Attorney-Adviser

Office of Information Policy (OIP) manages the Department's responsibilities related to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which includes coordinating and implementing policy development and compliance-wide for the FOIA, processing FOIA requests for the senior leadership offices, adjudicating all administrative appeals from denials and assisting in the defense of certain FOIA matters in litigation. OIP attorneys may be assigned/reassigned to any one of several distinct teams.

Duties

The duties and responsibilities for an Attorney-Advisor (Initial Request (IR) Litigation Staff), GS-0905-12 - 15 generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Processing high-visibility and highly complex Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for Department of Justice (DOJ) senior leadership office records, including processing those records pursuant to court deadlines.
* Reviewing records in-depth for consultation and disclosure determinations.
* Drafting declarations and Vaughn indices, drafting or reviewing court filings, and assisting in the formulation of litigation strategies and legal arguments.
* Coordinating and collaborating with litigators in the Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Department senior leadership office stakeholders, and other agency contacts.
*Negotiating request scope and processing schedules with FOIA plaintiffs through assigned litigation counsel.
*Providing instructional training and guidance to various federal agencies regarding compliance with the FOIA.
* Conducting legal research and providing legal advice involving inquiries and assignments related to the FOIA.
* Developing a mastery of assigned area(s) of expertise and updating corresponding section(s) of the United States Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act.
* Providing expert advice and guidance to agency personnel and DOJ litigators concerning the application of FOI.
* Presenting or teaching at Office of Information Policy training programs and events.
* Maintaining awareness of developments in FOIA and Privacy Act law, regulation, and policy.

Salary

• $102,415 - $197,200/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You must successfully pass a security/background investigation and a drug screening.
• Selective Service registration is required. See the "Additional Information" section of this announcement.
• You may be required to complete a trial period.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirement throughout the hiring process. Offer can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• This position requires a Top Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Attorney-Adviser, at GS-0905-12/13/14/15, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below.

Preferred Qualifications: It is preferred that applicants have knowledge of and a demonstrated interest in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and have administrative law and/or civil litigation experience. Candidates must have at least one year FOIA processing / FOIA litigation experience to qualify at the GS-13 level; at least two years experience to qualify at the GS-14 level; and at least three years experience to qualify at the GS-15 level.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the 04/07/2026 of this announcement.

Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

Education Applicants must possess a J.D. degree (or equivalent), and be an active member of the bar (any United States jurisdiction). If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below. Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from accredited institution. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Other Information Additional selections may be made from this announcement. Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, tax and credit checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. Applicants will be required to qualify for a Top Secret security clearance. Application Process: Applicants are required to submit a cover letter (highlighting relevant experience and justifying interest in the position), resume (not to exceed two pages), and a writing sample containing a brief or comparable analytic legal exposition that is your work. Resumes should include a detailed description of employment history, to include dates of employment (month/year). Please also submit an unofficial transcript if you graduated law school less than two years ago. Materials should be submitted as one combined PDF file. EEO Statement/Policy: The 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. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Statement: 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. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy 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. Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the HR Contact information listed in this announcement. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act. Required Documents

It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility. Resume

Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) 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),
• Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time,
• A list of duties performed and accomplishments.
• Writing sample

How to Apply

To apply: Applicants are encouraged to email application to: Laurie Day at Laurie.Day@usdoj.gov. Please reference IRL-2026-1 in your cover letter and put your name in the subject of the email, as well as include your name on all submitted materials.

Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/07/2026 to receive consideration. Otherwise, please send to:
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Information Policy
Attn: Laurie Day
6th Florr
Washington, DC 20530

No Telephone calls please.

Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstance.