Legal Careers
Attorney Advisor
Washington, DC 20530 - United States
The United States Department of Justice, Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), is seeking experienced attorneys for the position of Assistant Counsel in Washington, D.C. The Assistant Counsel investigates allegations of professional misconduct made against federal prosecutors and other Justice Department attorneys, formulates findings and conclusions, and drafts formal investigative reports to senior Department of Justice officials.
OPR was created in 1975 in response to revelations of ethical abuses and misconduct by Justice Department officials in the Watergate scandal. OPR conducts investigations of allegations of misconduct by Department attorneys and law enforcement personnel that relate to the exercise of an attorney's authority to investigate, litigate or provide legal advice. Matters investigated by OPR include allegations that Department attorneys have violated or disregarded obligations and standards of conduct imposed by the Constitution, federal statutes, court decisions, orders, rules, regulations, Department policies, and applicable state bar rules.
In their investigations, Assistant Counsels confront a wide range of legal and ethical issues arising in connection with the Department's legal activities around the country. Investigations include extremely sensitive matters and frequently require contact with senior officials in U.S. Attorneys' Offices and litigating divisions of the Department. OPR reports its investigative findings and conclusions to the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General and identifies for their consideration issues relating to Department policies, practices and procedures.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
The incumbent of this position will:
- review and analyze allegations of misconduct to determine whether they are within OPR's jurisdiction, and, if so, develop an investigative plan delineating the scope and direction of the investigation;
- conduct a thorough investigation of the allegations, including reviewing all relevant documents and interviewing witnesses;
- conduct necessary legal research and prepare a thorough memorandum or report of investigation addressing the allegations and setting forth OPR's findings and conclusions as to whether the subject of the investigation engaged in professional misconduct;
- conduct special projects or assignments as assigned by the Counsel.
Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar, (any U.S. jurisdiction) and have at least 5 years of relevant post-J.D. experience. Applicants must be familiar with the rules imposed on prosecutors and other government attorneys by the Constitution, federal statutes, court decisions, orders, rules, regulations, Department policies, and applicable state bar rules. Applicants must have superior academic and professional credentials and exceptional writing and oral communication skills. Applicants must also possess the legal skills and sound judgment necessary to evaluate the sensitive issues that arise in the course of attorney misconduct investigations. Litigation experience is desirable, and experience as a federal prosecutor is particularly desirable.
Preferred qualifications: It is necessary that applicants have substantial criminal and/or civil litigation experience. A knowledge of, and familiarity with the rules of professional responsibility is preferred but not required. Applicants must have superior academic and professional credentials and exceptional writing and oral communication skills.
Interested candidates should submit:
1) a cover letter (highlighting relevant experience),
2) a resume or Optional Form 612 (OF-612 Application for Federal Employment),
3) an unofficial law school transcript and
4) an official certificate showing that the applicant is an active member in good standing of the bar
The application materials are required to be submitted by all applicants including attorneys currently appointed to positions in the Department of Justice to:
Attn: Attorney Hiring Committee
Office of Professional Responsibility
U.S. Department of Justice, Room 3266
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530
No telephone calls please. Applications must be received by August 1, 2014.
Alternatively, applications may be emailed to OPR.Applications@usdoj.gov.
Please reference announcement OPR ATY 14-001 in the e-mail subject line and in your cover letter.
To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 pm (EST) on Friday, August 1, 2014.
For more information about OPR, please visit our Web page at: http://www.usdoj.gov/opr/.
This and selected other legal position announcements may be found on the Internet at: http://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/attorneys-vacancies and http://dojnet.doj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.php
Salary and grade level determinations are made based on the number of years of qualifying experience and current salary level. The salary range for this position is: GS-15 or its AD equivalent ($124,995 - $157,100).
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Department Policies
Equal Employment Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.
Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
Suitability and Citizenship: It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.
Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
USAO Residency Requirement: Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
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This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.