Legal Careers
Attorney Advisor
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program is the largest multi-agency anti-crime task force in the nation and is a central element to the Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime. The Program is led by the OCDETF Executive Office, which implements the nationwide OCDETF strategy of priority targeting, intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and directed resourcing to have the greatest impact disrupting and dismantling command and control elements of criminal organizations. The OCDETF program is a keystone of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational organized crime networks and reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the United States by using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach to investigation and enforcement. OCDETF task forces also combat those priority transnational criminal threats to our national security interests, public safety, and economic stability. OCDETF leverages the resources and expertise of its component agencies from the Justice, Homeland Security, Treasury, Postal, and Labor Departments in concentrated, long-term investigations of major drug trafficking, money laundering, and other high priority transnational organized crime networks. OCDETF participating agencies include: the United States Attorneys’ Offices; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Coast Guard; the U.S. Secret Service; the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Labor; the DOJ Criminal Division, and over 700 state and local law enforcement agencies. By their nature, most, if not all OCDETF investigations and prosecutions involve complex or sensitive investigative and prosecution tools and techniques, such as electronic surveillance, immunized or protected witnesses, subpoenas or search warrants requiring specialized approvals, extradition of fugitives from foreign countries, and production of foreign evidence. Our office places a high value on diversity of experiences and perspectives and encourages applications from all qualified individuals.
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 OCDETF Executive Office seeks an experienced attorney to serve as an Attorney Advisor assigned to fill a Threat Response Unit (TRU) position. TRU positions within OCDETF are designed to be flexible, to allow OCDETF to best meet emerging threats and respond to programmatic need(s). This position is a two-year term position, which may be extended for additional terms or converted to a permanent position, without further competition. TRU attorneys are assigned to address OCDETF needs and priorities as determined by the OCDETF Director. The attorney selected from this announcement may be assigned to the OCDETF Executive Office, an OCDETF component offices, or detailed to other components of the Department of Justice as may be appropriate, at the discretion of the OCDETF Director. A TRU attorney assigned to the OCDETF Executive Office may be called upon to do any/all of the following: • Provide programmatic support to the OCDETF Director, Deputy Director, and Associate Directors on the formulation and execution of various OCDETF policies and decisions in the administration of the OCDETF Program. • Conducting comprehensive evaluations of the criteria by which the OCDETF Program evaluates itself for efficiency and effectiveness. • Collaboration with OCDETF Program stakeholders to review and provide recommendations to update the OCDETF Program’s Strategic Plan and Program Guidelines. • Organization and implementation of the periodic programmatic review(s) of OCDETF Districts, Regions, and Strike Forces. • Support OCDETF Executive Office managers in providing advice and consultation to United States Attorneys’ offices throughout the OCDETF regions. • Support OCDETF Executive Office managers in providing advice and consultation regarding OCDETF Co-located Strike Forces. • Offer advice and guidance regarding Program compliance in complex OCDETF drug and money laundering prosecutions and related asset forfeiture cases. • Assist with any other duties as may be assigned by the OCDETF Director.
Applicants must have solid academic credentials as well as excellent writing and strong interpersonal skills. A strong background in federal criminal prosecution, including experience with long term, complex, organized crime, money laundering investigations; as well as electronic surveillance and related legal issues; domestic and international financial investigations; and familiarity with sensitive investigative techniques is necessary. Interested parties should possess strong speaking and presentation skills. Experience developing and delivering professional training for prosecutors and federal investigators and analysts is preferred. Experience with the handling national security information and with international extradition and mutual legal assistance cases is also desirable. Knowledge and experience with the OCDETF Program is strongly preferred. Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), be able to secure and maintain a Top Secret security clearance, and have at least ten (10) years of post-J.D. experience.
Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and brief writing sample via email to: OCDETF-HR@usdoj.gov.
GS 15, $144,128 - $172,500
Department Policies
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.
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://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.
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.