Join the Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia as a Supervisory Attorney-Advisor. Lead key initiatives advancing pretrial justice in the Nation's Capital. As chief legal counsel, provide expert advice on criminal law, operations, and compliance. Oversee legal staff, represent the Agency in major proceedings, and shape strategies that enhance public safety and justice integrity. Ideal for strategic thinkers skilled in federal law, legal writing, and advocacy.
Summary
Join the Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia as a Supervisory Attorney-Advisor. Lead key initiatives advancing pretrial justice in the Nation's Capital. As chief legal counsel, provide expert advice on criminal law, operations, and compliance. Oversee legal staff, represent the Agency in major proceedings, and shape strategies that enhance public safety and justice integrity. Ideal for strategic thinkers skilled in federal law, legal writing, and advocacy.
As the Deputy Assistant Director for the Office of Legal Services, you will:
1. Serve as the chief, senior legal expert and counsel to the Director and Assistant Directors. Incumbent is the supervisor to a group with a broad scope of responsibilities in the areas related to regulations and case law regarding pretrial rights and obligations of defendants, policy development and records management. Incumbent has considerable latitude in problem identification, work prioritization, and methodology. Incumbent provides authoritative legal advice and assistance to PSA senior management on implementation of pretrial programs.
2. Provide legal expertise, guidance, and day-to-day administration of the privacy program. The incumbent is responsible for the agency's compliance with applicable privacy and information security laws and provides expert legal advice to the agency's leadership on privacy and information security matters.
3. Perform the full range of administrative and technical supervisory duties including assigning work and establishing priorities; evaluating performance objectives in cooperation with subordinates; giving advice, counsel, and/or instruction to subordinates on both work and administrative matters; interviewing and recommending selections of candidates for positions, promotions, and reassignments; and hearing and resolving complaints from subordinates. Provide leadership and legal guidance on general and administrative matters within the Agency's scope.
4. Provide leadership to subordinates and legal advice and guidance to senior leadership on a broad spectrum of legal and policy matters including investigations, public affairs and other pretrial matters.
5. In coordination with the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) Designated Agency Ethics Official, facilitates PSA employee compliance with ethics requirements and acts as the senior attorney with expertise in the standards of conduct and conflicts of interest program for the Agency.
6. Coordinate, as necessary, with CSOSA's Office of the General Counsel to address and resolve matters related to PSA's legal, policy and/or regulatory compliance.
7. Represent the Agency in third-party administrative and quasi-judicial proceedings. Provide expert legal advice on proposed replies to and proceedings of boards, investigating officers, and administrative bodies concerning all employee personnel matters.
8. Manage the Agency's subpoena response program, ensuring compliance with relevant federal laws governing the release and disclosure of sensitive defendant information.
9. Review settlement agreements, provide advice and guidance on litigation strategy and administrative proceedings, conduct research, and review and draft legal opinions on a broad spectrum of general pretrial and administrative law matters.
10. Implement legal policies and procedures for compatibility with other PSA and CSOSA policies, applicable law and regulations. Administer legal programs that support ways to mitigate possible conflicts and to resolve legal issues.
11. Oversee staff advisement to senior level officials on various legal aspects of pretrial policies, plans and employee-based programs. Oversee staff advisement to pretrial staff concerning aspects of interpretation, applicability and implementation of operational programs in a way that is consistent with pretrial principles, National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies Standards and American Bar Association Standards, applicable statutes and case law.
12. Oversee staff administration and processing of reasonable accommodation requests submitted by PSA employees and applicants.
13. Provide expert legal advice to the Agency executives in assessing obstacles to data sharing between PSA and partner criminal justice, social service and treatment agencies in the District of Columbia; this involves legal analysis of barriers, suggestions for overcoming barriers, and drafting necessary legislation to address complex data issues for multiple agencies.
14. Oversee staff work that involves providing legal advice in administrative areas, including finance, procurement, human capital management and information technology.
15. Serve as the Senior Agency Official for Records Management (SAORM) and provides strategic leadership and oversight of the Agency's record management program, ensuring agency -wide compliance with federal records management statutes, regulations and National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
Bargaining Unit Status and chapter: Not Covered, AFGE Local 1456
This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies
This is not a law enforcement position
Conditions of Employment
1. Must be a U.S. Citizen
2. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
3. Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
4. May be required to successfully complete a probationary period, if not already completed
5. All applicants are subject to a comprehensive criminal background investigation, and required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment
6. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice
7. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
8. Will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Form within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
9. Must have a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. Candidates must be an active member in good standing of a bar association for any state within the United States or the District of Columbia.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, you must meet the education requirement, and specialized experience requirement below.
