Legal Careers
Resident Legal Advisor, Ukraine
While this vacancy announcement expires on Thursday, July 3, 2025, the announcement may be closed at any time if a selection is made. This assignment is for a period of at least 22 months, beginning on or about August 2025, with the possibility of extension, contingent on the availability of funding. Appointment to this position will be through a reimbursable detail.
The Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) builds strong foreign partners who can work with the United States to enhance cooperation in transnational cases and to fight crime before it reaches our shores. OPDAT has experienced prosecutors posted around the world providing expert assistance and strategic guidance to foreign counterparts in order to combat transnational crime and terrorism in furtherance of U.S. national security.
OPDAT works closely with components throughout the Department of Justice and partners globally with federal law enforcement agencies to advance the Administration’s foreign policy. OPDAT’s programs are a critical component of Operation Take Back America. OPDAT keeps Americans safe from violent crime by increasing partner nation skills to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations at the source. At the same time, OPDAT advisors develop relationships of trust with foreign counterparts so that they can investigate and prosecute illegal migration, cartels, gangs, cybercrime, trafficking, terrorism, and other transnational crimes that are harmful to U.S. interests at home and abroad.
The Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) will work under the auspices of the United States Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine representing the Department of Justice and OPDAT to strengthen Ukraine’s efforts to combat transnational organized crime, including complex fraud and money laundering, narcotics and weapons trafficking, and related complex crimes, through a combination of legislative and policy reform, intensive technical assistance on active cases, and highly-focused skills development programs and workshops to impart best practices in line with international standards. The RLA will need both the dedication and credibility to build and maintain essential partnerships with senior justice sector officials, as well as interagency and international partners. The position will also involve coordination with other OPDAT RLA programs in the region in order to maximize DOJ’s reach and combat the extensive global network of transnational criminal organizations. The RLA will promote America First priorities by developing the ability of Ukraine’s prosecutors, investigators, and judges to build and manage cases against transnational criminal organizations and recover criminal assets concealed in the United States.
Given the ongoing war and political environment in Ukraine, the nature and scope of these responsibilities may be somewhat fluid. The RLA will work closely with OPDAT headquarters staff and U.S. interagency partners to ensure lines of effort meet Departmental and U.S. Government objectives.
We are seeking a current Department of Justice attorney. To qualify for this position, applicants must possess ALL of the requirements below:
- A Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing.
- Specific grade level requirements:
- GS-15: At least four (4) years of post J.D. legal experience, to include four (4) years of prosecutorial experience in Article III courts or comparable state level courts.
- GS-14: At least four (3) years of post J.D. legal experience, to include three (3) years of prosecutorial experience in Article III courts or comparable state level courts.
Applicants must have or be able to obtain through their Component/Agency and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
Preferred applicants have a thorough understanding and practical knowledge of Department of Justice and other United States Government approaches and policies involving complex criminal cases, transnational criminal organizations, money laundering, and security and justice sector issues. Prior experience having served as a RLA is strongly preferred.
The successful applicant should also have:
- Extensive prosecution experience, including leading complex cases and providing strategic guidance and subject matter expertise to law enforcement and other prosecutors.
- Ability to work in international and multicultural environments.
- Strong interpersonal and management skills.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Involvement with teaching activities, adult learning, designing curricula is also a plus.
While this vacancy announcement expires on Thursday, July 3, 2025, the announcement may be closed at any time if a selection is made. The Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.
All interested attorneys meeting these qualifications should submit a cover letter and resume to OPDATDetails.CEE@usdoj.gov.
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.
Under detail assignment, there is no change to the selectee’s base pay, exclusive of locality pay, supervisory pay, or other such salary add-ons. If applicable, the selectee will also receive appropriate post and overseas salary differentials.
Department Policies
The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. To learn more, please visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
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.
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.