Legal Careers
ATTORNEY ADVISOR
WASHINGTON,, DC 20530 - United States
The Office of the Executive Secretariat (OES) at the Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking Attorney Advisors to join a fast-paced office that provides direct support to Department leadership. OES has a broad portfolio, including managing DOJ’s internal clearance process for decisional and other documents addressed to the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, or Associate Attorney General. Working in OES provides a unique opportunity to learn about how the Department fulfills its mission to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights.
OES, located in Washington, DC plays a central role in supporting the Attorney General and other DOJ leadership. OES’s portfolio includes: 1) managing DOJ’s internal clearance process for executive correspondence with Congress, the White House, other Federal agencies, and constituents; 2) playing a central role in interagency and internal coordination of Departmental actions and executive communications; and 3) management of executive records and institutional knowledge.
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 will serve as Counsel or Senior Counsel to provide analysis and advice on issues related to OES’s portfolio, including:
- Ensuring that documents requiring approval of Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, or Associate Attorney General comply with Department policies, procedures, and legal requirements.
- Analyzing Executive Orders, statutes, regulations, and other legal authorities to identify, assess, assign, and track responsibilities assigned to the Attorney General or the Department.
- Advising OES leadership on legal issues related to its work, including management and disclosure of executive records.
- Responding to interagency and White House requests for assistance, information, and clearance of policy and other documents.
- Coordinating DOJ’s Congressional and White House reporting requirements as well as its internal policy clearance processes.
- Preparing policies, procedures, and other documents related to OES’s portfolio.
- Managing special projects requested by senior leadership.
Telework/Remote Work:
Employees may be eligible for flexible work options, including telework or remote work, subject to supervisor approval and consistent with the needs of the office and individual roles and responsibilities.
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, have at least two and a half years of post-J.D. legal experience, have strong research and writing skills, and be an active member of the bar of any state (or the District of Columbia).
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience analyzing complex legal problems, interpreting statutory and regulatory provisions to develop policy and programmatic recommendations.
- Experience designing, enhancing, and implementing policies and/or programs that advance the principles of the Office of Executive Secretariat.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to articulate critical issues accurately and precisely in a wide variety of cases and projects.
- Demonstrated initiative and creativity.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to adeptly exercise diplomacy, discretion, and tact in all interactions.
- A demonstrated ability to work independently in a highly demanding environment.
- Outstanding organizational skills and the ability to set, manage, and balance diverse, evolving, and challenging projects and priorities.
This vacancy announcement is open to all U.S. citizens.
To apply, interested candidates must submit, preferably as one PDF document:
- A cover letter that highlights the applicant’s interest in the position and addresses in detail how qualifications are met.
- A current resume that details months and years of education and employment and states the month and year of earliest bar admission.
- Most recent SF-50 (for current or former federal employees only).
- DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member 4 copy) (if applicable).
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation (if applicable, for current or former federal employees only).
- Schedule A (targeted disability hiring) proof of disability documentation (see 5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)(3)), (if applicable).
Note: The application materials are required to be submitted electronically as a PDF file by all applicants (including attorneys currently appointed to positions in the Department of Justice) and e-mailed to DANA.E.GREEN@USDOJ.GOV
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Current salary and years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level (GS-14, $132,368 - $172,075) or (GS-15, $155,700 - $183,500).
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.