Attorney Advisor (General)

Department of Justice (DOJ) agencies post experienced attorney job announcements on the DOJ Careers page. The DOJ typically hires hundreds of attorneys each year.

Duties

As Division Counsel for the New England Division, you will serve as the principal legal advisor to Division personnel in all aspects of DEA operations covering criminal, civil, and administrative law. This includes providing advice concerning search and seizure, electronic surveillance, investigative methods and techniques, interrogation, evidence, discovery, personnel and employment issues, asset forfeiture, fiscal law, policy guidance and compliance, and international issues.

Typical assignments may include:

• Providing advice, opinions, and guidance to the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) and members of the Division leadership team on legal issues.
• Working with federal and state prosecutors, and federal, state and local law enforcement partners to further DEA's mission.
• Providing support in criminal, civil, and administrative litigation.
• Preparing pleadings, motions, briefs, and memorandum opinions.
• Training DEA personnel in complex issues of law and policy.

Salary

• $167,560 - $197,200/year

Conditions of Employment

• Financial Disclosure: If selected, you will be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must be able to obtain and maintain Top-Secret Security Clearance
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Drug testing designated position
• Must be active member of a Bar Association
• Initial appointment is conditional upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprints, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

All applicants must be an active member of a bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction) and possess: 1) a J.D. degree; 2) excellent academic credentials; 3) strong oral and written advocacy skills; 4) superior legal research and analytical skills; 5) a demonstrated ability to learn and master new areas of the law; 6) a demonstrated ability to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment and 7) Ten (10) years of legal experience is strongly preferred.

To qualify for the GS-15 Grade Level:

Applicants applying for the GS-15 must have 4 or more years of post J.D. legal experience.

Education A J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. 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 these criteria, see www.ed.gov. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php. Other Information All applicants for employment with DEA must possess and maintain the highest levels of character and conduct. DEA will evaluate applicants' qualifications based on these qualities. Once a conditional offer is made, DEA will conduct a continuous evaluation of information, as it is obtained, to ensure that the prospective employees with DEA meet the agency-specific qualifications in the areas of character and conduct. To this end, an unfavorable decision in any of the areas that follow will be deemed as disqualifying: Drug Policy Requirements (as specified in this announcement), Credit History, Candor and Honesty, Work History, History with the Law, and other qualities that would detract from the integrity and efficiency of the DEA. Trial Period Statement As a condition of employment for accepting this position in accordance with section 11.5 of Executive Order 14284, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Veteran Preference: If you are entitled to or claim veterans' preference (VP), you should indicate the type of veteran preference (5 or 10 points) you are claiming on your resume. In order to determine your eligibility, you can find additional information at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide/. 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 Veterans' 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). Required Documents

Required for ALL Applicants

Cover letter describing your interest in the position.

Resume - Showing applicant's name, email address, relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year), work schedule (e.g. part or full time), the number of hours per week worked/volunteered, job title and description of duties performed. (No more than 2 pages)

Writing Sample - A brief or comparable analytic legal exposition that is your work product. (No more than 10 pages)

Law School Transcripts - Submit a copy of your law school transcript(s) (unofficial is acceptable). Applicants must be graduates of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.

Proof of current and active bar association membership.SF-50 (If Applicable) - SF-50(s) must show the effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, competitive status, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position.

Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents.

Political Appointees (Current and Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

How to Apply

All applicants will have to apply through USAJOBS: Vacancy Announcement Number: H-DEA-26-12884625-DE-DJ

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.)

3. To verify your application is complete, 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 Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account, or your application will be incomplete.

Alternate Application Procedures If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.