Skip to main content

Legal Careers

General Attorney

Hiring Organization
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Job ID
2500
Location:
Washington, DC 20535 - United States
Application Deadline:
About the Office

The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) ensures that the FBI maintains its integrity and professionalism by impartially adjudicating allegations of employee misconduct. To preserve credibility and the respect of society, FBI employees must be accountable to rigorous standards of personal and institutional responsibility enforced both internally and through responsiveness to external oversight.

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

GS-14:

· Serve as an attorney advisor to all segments of the office.

· Responsible for review of investigative files and the preparation of investigative reports and legal memoranda.

· Respond to questions concerning the FBI's disciplinary process and OPR policies from FBI personnel in headquarters and field divisions, other Federal agencies, Congressional overseers, and members of the public.

· Conduct comprehensive legal research; prepare written documents such as legal memoranda and policy statements; and evaluate proposed legislation and policies impacting the FBI disciplinary process.

· Assist with training, including presentations to FBI personnel in headquarters and field divisions.

GS-15: In addition to the above duties;

· Responsible for the most complex employee disciplinary cases.

· Respond to questions from the highest levels of management in the FBI.

The ideal candidate will experience in one or more of the following practice areas:

· Civil Litigation

· Employment Law

· Federal Employees

· Police Misconduct

· Professional Responsibility Issues

Qualifications

Education

Applicant must possess a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (or have an LLM degree or other graduate law degree in addition to a J.D.) and be an active member of the bar (any US jurisdiction).

Positive Education Requirement: This position has a specific education requirement; all applicants must verify completion of this basic education requirement by submitting a copy of college transcripts by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Please see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement for additional information.

Please be advised candidates that are selected for this position, must be approved by the Department of Justice, before they can complete the FBI's background process.

Please make sure your specialized experience/requirement(s) can be identified in your resume. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under the FBI’s Candidate Rating Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the online assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

Your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Most Competitive, Competitive, or Least Competitive. Names of candidates in the Most Competitive category will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration. Candidates within the Most Competitive category who are eligible for veteran preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

All applicants will be rated on the following Competencies:

· Governance and Legal Jurisprudence

· Analytic Thinking

· Communication

BASIC REQUIREMENT: All applicants must possess a law degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, and be an active member of the bar (any US jurisdiction).

GS-14: Applicants applying for the GS-14 must also have 2.5 or more years post J.D. attorney experience.

· Experience in participating in interpreting and analyzing legal issues.

GS-15: Applicants applying for the GS-15 must also have 4 or more years of post J.D. attorney experience.

· Experience demonstrating proficiency in interpreting and analyzing complex legal issues.

Application Process
Salary

GS-14: $108,887.00 - $141,555.00 GS-15: $128,082.00 - $160,300.00

Number of Positions
1

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.

Updated February 18, 2016