Legal Careers
DOJ Deputy Attache
The United States Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Office of International Affairs (OIA), is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as the Department of Justice Deputy Attaché and OIA representative at the United States Embassy in Mexico City. The attorney will support the Department and the Criminal Division, and be responsible for handling extraditions, mutual legal assistance requests, and other matters between the United States and Mexico. As a member of OIA’s Mexico City-based team, the attorney will provide liaison and case support to the Department, the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s offices, and other U.S stakeholders, as well as U.S. and foreign officials in Mexico.
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.
This is a reimbursable detail opportunity for two years, with the possibility of a one-year extension, and is expected to begin in Summer 2024. The successful candidate will be required to serve and successfully complete an initial, temporary detail at the Office of International Affairs in Washington, D.C. for approximately thirty (30) to sixty (60) days before receiving final clearance and reporting to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. The detail is funded by the Criminal Division.
The DOJ Deputy Attaché’s responsibilities include:
- Preparing and tracking incoming and outgoing extradition and mutual legal assistance requests to and from Mexico.
- Liaising with and assisting both federal and state U.S. and Mexican counterparts --including the Office of Mexican Attorney General, the Mexican Foreign Ministry, and other U.S. and Mexican entities -- with U.S. and Mexican criminal investigations and prosecutions;
- Developing expertise in the criminal laws and procedures of Mexico and other assigned countries in the region in order to assist U.S. authorities with questions on law enforcement matters, and to assist foreign authorities with questions regarding U.S. criminal laws and procedures, all with a view toward better cooperation and coordination through mutual understanding;
- Working with and advising all U.S. law enforcement agencies and appropriate Embassy personnel stationed in Mexico and other assigned countries in the region, on transnational criminal issues;
- Working closely with senior Department of State (DOS) officials on transnational criminal matters, with a particular view toward clearly articulating the interests of the Department of Justice, and working toward effective integration of those interests with the policies and priorities of the Embassy and the DOS;
- Frequent travel between Mexico and the United States is required.
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree; be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a State, territory, or the District of Columbia; have at least five (5) years of post-J.D. legal experience; be a current employee of the Department of Justice with extensive experience in the field of criminal law and the prosecution of criminal offenders; and have a strong background working with international requests for extradition and mutual legal assistance. Applicants must possess professional proficiency in spoken and written Spanish.
Applicants must have, or be able to obtain and maintain, a Top Secret security clearance.
Applicants should also have:
- Significant experience dealing with complex legal and policy issues;
- Experience in developing and litigating federal criminal cases involving international extradition and mutual legal assistance;
- Excellent writing and editing ability;
- Working knowledge of federal and state judicial systems, prosecution, investigative, and regulatory agencies;
- Experience in dealing with foreign governments, officials and legal systems;
- Ability to work cooperatively and productively with state and federal law enforcement agencies, and representatives of foreign governments, and the ability to supervise administrative support staff;
- Ability to formulate, implement and effectively advocate for Department of Justice policies on all matters relating to the assigned areas;
- Ability to manage an office, budget and personnel while working in a fast-paced, high-volume work environment;
- Familiarity with national security issues;
- Experience implementing international agreements;
- Understanding of Department of State practices and regulations, including experience working with diplomatic notes;
We encourage applications, resumes, cover letter, and a short writing sample (no more than 10 pages) be submitted by e-mail to OIA.Operations@usdoj.gov. Submissions must be timed stamped no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, on February 13, 2024. This announcement may be closed prior to the closing date if a selection is made.
Under a detail assignment, there is no change to the selectee's base pay. If applicable, the selectee will also receive appropriate post and overseas salary differentials.
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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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