The Office of the Inspector General is one of the best places to work in the Department of Justice and is one of the premier inspector general offices in federal government. The OIG's OGC is a collegial office of 4 attorneys and 5 government information specialists. OGC provides legal advice on complex issues relevant to general OIG operations and specific OIG audits, investigations, inspections, and reviews.
Summary
The Office of the Inspector General is one of the best places to work in the Department of Justice and is one of the premier inspector general offices in federal government. The OIG's OGC is a collegial office of 4 attorneys and 5 government information specialists. OGC provides legal advice on complex issues relevant to general OIG operations and specific OIG audits, investigations, inspections, and reviews.
As an Attorney Advisor, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing critical legal advice and technical services in support of the OIG's core oversight mission. OGC Attorney Advisors are experienced attorneys who have previously served as civil litigators (in government and private practice), prosecutors, defense counsel, and agency counsel. OGC Attorney Advisors handle a broad range of long-term and short-term assignments, develop expertise in a wide variety of legal and policy issues, and interact with management and staff across the OIG. Typical work assignments include, but are not limited to:
1. Providing legal opinions or memoranda on complex and difficult issues of law relevant to general OIG operations or to particular OIG audits, investigations, inspections, or reviews, which encompass criminal, national security, ethics, and other issues.
2. Engaging in meetings, personal contacts, and telephone conferences with top legal and administrative personnel in the Department of Justice and other federal agencies, on important legal and policy questions and issues.
3. Acting as the principal attorney in charge of the preparation and presentation of cases before administrative bodies, and serving as the OIG's liaison with the litigating DOJ component in litigation to which the OIG is a party.
4. Analyzing and preparing recommendations for OIG responses to requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and reviewing OIG reports for Privacy Act protected and proprietary information to clear such reports for public release.
5. Consulting and coordinating with OIG investigators in preparing recommendations for suspension and department actions by the Department against financially irresponsible parties doing business with the Department.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
You must register with Selective Service, if applicable.
Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory preemployment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
J.D. degree and active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required.
You may be required to serve a trial period for this position.
It is DOJ policy 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.
Financial Disclosure: If selected, you will be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
Qualifications
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position you must be a graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, possess a J.D. Degree, and be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).
Possessing the minimum post law degree legal experience does not guarantee the applicant will be selected at that grade level.
In addition, to qualify for this position at the GS-15 level, applicants must have at least 4 years or more post-J.D. legal experience, one (1) of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include providing legal opinions or memoranda on complex and difficult issues of law; reviewing and preparing recommendations for responses to subpoenas and other requests for production of materials; in depth knowledge of FOIA rules and regulations; and conducting litigation, including trying cases, before courts and administrative tribunal.
You must meet all qualifications by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.
Additional information
Candidates should be committed to approving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of the American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: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.
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 must indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included in their cover letter or resume) and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. 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, http://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).
Schedule A: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and 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. DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes.
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. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.
DOJ EEO:. The he 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.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire. You are NOT required to provide a separate narrative written response. Rather, you must describe in your application, in detail, how your present and/or past work experience demonstrates that you possess the competencies identified below:
Extensive litigation experience, including drafting and filing legal briefs or memoranda as well as presenting evidence in proceedings before courts or administrative tribunals, with demonstrated abilities in the areas of written and oral advocacy.
Extensive experience analyzing complex legal issues, making statutory interpretations, and developing sound and supportable legal recommendations and arguments.
Thorough knowledge of legal principles and federal law, including familiarity with the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, employment law, contract law, and federal ethics regulations.
Ability to represent an organization professionally and articulate the organization's position at meetings and in interactions with high-level officials, and to coordinate with internal and external offices.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. A subject matter expert will then review all qualified applicants and make recommendations for invitation to interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview.
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.
A current resume showing relevant experience. Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement- see USAJOBS for formatting requirements. Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job:
Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade),
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month and year),
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
The resume should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Member in Good Standing: Documentation showing you are currently an active member in good standing of the bar of any state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Assessment Questionnaire(you will be prompted to complete this when you apply online).
If you are a veteran and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility.
If you are a veteran and you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference click here.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 01/02/2026 to receive consideration.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Office of General Counsel
950 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20530
US
Next steps
We will notify you of your candidate status after each step of the recruitment process (receipt of application, determination of basic qualifications, notice of forward to selecting official, and final selection). We expect to make a tentative job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement and will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer once all reviews have been completed. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency during the probationary period.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
A current resume showing relevant experience. Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement- see USAJOBS for formatting requirements. Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job:
Official position title (if Federal, include series/grade),
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (for full consideration you must include month and year),
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
The resume should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Member in Good Standing: Documentation showing you are currently an active member in good standing of the bar of any state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Assessment Questionnaire(you will be prompted to complete this when you apply online).
If you are a veteran and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility.
If you are a veteran and you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference click here.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 01/02/2026 to receive consideration.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the "Track this application" link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Office of General Counsel
950 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20530
US
Next steps
We will notify you of your candidate status after each step of the recruitment process (receipt of application, determination of basic qualifications, notice of forward to selecting official, and final selection). We expect to make a tentative job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement and will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer once all reviews have been completed. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency during the probationary period.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
