The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), under delegation from the Attorney General, provides authoritative legal advice to the President and all executive branch agencies. OLC drafts formal legal opinions, resolves complex and interagency legal disputes, and reviews the constitutionality of pending legislation. The Senior Counsel serves in OLC, which is led by an Assistant Attorney General who supports the Attorney General in overseeing DOJ operations and advising executive departments and agencies.
Summary
The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), under delegation from the Attorney General, provides authoritative legal advice to the President and all executive branch agencies. OLC drafts formal legal opinions, resolves complex and interagency legal disputes, and reviews the constitutionality of pending legislation. The Senior Counsel serves in OLC, which is led by an Assistant Attorney General who supports the Attorney General in overseeing DOJ operations and advising executive departments and agencies.
*Note: This is a Senior Level position (SL). Most senior level employees are in non-executive positions whose duties are broad and complex enough to be classified above GS-15. The position duties are primarily leading teams and projects, and do not meet the SES functional criteria.
The incumbent of this position has wide experience, knowledge, and achievements in the field of national security law, as well as administrative and constitutional law. The incumbent's expertise in national security law includes, but is not limited to, surveillance statutes, cyber law, and the provisions of the Constitution bearing on national security questions.
Advises, orally and in writing, about questions under the surveillance and cyber statutes, such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Stored Communications Act; other statutes bearing on the national security, besides those statutes dealing with surveillance and cyber matters; executive orders, such as Executive Order 12333; and constitutional provisions, such as the Fourth Amendment. The incumbent personally handles these matters and occasionally directs a team of attorneys.
Provides a wide knowledge and experience in these fields a well as others in more general practice of the Office. Other areas of knowledge and expertise may include the separation of powers, administrative law, appointments and removals, and congressional oversight.
Familiar with how questions in all of these fields are handled in the context of Executive Orders and proposed legislation.
Consults with senior lawyers in other components of the Department, the Office of the Legal Advisor to the National Security Council, and in General Counsel offices in the Executive Branch.
Leads special projects and initiatives, as assigned by a Deputy Assistant Attorney General, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, or the Assistant Attorney General for OLC.
Ensures compliance with Departmental policies, regulations, and applicable laws.
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.
Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
You may be required to complete a one-or two-year probationary period
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.
You must have a JD 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
To qualify for the position of Senior Counsel, you must meet the mandatory technical qualifications (MTQ) listed below. Your responses to the MTQs should be addressed in your resume, resume may not to exceed two (2) pages.
MTQ 1: Demonstrated experience with, and knowledge about, statutes bearing on the national security, such as those dealing with cyber and surveillance matters; national security issues arising under the Constitution; and executive orders or directives dealing with national security issues.
MTQ 2: Demonstrated experience in other areas of the Office's practice, such as separation of powers, administrative law, appointment and removals, or congressional oversight.
MTQ 3: Demonstrated experience with establishing and maintaining effective relationships with components or agencies within the government, or comparable demonstrated ability to establish and maintain such relationships.
**Only experience obtained by the closing date (07/09/2025) of this announcement will be considered!
Education
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 possess at least 5 years of relevant post-J.D. experience
AND
B. Bar Membership: Be an active member of the bar in good standing a state, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
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.
SELECTIVE SERVICE: If you were born male, on or 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.
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.
Applicants deemed minimally qualified will be referred to a panel of subject matter experts to further evaluate your application.
Subject matter experts will further evaluate your application to determine if you are among the best qualified for referral to the hiring official.
No formal rating system for applying Veterans Preference to attorney positions.
Best qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring official and may be invited to participate in a structured interview. Interviews may be in a virtual setting or in person at DOJ offices.
This information will be used to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and whether you are qualified for this position.
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 their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
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.
ALL APPLICANTS: You must submit a detailed resume containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
Official position title,
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (including month and year),
A detailed list of duties & accomplishments,
Your highest grade/step or salary achieved, and
The number of hours worked per week (or indicate full-time).
If you're unsure about what to include in your resume, please review the USAJOBS Resume Writing Tutorial on YouTube. You are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder, as this will ensure you're including everything that is required.
ALL APPLICANTS: Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQ):
In your resume, provide a response to each mandatory technical qualification listed above in the "qualifications" section.
Your resume must not exceed 2 pages .
Each MTQ must be addressed separately.
ALL APPLICANTS: Transcripts :
You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
Your transcript must come from a nationally-accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection, these may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit a signed certification from the armed forces certifying: (1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, (2) type of service, i.e., under honorable conditions, (3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, (4) dates of active-duty service, (5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, (6) dated within 120 days of your separation (VOW Act 2011).
If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF-15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF-15, and if applicable, a completed SF-15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter.
For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets.
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 questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/09/2025 to receive consideration.
If you're not logged in to your USAJOBS account, you will need to login. If you don't have an account, please create one.
You will be prompted to select one of your stored (or uploaded) resumes, and any supporting documents you have uploaded to USAJOBS. If you have not uploaded these documents, you can do so later before submitting your application.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, you will be asked to submit your demographic information (if you have provided this in your profile). Submission is optional and anonymous.
