Legal Careers
ATTORNEY ADVISOR
The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct committed by Department attorneys, agents, and immigration judges while performing their duties to investigate, litigate, or provide legal advice. OPR attorneys conduct sensitive investigations involving all levels and components of the Department and relating to a wide range of challenging and topical ethical issues, including grand jury abuse, discovery violations, and lack of candor. Because misconduct allegations may involve highly publicized or sensitive cases, matters with complex legal or factual issues, and those with novel ethical questions, the office seeks experienced, detail-oriented attorneys with discretion, good judgment, and excellent analytical and writing skills.
OPR attorneys and administrative staff are public-service oriented and dedicated to OPR’s mission to ensure that Department attorneys perform their duties with integrity in accordance with the high professional standards expected of the nation’s principal law enforcement agency. OPR’s small size fosters collegiality and collaboration. OPR’s offices are in the historic RFK Main Justice Building in Washington, D.C., with convenient access to parking, public transportation, and downtown attractions. This is an in-office position.
For more information about OPR, please visit our website at https://www.justice.gov/opr
OPR is seeking an experienced attorney with expertise in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA). The attorney will be responsible for the following:
- processing records requested pursuant to the FOIA or PA
- providing technical directions to FOIA/PA staff
- preparing and submitting FOIA or PA reports for internal and external audiences
- assisting in the preparation of documents that support Department components in defending OPR in litigation brought under the FOIA/PA
- determining whether the records located during the processing of a FOIA/PA request should be released in full, in part, or withheld
- recommending whether or not a document should be classified or declassified in whole or in part
- staying abreast of changes in FOIA/PA law
- ensuring that searches and processing are conducted in accordance with applicable policies, law, regulations, and procedures
- serving as OPR’s senior component official for privacy.
The attorney may also review and analyze allegations of misconduct and, when appropriate, conduct a thorough investigation of the allegations, including witness interviews and reviewing documents, and preparing a comprehensive report addressing the allegations and setting forth OPR’s findings and conclusions.
Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree and be an active member of the bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction or the District of Columbia). Applicants must have the years of post J.D. (or equivalent) legal experience for the specific grade level requirements listed below:
- At least 2.5 years of post J.D. litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-14 grade level.
- At least 4 years of post J.D. litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-15 grade level.
Applicants must have substantive knowledge and expertise in FOIA/PA laws, rules, and regulations, and experience in reviewing, responding to, and providing legal advice regarding FOIA/PA requests or FOIA/PA litigation; applying FOIA exemptions 5, 6, and 7(C); and processing or reviewing voluminous records. Strong research and writing skills are required. The individual hired must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Possess the legal skills and sound judgment necessary to evaluate the sensitive issues that arise in the course of processing FOIA/PA requests or conducting attorney misconduct investigations.
- Experience preparing pleadings, briefs, motions, affidavits, or other materials involving legal issues in civil or criminal litigation.
- Experience analyzing complex legal problems, analyzing lawsuits or requests for records for legal sufficiency, and providing expert legal advice based on facts and legal research.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to articulate critical issues accurately and precisely.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to develop positive working relationships in a wide variety of situations.
- A demonstrated ability to work independently in a demanding environment.
- Demonstrated initiative, outstanding organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple diverse, evolving, and challenging projects and priorities.
This vacancy announcement is open to all U.S. citizens.
To apply, interested candidates must submit the following:
- Cover letter that highlights the applicant’s interest in the position and addresses in detail how qualifications are met
- Current resume that includes months and years of education and employment, all bar admissions, and month and year of earliest bar admission. Resumes cannot exceed two pages
- Most recent SF-50 (for current or former federal employees only)
- Writing sample (not to exceed 20 pages)
- Copy of J.D. degree transcripts (may be unofficial)
Applicants may be asked to complete a written legal analysis based on a factual scenario provided by OPR. Contact information for references may be required at a later time.
Applications should be submitted to OPR.Applications@usdoj.gov.
Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
Current salary and years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level (GS-14, $143,913 - $187,093) or (GS-15, $169,279 - $197,200).
Department Policies
The Department remains steadfast in its commitment to equal employment opportunity (EEO) and treating employees with fairness, dignity and compassion. We must ensure that no applicant for employment or employee of our Department is denied equal opportunity because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex – including pregnancy – or because of age, physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor and that all have the freedom to compete on a fair and level playing field. To learn more, please view the Department’s full Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.
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.
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.
Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement.
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://help.usajobs.gov/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.
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).
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.
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.