department’s operations.
• Develop mentees and advance mentors professionally and personally.
• Encourage employees throughout the country (not just the D.C. metropolitan area) to participate in this program.   
• Enhance the diversity experience of the program’s participants.  

DOJ AHEAD’s mentoring program allows caring, experienced federal employees to support primarily Hispanic employees and their professional development, broaden their professional networks, provide them with a greater understanding of the Department, its components, and the federal government. One of the guiding principles of the mentoring program is to inspire public service in the federal government, and to contribute to the positive morale and development of federal workers, especially Hispanic ones.

The first DOJ AHEAD Mentoring Program was launched in 2012.  This is now the 7th iteration of the program!  DOJ AHEAD’s Board champions the program by communicating the purpose and need for the mentoring program to senior leaders and stakeholders at the Department.  DOJ AHEAD’s mentoring program’s policies, rules, and plan of action are routinely reviewed and modified as appropriate by the current DOJ AHEAD board.

DOJ AHEAD’s mentoring program is an equal opportunity program and is run by volunteers.