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Legal Careers

General Attorney

Hiring Organization
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Hiring Office
Office of the General Counsel/Employment Law Unit
Job ID
Job ID: 4938
Location:
935 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20535 - United States
Application Deadline:
About the Office

The Employment Law Unit provides direct representation of the FBI in personnel-related administrative hearings and coordinates the FBI's representation in civil suits arising from personnel-related matters.

Our Mission

To protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners.

Public Service is a public trust. For the FBI, this means that the public has committed to our care the safety of our Nation and the defense of our Constitution. To sustain that trust and to meet our resulting obligations, we must adhere strictly to our core values of: Rigorous obedience to the Constitution, Respect, Compassion, Fairness, Integrity, Accountability, and Leadership.

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

Major Duties

GS-14:

· Defend the FBI throughout all phases of employment litigation, including class actions, pending nationwide before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Merit System Protection Board (“MSPB”) and ensuing appeals.

· Defend the FBI in whistleblower cases.

· Assist in representing the FBI in personnel-related litigation in federal courts of the United States.

GS-15: In addition to the above duties;

· Provide legal advice and guidance to the highest levels of FBI management on all aspects of personnel-related issues.

The ideal candidate will possess five years of substantive experience in employment litigation. Experience defending administrative agencies in federal sector employment cases, including experience practicing before the MSPB, is beneficial.

Qualifications

Key Requirements

U.S. Citizenship Required

Must be able to obtain a Top Secret clearance.

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.

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.

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

High self-assessment in the vacancy questions that is not supported by information in your resume, and/or supporting documents may eliminate you from Most Competitive status or result in a lowered score.

Application Process

Please apply to the posting on www.fbijobs.gov and please attach all of the necessary documents.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package by the closing date which includes:

Your resume (required) and cover letter (Mandatory)

A complete assessment questionnaire (required)

A Writing Sample, not to exceed 10 pages (Mandatory);

Other supporting documents:

· Proof of current and active Bar Association Membership

· Photocopy of Law School Transcripts

Please Note: FBI employees currently assigned to a General Attorney position do not need to provide LAW School Transcripts of Proof of Bar Association Membership.

· Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50

· Most recent Performance Appraisal. Please Note: This does not apply to current FBI employees.

· For Veterans: DD 214, and for Disabled Veterans: DD214, SF-15, and VA letter dated 1991 or later

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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Salary

Salary Range: GS-14: $108,887.00 to $141,555.00

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 June 3, 2016