Clarification from the agency

This is a public notice flyer. Applications will not be accepted through USA Jobs. If you are interested in applying please see the official announcement on the DOJs Legal Careers page.

About the Office

The Office of Human Capital supports the Department's mission of administering justice by developing and implementing policy and programs, providing guidance, and leading efforts to attract, develop, and retain high performing employees.

The Labor and Employment Law Office (LEL) of the Office of Human Capital (OHC) has a department-wide policy and oversight role in Labor Law/Relations and Employment Law/Relations. LEL is responsible for providing advice to component employee relations staff and General Counsels' Offices on matters relating to performance, disciplinary and adverse actions, claims of reprisal, and the Department's Agency Grievance Procedure. LEL works with and provides advice and guidance to managers and Employment Relations staff throughout the Department on drafting notices of discipline and adverse actions and responses to employee grievances. LEL also advises component General Counsel offices and Labor Relations staffs on unfair labor practices, arbitration awards, negotiability claims and representation matters. LEL is also the Agency-Head Designee for all collective bargaining agreements and files exceptions before the FLRA on behalf of Department components LEL provides legal advice on a variety of Human Resources Staff issues when requested. LEL staff also represent the Department before the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and coordinates and implements the Department's LEL training programs.

The Labor and Employment Law Office (LEL) is seeking an experienced Attorney Advisor, at the Senior Attorney level to provide legal advice and guidance on the most difficult labor and employment issues faced by the Department, many of which involve novel circumstances or conflicting precedents. The major duties include:

• Interacts with a broad cross-section of Department officials, including senior Department officials; the General Counsel's offices throughout the Department; and Labor and Employment Relations representatives in various components. In doing so provides advice and guidance on a full spectrum of labor and employment law issues including the implementation of new requirements from senior leadership at the Department level.
• Works in conjunction with the Civil Division's Commercial Litigation and Appellate Branches, as well as the Office or the Solicitor General, on actions before the Federal Courts from the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) dealing with labor and employment cases which significantly impact the Department's (or its components') and other agencies abilities to carry out their missions.
• Administering the Department's directives on subjects such as the administrative grievance procedure, employee-management relations, labor relations, and disciplinary adverse actions.
• Analyzes ER and LR policy issues for the Department and prepares comments and/or briefing materials on proposed regulations and/or legislation pertaining to these subjects.
• Assists the Assistant Director, who is the Agency-Head designee in the review of all Department collective bargaining agreements.
• Provides counsel and drafts decisions on security clearance revocation appeals for the Department's Access Review Committee (ARC).
• Responds to data requests from OPM, OMB and Congressional offices related to Labor and Employment law matters.
• Represent the Department in litigation matters before the MSPB, EEOC and FLRA.
• Provides ER and LR training to components and offers guidance regarding the use of alternative dispute resolution in administrative processes.
• Conducts extensive legal research involving complex legal questions and develops options for leadership at the highest levels of the Department; routinely reviews statutory provisions, federal court decisions, and administrative agency rulings.
• Develops ER and LR procedures or policies for implementation across the Department.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a probationary or trial period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 3-years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience
• Must be a U.S. citizen already employed by the U.S. Department of Justice or the U.S. Government
• Must have three years of legal advisory, legal research, and policy development experience in Employment Law

How you will be evaluated

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

The application materials are required to be submitted electronically as a pdf file by all applicants (including attorneys currently appointed to positions in the Department of Justice) and emailed to JMDOHCApplications@jmd.usdoj.gov with the subject line "ATTORNEY ADVISOR - LEL-002" by March 27, 2026.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

When addressing the specialized experience statement, applicants must present evidence of the experience in their resume. If the specialized experience statement is repeated, in the applicant's resume, Human Resources will deem the applicant as ineligible.

Evaluation Process

A panel of subject matter experts will review applications to determine how well a candidate meets the minimum position qualifications outlined above. If a candidate is deemed qualified, they will be contacted via email or telephone to schedule an interview. Interviews will be scored by a selecting committee and those who fall into the best-qualified category will be considered for the position.