Attorney Advisor Detailee (Non-Reimbursable)

Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA)
United States Department of Justice
Attorney
Washington, DC 20530
United States
OLA-2018-01
About the Office: 

The Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA), United States Department of Justice (Department), is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as an Attorney Advisor. OLA is responsible for developing and implementing the legislative strategy to advance the Department’s policies and legislative initiatives requiring congressional action. OLA articulates the views of the Department on congressional and legislative initiatives. OLA responds on behalf of the Department to requests and inquiries from Congressional Committees, individual Members of Congress, and their staffs. OLA coordinates the Department's responses to Congressional oversight activities involving the Department. OLA prepares Department witnesses to testify before Congress and handles the interagency clearance of all congressional testimony by representatives of federal agencies through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In addition, OLA participates in the Senate confirmation process for Department nominees, such as Assistant Attorneys General and U.S. Attorneys. 

For more information about OLA, please visit our Web page at: http://www.usdoj.gov/ola/

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: 

OLA seeks an experienced attorney from an Executive Branch agency to fill an anticipated staff vacancy between approximately July 2018 – December 2020.  Details must be able to serve a period of at least one continuous year during this timeframe, and preference may be given to individuals able to serve the entire period.

The incumbent of this position will serve as a liaison between the Department of Justice and the Congress, and must perform well in a fast-paced, highly professional environment. Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for:

  • Coordinating between the Department of Justice and the Congress, communicating frequently with congressional staff about legislation and other congressional matters that affect the Department's jurisdiction and equities;
  • Keeping Department officials apprised of the current status and outlook for congressional action on matters of interest to the Department;
  • Preparing senior Department officials to provide congressional briefings and testimony before Congressional Committees;
  • Developing written views based upon input from Department components and presenting those views to congressional staff in order to advance the Department's mission, protect the Department's equities, and promote a constructive relationship with the Congress;
  • Responding to Congressional inquiries regarding legislation, oversight matters, correspondence, constituent matters, and other requests for information;
  • Coordinating the timely intra-Departmental and OMB clearance of positions on legislative and other congressional matters, as set forth in draft proposals, letters, talking points, prepared statements for congressional hearings, and responses to questions for hearing records; and
  • Coordinating the timely response to requests from OMB for the Department’s views on legislation and other congressional positions proposed by other agencies. 

 

If interested, please email a copy of your resume to Mary Blanche Hankey, Chief of Staff and Counsel, at Mary.Blanche.Hankey2@usdoj.gov, and indicate the dates you would be available for this detail.  Questions may be directed to the same email address.

Qualifications: 

Interested parties must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least 3 years post-J.D. experience.

Salary: 
Non-Reimbursable - Level of work equivalent to GS-13 to GS-15.
Travel: 
There is no travel associated with this position.
Application Process: 

Interested candidates should forward a resume or Optional Form 612 (OF-612 Application for Federal Employment) to Mary Blanche Hankey, Chief of Staff and Counsel, mary.blanche.hankey2@usdoj.gov, and indicate the dates you would be available for this detail.  Questions may be directed to the same email address.

Applicants must obtain permission from current supervisor. No telephone calls please.

This position is open until filled.

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: 
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
Number of Positions: 
Multiple
Updated March 23, 2018

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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.