The Civil Litigation Units (CLUs) act as legal counsel to the FBI and its employees in regard to a wide array of civil lawsuits, administrative claims, requests for testimony and/or documents, representation matters, and related areas. The CLU units coordinate the defense of civil actions filed against the FBI and its employees under the United States Constitution and a variety of statutes including the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), and the U.S. Patriot Act. The CLU units work closely on these cases with the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney's Offices around the country. The CLU units' primary responsibilities include assisting FBI employees in obtaining Department of Justice representation in personal-liability suits, representing FBI employees in depositions, preparing affidavits and declarations in support of motions, and providing the full range of assistance at administrative, trial and in post-trial proceedings. Finally, the units handle the FBI's response to civil subpoena matters and provide legal advice concerning a variety of civil litigation matters to include scope determinations and FBI potential liability for investigative operations.
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.
Key Requirements
U.S. Citizenship Required
Must be able to obtain a Top-Secret/SCI clearance.
Selectees will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450, prior to entering on duty and annually thereafter.
GS-15:
- Manages and directs the defense of civil actions brought against the FBI and its employees, policy development as it relates to civil litigation to ensure consistency in the FBI’s legal position and maintains oversight of administrative records relating to the CLU Units.
- Responsible for supervising attorneys and other professionals handling matters, including administrative taskings related to all aspects of civil litigation.
- Responsible for completing the full range of personnel actions for these employees, including performance appraisals, recommendations for within-grade and quality step increases, promotions and reassignments. The Unit Chief takes corrective actions to resolve grievances and complaints, supports and promotes the FBI’s and DOJ’s equal opportunity program.
- Manage the unit’s resources, and will plan, organize, and direct the unit’s activities. The Unit Chief as appropriate will interact with and provide support to the General Counsel, the Deputy General Counsel for the Litigation Branch, and other FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) officials..
- Represents the Litigation Branch and OGC with respect to FBI and DOJ officials and representatives from other agencies.
- Establish and maintain effective relationships with the FBI's partners and the IC community in the civil litigation arena, including DOJ, U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and other federal agencies with an interest in civil litigation issues that may impact the government, and specifically the FBI and/or FBI information.
Must be able to obtain a Top Secret-SCI clearance.
Qualifications and Evaluations
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 both proof of JD degree and proof of good standing with a bar within US jurisdiction by the closing date of the job opening. 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.
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. 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). Applicants applying for the GS-15 must also have 4 or more years of post J.D. legal experience.
How to Attach Documents:
To attach documentation for submission, please follow the instructions below. Once documents are successfully attached, they will automatically get sent to HR.
Step 1: Login to your FBI Jobs account, and click the "My Career Tools" hyperlink at the top of the page
Step 2: Click the "Add Attachment" hyperlink located under the "Cover Letters and Attachments" section
Step 3: Select the appropriate Attachment Type (or "Other" if one is not available)
Step 4: Populate the Attachment Purpose field
Step 5: Click the Add Attachment hyperlink
Step 6: Upload the desired attachment
Step 7: Click "Save & Add More" (if you are attaching more than one) or "Save & Return" if you have finished attaching documents
What to Expect Next
Once your complete application is received we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. The Most Competitive candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of your status throughout the process.
Additional Information
Additional selections may be made from this announcement to fill positions within the same division when the position includes substantially the same duties and responsibilities and qualifications.
Probationary employees are generally precluded from being considered for other FBI job opportunities until their 12-month probationary period has concluded.
Memorandum of Understanding: Any work performed outside normally assigned duties (that would not normally be documented on a SF-50, i. e., back-up duties), has to be properly documented in detail by an immediate supervisor in order to receive full credit for amount of time worked in that position. If no documentation is furnished no credit will be given for time worked in that position. The following notations must be specified in the documentation (Memorandum of Understanding):
Percent of time worked in the particular position (cannot conflict with main duties)
The month/year work began
Frequency worked (i.e., daily, monthly, etc.)
Specific duties performed.
Attach the Memorandum of Understanding to your application in the Cover Letters and Attachments section of My Career Tools on the Careers Home page. Please upload the attachment as type “Other.”
Policy has been implemented that requires support employees entering a position through a competitive OR non-competitive action may be precluded from moving to another position within the Bureau by means of reassignment or change to a lower grade for a minimum of 12 months.
This policy does not apply to probationary employees. Probationary employees are generally precluded from being considered for all job opportunities until their 12-month probationary period has concluded.
All internal FBI candidates being considered competitively or non-competitively for positions at the GS 14 and GS 15 levels are subject to a complete name check of FBI records for any pending or past disciplinary actions and equal employment investigations for the past 3 years.
Candidates are ineligible to apply if currently on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP); a Letter of Requirement (LOR); or have failed a PIP or LOR and are currently awaiting the final action by HRD.
- A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is a 90-day written developmental plan for an employee whose performance on one or more critical elements is rated "Unacceptable".
- A Letter of Requirement (LOR) is issued when a supervisor identifies leave abuse and/or when frequent absences negatively impact operations of an office.
The selectee will be required to serve a one-year probationary period for initial assignment to a supervisory position.
Veterans' Preference: 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 are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.
The FBI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for this vacancy. Except where otherwise provided by law, selection will be made without regard to, and there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, parental status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, age, sex, sexual orientation, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism, or any other non-merit factors.
The FBI welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities and will reasonably accommodate the needs of those persons. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the person on the extension provided above. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. The FBI 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.
The FBI is in the Executive Branch of the federal government. It is one of the components of the Department of Justice (DOJ). The FBI is the principal investigative arm of the DOJ. All FBI positions are in the excepted service.
The FBI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and/or hiring process, please notify the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Affairs (OEEOA) Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Program by either e-mail at REASONABLE_ACCOMMODATIONS@ic.fbi.gov, telephone at 202-324-2158, or FAX at 202-324-3976. Your request will receive an individualized assessment and will be processed in the order it was received.
THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS IS ONLY FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION AND/OR ANY QUESTIONS UNRELATED TO REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS. SHOULD ANY APPLICATIONS BE RECEIVED, THEY WILL NOT BE FORWARDED FOR CONSIDERATION DURING THE HIRING PROCESS.
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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.