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Attorney Adviser (Legislative and Policy Counsel)

Department of Justice
Offices, Boards and Divisions
Civil Rights Division, Policy and Strategy Section
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Are you interested in a rewarding and challenging opportunity? Join the U.S. Department of Justice!

The Policy and Strategy Section is seeking one experienced attorney for the position of Attorney Adviser (Legislative and Policy Counsel).

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/10/2021 to 04/01/2021
Salary
$103,690 to - $172,500 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13 - 15
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
21-ATT-POL-007 (DLP)
Control number
594838200

Duties

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The incumbent of this position will report directly to the Section Chief and the core duties of this position include: (1) the development and review of new legislative proposals, regulations, management and policy initiatives, and other legal matters that affect the Department and the Division's work on civil rights matters; (2) working closely with Division management, the Department's Office of Legislative Affairs and the Department's Office of Legal Policy to coordinate the review, development and advancement of legislation, regulations, or policy proposals related to the work of the Division, as well as strategies for implementation; (3) facilitating and organizing meetings with external governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations on civil rights issues; and ( 4) other policy-related duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
  • All male applicants born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the selective service. If selected, the applicant must sign a statement certifying his registration, or the applicant must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
  • You may be required to complete a pre-employment security screening to initiate your background investigation, which includes a drug screening. Continued employment is contingent upon successful completion and adjudication of your investigation.
  • You must have a Juris Doctorate degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of the bar of a state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
  • DOJ uses E-Verify, an internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, by visiting www.e-verify.gov/.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

Applicants must possess a J.D. or LL.B professional law degree from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school, be an active member of the bar in good standing of the bar of any state or territory, or the District of Columbia, and possess the minimum years of post professional law degree experience commensurate to the grade level of eligibility. Applicants must have demonstrated academic achievement; substantive knowledge and work experience in at least one area of federal civil rights law enforced by the Division; experience drafting and/or interpreting federal laws, rules, and regulations; strong written and oral communication skills; ability to analyze complex issues; outstanding skill and experience working collaboratively and productively with others; strong organizational skills; solid professional judgment; demonstrated initiative; and the ability to excel in a fast-paced, highly demanding environment.

Preferred Qualifications:
The following qualifications are preferred but not required: experience working on federal policy and/or legislation, including experience working in Congress and/or in the Executive Branch; substantive knowledge and work experience in two or more areas of federal civil rights law enforced by the Division.

Possessing the minimum post law degree legal experience does not guarantee the applicant will be selected at that grade level.

  • GS-13 - minimum 1.5 years post-JD legal experience
  • GS-14 - minimum 2.5 years post-JD legal experience
  • GS-15 - minimum 4 years post-JD legal experience

Education

You must possess a J.D. degree.

Additional information

Equal Employment Opportunity: 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 color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, pregnancy, status as a parent, or any other nonmerit-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.

Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: 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.

Suitability and Citizenship: 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 who have lived outside the United States for two or more of the past five years will likely have difficulty being approved for appointments by the Department Security Staff. The two-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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applicants will be evaluated based on interview performance, the qualifications set forth above, and other job-related skills, experience and qualifications consistent with merit system principles applicable to hiring for career positions with the Department of Justice.

Applicants who are selected for an interview may be asked to complete a short writing exercise, the results of which will be used when evaluating candidates for the position(s).

Veterans: 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 his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

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