Candidates must have a Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA accredited law school and be a current member in good standing of the bar association of any state within the United States or District of Columbia. If not a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the incumbent must be eligible for admission without examination under DC Court of Appeals Rule 46(e)(3). Bar membership must be active and valid through the recruitment process up to and including onboarding. Expired documentation will not be accepted. AND Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must have a minimum of one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility comparable to the GS-14 or comparable band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as supervising staff attorney(s); providing recommendations and advice to senior level officials on complex legal problems; and providing problem-solving and creative management and leadership on legal, programmatic and policy matters.
NOTE: Your resume must clearly show the specialized experience related to this position. Failure to demonstrate how you possess the experience requirements will result in an "Ineligible" rating.
Education
Candidates must submit law school transcript(s) from an ABA accredited law school. Transcripts may be official or unofficial and must include the school's name, student name, degree and date awarded. (Note: If you are selected for the position and you submitted an unofficial transcript with your application, an official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day). All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit:https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation
Additional information
1. If you are an eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant or Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) applicant, you may apply for special selection over other applicants for this position. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal/PSA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified, you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for more information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility.
2. If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you should attach a copy of your DD-214 (unedited long version) or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must attach an SF-15, "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form.
3. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review in our office, in other Federal agency personnel offices, and on OPM's web site at OPM Qualification Standards .
4. In accordance with Executive Order 14170 and the Merit Hiring Plan guidance issued by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, applicants for this position are invited to respond to four essay questions. These questions are designed to provide you with an opportunity to share your commitment to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution, as well as your dedication to public service. While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. Click here to review the questionshttps://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12906601.
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 rating will be based on your responses to the job specific information provided in your resume. Your resume must clearly show how you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below. Failure to demonstrate how you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities will result in a rating of "Qualified" by the rating panel.
1. Ability to perform legal analyses and render findings and recommendations related to legal research, and draft policy, regulations or legislation in support of criminal justice, pretrial programs and employment-related programs.
2. Ability to perform legal analyses and render findings and recommendations in support of administrative operations for an organization, including financial management, procurement, facilities management, information technology and/or human resources (including employee and labor relations and disability program management).
3. Ability to supervise or lead communication regarding legal concepts (e.g., criminal law and criminal justice programs), federal laws, rules and regulations effectively, both orally and in writing, with a variety of audiences, including governmental representatives and the general public.
Once the application process is completed, your application will be reviewed to ensure you meet the job requirements. You will be evaluated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training. If you meet the basic qualification requirements, your resume will be forwarded to a panel for rating. Category Rating will be used to evaluate applicants using the following categories to further determine which applicants will be referred to the selecting official for final consideration.
Best Qualified: Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a superior level on all evaluation criteria.
Well Qualified: Applicants possessing a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level on evaluation criteria.
Qualified: Applicants possessing the specialized experience described above.
Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veterans' preference above non-veterans within each category. Veterans who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements, and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the highest quality category (Best Qualified), except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher.
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:
1. Your resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, duties performed and salary information. Only resumes up to a total of 2 pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding 2 pages will be removed from consideration. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
2. Other supporting documents:
College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Transcripts must include the school's name, student name, degree and date awarded, if applicable. (Note: If you are selected for the position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day) Required to satisfy the education requirement.
DD-214 (member 4 copy) showing honorable discharge, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
Only send documentation as requested/required by this announcement and that directly supports your qualifications for this position.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date (04/16/2026) to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Tara Stoney at (202) 220-5586 or Tara.Stoney@psa.gov to obtain instructions on how to submit an alternative application.
Only resumes up to a total of 2 pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding 2 pages will removed from consideration. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
Division of the Chief of Staff
633 Indiana Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
US
Next steps
Once the on-line application and supporting documents are received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
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:
1. Your resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, duties performed and salary information. Only resumes up to a total of 2 pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding 2 pages will be removed from consideration. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
2. Other supporting documents:
College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Transcripts must include the school's name, student name, degree and date awarded, if applicable. (Note: If you are selected for the position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day) Required to satisfy the education requirement.
DD-214 (member 4 copy) showing honorable discharge, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
Only send documentation as requested/required by this announcement and that directly supports your qualifications for this position.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date (04/16/2026) to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Tara Stoney at (202) 220-5586 or Tara.Stoney@psa.gov to obtain instructions on how to submit an alternative application.
Only resumes up to a total of 2 pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding 2 pages will removed from consideration. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
Division of the Chief of Staff
633 Indiana Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
US
Next steps
Once the on-line application and supporting documents are received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
