Legal Careers
Supervisory Attorney-Adviser (General Counsel)
Washington, DC 20530 - United States
The Office of the Pardon Attorney (PARDON) fulfills the duties of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in support of the President’s clemency power under Article II, § 2 of the Constitution. For over 130 years, the President has relied on the advice and assistance of Attorney General in exercising the clemency power. PARDON is the office designated to carry out this function under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General. PARDON receives petitions for executive clemency, initiates the necessary investigations, and prepares the recommendations for DOJ leadership and the President in the consideration of all forms of executive clemency, including commutation of sentence, pardon, reprieve, remission of fine, and commutation of the penalty of death. For more information about the Office, please visit our Web page at https://www.justice.gov/pardon.
PARDON is seeking an experienced attorney to serve in the role of General Counsel for PARDON, to perform duties, including litigation preparation, coordination with litigating components of the Department, including General Counsel, Federal Programs, the Civil and Criminal Divisions, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to oversee the component’s FOIA work, and to provide counsel and guidance to senior component managers on areas of general law and federal requirements. Among other responsibilities, the General Counsel provides high-level counsel and assistance to the Pardon Attorney, Senior Deputy Pardon Attorney and Deputy Pardon Attorney regarding the preparation and dissemination of policy-related guidance on matters of importance and sensitivity. The position will also serve as a first-line supervisor of a team of attorneys and legal support staff, rating overall performance, and assigning special projects to address assessed office needs.
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), have a minimum of five years of post-J.D. experience, and be a U.S. citizen.
The work of the General Counsel requires significant attention to detail and the ability to conduct complex legal research and analyses involving regulatory mandates, special initiatives of the Administration, Office of the Attorney General and Office of the Deputy Attorney General. Individuals must perform research on assigned questions of law or policy and prepare reports and memoranda for the use of senior officials of the Department. This position also requires the interpretation of Rules Governing Petitions for Executive Clemency (28 CFR 1.1 et seq.,) and other mission-critical programs of PARDON. A successful candidate will have the ability to manage a significant caseload and work both independently and collaboratively. The Office places a premium on the commitment and ability to prioritize assignments and efficiently produce high-quality work, including substantial, appropriately focused, and well-written work products.
This position is located in Washington, DC. This is NOT a fully remote position and employees will be required to come into the office. An out-of-area applicant who is selected for this position will be expected to relocate at their own expense. This position is telework eligible consistent with the Office’s telework policy.
Preferred Qualifications:
Practice experience in federal regulatory, privacy, FOIA, and criminal law, prior federal or administrative litigation experience, and excellent legal research and writing skills are strongly preferred qualifications.
Applicants must submit a resume, writing sample (not to exceed 20 pages), and cover letter. The cover letter should highlight relevant experience and address the mandatory and preferred qualifications from the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement.
Applications should be submitted by email to: Pardon.AttorneyVacancies@usdoj.gov. Please include “Attorney Adviser” in the subject line.
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.
The salary range for this position is GS-15 ($167,603 - $195,200 per year).
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.