You'll be asked to confirm your choices and certify the accuracy of your information before you're able to continue to the Application Manager system. Until you see the blue border and DOJ logo, you are still on USAJOBS. You'll see a folder animation just before you leave USAJOBS.
Once you reach DOJ's Application Manager system, you'll be asked to verify the information you transmitted from USAJOBS. You will then respond to the application assessment questionnaires and indicate your eligibility options.
After responding to the questionnaires, you will have the opportunity to attach the documents you brought over from USAJOBS *OR* upload documents directly from your computer or device.
Once all your documents are uploaded, you must assign the uploads to the appropriate document category. You may attach more than one document to each category. Click the drop-down menu for a document category and select one of the available options in the menu. The document will be listed under this category. You can click the drop-down again to add other documents, as needed. You can have up to 15 document assignments.
Once you've uploaded and assigned all your documents to an appropriate document type, you can proceed to the final verification step, and click Submit.
If you have correctly submitted your application, you will receive an automated e-mail notification within 30-60 minutes. Be sure to review the announcement fully to make sure that your application contains everything that is required.
If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site (for everything on the USAJOBS-side), or the Application Manager Help Site (for everything on the DOJ-side). Regrettably, the Department of Justice cannot assist you with USAJOBS account issues. If you contact us for assistance and the problem is related to your USAJOBS account, we will have to direct you to USAJOBS to remedy the issue.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS:
If you are unable to apply online due to a disability or overseas deployment, you must request an alternative application, which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact April Harris at april.harris@usdoj.gov or 771-219-7719 to discuss your situation. Accommodations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Indicate that you're asking for a reasonable accommodation in your e-mail subject so the HR Specialist knows where to direct you.
ALL APPLICANTS: You must submit a detailed resume containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:
Official position title,
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (including month and year),
A detailed list of duties & accomplishments,
Your highest grade/step or salary achieved, and
The number of hours worked per week (or indicate full-time).
If you're unsure about what to include in your resume, please review the USAJOBS Resume Writing Tutorial on YouTube. You are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder, as this will ensure you're including everything that is required.
ALL APPLICANTS: Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQ):
In your resume, provide a response to each mandatory technical qualification listed above in the "qualifications" section.
Your resume must not exceed 2 pages .
Each MTQ must be addressed separately.
ALL APPLICANTS: Transcripts :
You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
Your transcript must come from a nationally-accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection, these may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit a signed certification from the armed forces certifying: (1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, (2) type of service, i.e., under honorable conditions, (3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, (4) dates of active-duty service, (5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, (6) dated within 120 days of your separation (VOW Act 2011).
If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF-15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF-15, and if applicable, a completed SF-15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
If you are the qualifying parent or spouse of a disabled, deceased, or deployed Veteran, and are seeking a derived preference eligibility, you must submit appropriate supporting documentation such as the Veterans DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter.
For more information on each type of Veterans Preference, and the documentation required for each, see FedsHireVets.
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 questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/09/2025 to receive consideration.
If you're not logged in to your USAJOBS account, you will need to login. If you don't have an account, please create one.
You will be prompted to select one of your stored (or uploaded) resumes, and any supporting documents you have uploaded to USAJOBS. If you have not uploaded these documents, you can do so later before submitting your application.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, you will be asked to submit your demographic information (if you have provided this in your profile). Submission is optional and anonymous.
You'll be asked to confirm your choices and certify the accuracy of your information before you're able to continue to the Application Manager system. Until you see the blue border and DOJ logo, you are still on USAJOBS. You'll see a folder animation just before you leave USAJOBS.
Once you reach DOJ's Application Manager system, you'll be asked to verify the information you transmitted from USAJOBS. You will then respond to the application assessment questionnaires and indicate your eligibility options.
After responding to the questionnaires, you will have the opportunity to attach the documents you brought over from USAJOBS *OR* upload documents directly from your computer or device.
Once all your documents are uploaded, you must assign the uploads to the appropriate document category. You may attach more than one document to each category. Click the drop-down menu for a document category and select one of the available options in the menu. The document will be listed under this category. You can click the drop-down again to add other documents, as needed. You can have up to 15 document assignments.
Once you've uploaded and assigned all your documents to an appropriate document type, you can proceed to the final verification step, and click Submit.
If you have correctly submitted your application, you will receive an automated e-mail notification within 30-60 minutes. Be sure to review the announcement fully to make sure that your application contains everything that is required.
If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site (for everything on the USAJOBS-side), or the Application Manager Help Site (for everything on the DOJ-side). Regrettably, the Department of Justice cannot assist you with USAJOBS account issues. If you contact us for assistance and the problem is related to your USAJOBS account, we will have to direct you to USAJOBS to remedy the issue.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS:
If you are unable to apply online due to a disability or overseas deployment, you must request an alternative application, which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact April Harris at april.harris@usdoj.gov or 771-219-7719 to discuss your situation. Accommodations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Indicate that you're asking for a reasonable accommodation in your e-mail subject so the HR Specialist knows where to direct you.
