Attorney Advisor

Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
Attorney
145 N Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20530
United States
About the Office: 

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, provides national leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).  Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.  OVW administers more than 20 grant programs, which were established under VAWA and subsequent legislation.  Since its inception, OVW has awarded over $9.5 billion in grants and cooperative agreements and has launched a multifaceted approach to implementing VAWA that accounts for the needs and interests of those most affected by these offenses.  By forging state, local, and tribal partnerships among police, prosecutors, victim and community advocates, health care providers, faith leaders, and others, OVW grant programs help provide victims with the assistance, support, and services they need to pursue safe and healthy lives, while simultaneously enabling communities to hold offenders accountable for their violence.

In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW and its Director provide national leadership in the field of violence against women.  Recent OVW policy initiatives have included promoting the reauthorization of VAWA, enhancing workplace violence policies, strengthening Departmental guidance on law enforcement responses to domestic violence and sexual assault, and enhancing responses to Native American victims.  OVW also supports special initiatives to identify and disseminate promising practices, including the Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Demonstration Initiative.  Pursuant to VAWA, OVW administers grant programs specifically designed to meet the needs of culturally specific, tribal, and rural communities, as well as individuals in later life, deaf individuals and those with disabilities, and underserved populations.  The office is comprised of individuals from many different backgrounds and encourages sharing ideas openly, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional development.

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.

Job Description: 

Responsibilities and Opportunities Offered:  OVW seeks experienced attorneys to provide legal and policy support for the administration of OVW and its grant programs.  The attorneys must respond orally and in writing to complex and novel requests for legal advice or questions involving interpretation of legislation, including VAWA and other relevant statutes, case law, federal regulations and other legal authorities relevant to federal grants administration, federal Indian law, effective responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and national policy on gender-based violence.  The attorneys will conduct comprehensive and extensive legal research, prepare detailed advisory opinions and memoranda, and review proposed legislation to determine its effect on OVW operations and violence against women.  The attorneys will be responsible for preparing highly complex correspondence, talking points, speeches, testimony, and briefing and other materials for the Director and other Department officials. Responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to: 

  • Performing extensive legal research;
  • Ensuring that OVW activities comply with federal statutory, regulatory, and other requirements;
  • Providing legal and policy guidance to OVW management and staff and other Department officials;
  • Responding to inquiries from Congress and other federal agencies;
  • Preparing responses to legal, legislative, and/or judicial matters on behalf of the Department;
  • Reviewing legislation affecting violence against women issues, draft recommendations, and assist in legislative strategy development;
  • Representing the Director in interactions with federal, state, local, tribal and other organizations; and
  • Other duties as needed at the request of the Director, Principal Deputy Director, and the General Counsel.
Qualifications: 

Required Qualifications: Applicants must have a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (in any jurisdiction), and have at least four years post-J.D. experience or other relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications:  Hiring preferences include a record of excellent performance; superior analytic, legal research, drafting, and editing skills; outstanding oral and written communication skills; and the ability to work efficiently under extreme pressure and to handle multiple matters simultaneously. OVW values team players with strong interpersonal skills.  The ideal candidate will have:  

  • Knowledge of the Violence Against Women Act and related statutes
  • Experience in the field of violence against women
  • Experience in the field of federal Indian law
  • Experience in federal grant administration law
  • Experience with agencies or organizations serving communities of color or other underserved populations
  • The ability to set, manage, and balance diverse, evolving, and challenging projects and priorities
Salary: 
The salary range for this position is GS-14 – GS-15 based on locality pay in Washington, DC OPM Pay Tables, available at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2023/DCB.pdf
Travel: 
Occasional Travel is required.
Application Process: 

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 federal employees only)
  • A list of references
  • A writing sample

Email the document to:  OVW.HumanResources@usdoj.gov with the subject line “Attorney Advisor Application.”

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, Friday, October 6, 2023

For more information about OVW, please visit our Web page at http://www.justice.gov\ovw. This and selected other legal position announcements may be found on the Internet at: http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/attvacancies.html and http://dojnet.doj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.php

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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Application Deadline: 
Friday, October 6, 2023
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Number of Positions: 
1 or more
Updated September 13, 2023

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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.