The Office of Legal Counsel provides legal advice to the President and all executive branch agencies. The Office drafts legal opinions of the Attorney General and provides its own written opinions and other advice in response to requests from the Counsel to the President, the various agencies of the Executive Branch, and other components of the Department of Justice. The Office is also responsible for reviewing and commenting on the constitutionality of pending legislation.
Summary
The Office of Legal Counsel provides legal advice to the President and all executive branch agencies. The Office drafts legal opinions of the Attorney General and provides its own written opinions and other advice in response to requests from the Counsel to the President, the various agencies of the Executive Branch, and other components of the Department of Justice. The Office is also responsible for reviewing and commenting on the constitutionality of pending legislation.
This position is located in the Office of Legal Counsel. As a Senior Executive, the incumbent provides legal advice and staff assistance to the Assistant Attorney General and has responsibility for handling a number of matters of ongoing concern to the Office, as well as special projects, subject to the general direction of the Assistant Attorney General.
Specifically, the incumbent will:
Prepare formal written legal opinions for the signature of the Assistant Attorney General and as requested by the Assistant Attorney General, and under his direction, provide informal legal advice to other components of the Department and to other executive agencies.
Assist the Assistant Attorney General in supervising the Office's counseling function in specific areas as assigned and advise the Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Assistant Attorneys General on legal issues within assigned areas of responsibility.
Review executive orders, presidential proclamations, and Attorney General orders for form and legality, including ensuring documents do not pose constitutional, statutory, or other legal problems.
Participate in the supervision and management of the Office's practice involving executive orders, presidential proclamations, and Attorney General orders and communicate with the White House Counsel Office, the Office of Management and Budget, senior leadership of the Department, and other officials with respect to these matters.
Advise on legal issues regarding appointments and removals, acting officers, delegations, and related matters.
Provide supervisory assistance to Attorney-Advisers and review their written work, as assigned by the Assistant Attorney General.
Represent the Office at conferences and meetings within and outside the Department, as assigned.
Veterans' preference is not applicable to the Senior Executive Service.
Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check for the security level designated for this position.
You will be required to undergo a drug screening and obtain favorable results prior to being appointed.
You may be subject to a one-year probationary period effective from the date in which you are appointed.
This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) upon entry, and annually thereafter in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
You must meet all minimum qualifications to be deemed eligible. Only experience obtained by closing date of this announcement will be considered.
As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications.
Note regarding COVID-19: To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
Qualifications
The application process used to recruit for this position is TRADITIONAL METHOD. The applicant must address the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) as separate narrative statements not to exceed 2 pages per MTQ. Applications without separate narrative statements will not be considered.
We recommend that your application emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the programs managed, and your program accomplishments, including the results of your actions. You will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required of the position and on the extent your application demonstrates that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the Special Counsel. Please be sure to give concrete examples of your experience and demonstrate the complexity of the knowledge you possess.
MTQ 1: Demonstrated experience and expertise in interpreting constitutional provisions and Federal statutes, rendering authoritative opinions on a wide variety of complex legal issues, and ensuring legal documents do not pose constitutional, statutory, or other legal problems.
MTQ 2: Demonstrated experience advising and interacting with a wide range of lawyers and policymakers to help them achieve and implement policy initiatives in a manner that comports with all applicable legal requirements.
MTQ 3: Demonstrated experience in providing leadership and guidance to other organizational leadership and other attorneys, including to ensure final work products are accurate, precise, and legal.
Additionally, your demonstrated leadership ability and the evidence of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) must be addressed as separate narrative statements not to exceed ten (10) pages. Applications without separate narrative statements will not be considered.
Note: Applicants who have completed the SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) and have had their ECQs certified by OPM must provide a copy of their certificate as part of their application. Candidates must still satisfy the MTQs of the position.
ECQ1 - LEADING CHANGE. This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.
ECQ2 - LEADING PEOPLE. This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
ECQ3 - RESULTS DRIVEN. This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.
ECQ4 - BUSINESS ACUMEN. This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.
ECQ5 - BUILDING COALITIONS. This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.
In order to qualify, you must meet the basic educational requirements.
A. Law degree (J.D. or LL. B) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
AND
B. Bar Membership: Be active member in good standing of a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or territory of the United States.
IMPORTANT: Applicants are responsible for citing J.D. and bar membership information (institution name, state(s) for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes. Applicants who possess an equivalent degree rather than J.D., may be subject to additional review by the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management.
Additional information
DOJ offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Pay_and_Benefits.
EEO Policy Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor. The complete DOJ EEO Statement/Policy is found at: http://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/08-eeo-policy.pdf.
Reasonable Accommodation
Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Legal and Regulatory Guidance
Social Security Number - Your Social Security Number may be requested under the authority of Executive Order 9397 to uniquely identify your records from those of other applicants who may have the same name. As allowed by law or Presidential directive, your Social Security Number is used to seek information about you from employers, schools, banks, and others who may know you.
Privacy Act - Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.
Signature - Before you are hired, you will be required to sign and certify the accuracy of the information in your application.
False Statements - If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or you may be subject to fine, imprisonment, or other disciplinary action.
Selective Service - If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Only experience obtained by the 11:59pm EST on the closing date (05/06/2022) of this announcement will be considered.
Please see the "How to Apply" section for specific instructions. Your application must demonstrate the necessary level of management skills, characteristics, qualities, specialized knowledge, and technical competence that would indicate successful performance in the SES. This evidence must include clear and concise examples that emphasize the applicant's level of responsibilities, scope, and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments, policy initiatives, and level of contacts.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Complete Resume
ECQ Narratives (Not to exceed 10 pages, separate document) or Certification of OPM QRB approval (for graduates of SES Candidate Development Programs or Individuals who have been previously certified by OPM)
MTQ Narratives (2 pages per MTQ) - Separate Document
Recent SF-50 that shows Official Title, Salary, Grade Level, Status and (for current or former federal employees)
Recent Performance Appraisal (for current or former federal employees)
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
Failure to submit a complete application (resume and all supporting documents) by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 05/06/2022 may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully as missing application information will not be requested. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
If more than one resume is received, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed.
Note: To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.
The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.
Office of Legal Counsel
2 Constitution Square
145 N Street NE
Room 9W.300
Washington, DC 20530
US
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Complete Resume
ECQ Narratives (Not to exceed 10 pages, separate document) or Certification of OPM QRB approval (for graduates of SES Candidate Development Programs or Individuals who have been previously certified by OPM)
MTQ Narratives (2 pages per MTQ) - Separate Document
Recent SF-50 that shows Official Title, Salary, Grade Level, Status and (for current or former federal employees)
Recent Performance Appraisal (for current or former federal employees)
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
Failure to submit a complete application (resume and all supporting documents) by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 05/06/2022 may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully as missing application information will not be requested. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
If more than one resume is received, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed.
Note: To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.
The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Do not email or send hard copy resumes/applications to the Contact Information or Agency Information listed in this vacancy announcement. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will be destroyed and will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.
Office of Legal Counsel
2 Constitution Square
145 N Street NE
Room 9W.300
Washington, DC 20530
US
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
