Attorney Advisor

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office for Civil Rights. OJP provides federal leadership, funding, and other critical resources to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, protect American children, provide services to American crime victims, and address public safety challenges, including human trafficking and the opioid crisis.

Duties

The duties and responsibilities for a GS- 0905-13 generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

Senior Civil Rights Legal Counsel and Advisory Services

• Responsible for highly complex and challenging legal issues that significantly expand or limit an agency's operations. Handles confidential and sensitive civil rights matters that span organizational boundaries and influence the agency's management and use of resources.
• Offers legal guidance to grant recipients to help them understand and comply with federal civil rights requirements, including nondiscrimination obligations, accessibility standards, and equitable service delivery.
• Manages civil rights compliance reviews, data analysis, document requests, and interviews to determine whether grantees adhere to federal nondiscrimination laws.
• Manages legal review of civil rights complaints filed with OCR, determines whether OCR has jurisdiction, assigns matters for investigation, and makes preliminary legal determinations.

• Monitors emerging judicial decisions, regulatory updates, and DOJ policy shifts; prepares legal analyses advising OJP leadership on their civil rights implications. Creates written guidance, briefing papers, FAQs, and training modules on civil rights compliance requirements for federal employees, grantees, and external partners.
• Handles highly complex and challenging civil rights issues involved in drafting, interpreting, or implementing laws, regulations, contracts, directives, rulings, opinions, and other legal documents. Reconciles competing interests by applying advanced, innovative, and independent legal reasoning.

• Handles cases and legal issues that can significantly expand or limit an agency's operations. Identifies when issues under consideration are so precedent-setting or sensitive that any recommendations must first be reviewed and approved by senior officials before being released.
• Provides briefings and presentations on civil rights law at seminars and other agency outreach events. Leads meetings and facilitates post-meeting question-and-answer sessions on civil rights issues.

Salary

• $121,785 - $158,322/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• 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.
• Security Requirements: Non-Sensitive/High Risk
• This appointment is subject to completion of a 2-year trial period.
• This position requires active bar membership (any jurisdiction) in good standing.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Attorney Advisor, at GS-0905-13, you must meet the qualification requirements listed below.

1. Possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited law school.
2. Be an active member of the bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction).
3. Have a minimum of one and a half (1.5) years of post J.D./LL.B legal experience, which must have been in at least one of the following areas:
   • Interpreting and applying civil rights laws, regulations, and legal precedents to novel or evolving fact patterns; providing well-reasoned legal guidance to leadership, program offices, and external stakeholders; and preparing substantive legal analyses to support informed agency decision-making;
   • Conducting civil rights compliance reviews by analyzing documentary evidence and data, coordinating information requests, interviewing grantee personnel, and assessing adherence to federal nondiscrimination laws; or
   • Reviewing proposed grant programs, solicitations, and policy or program changes to ensure compliance with statutory civil rights requirements; coordinating with the Civil Rights Division on overlapping enforcement matters; and contributing to interagency investigations and referrals.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/12/2026.

Your resume must support your responses to the online 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. or LL.B. degree from an accredited law school. Other Information Other Position Requirements: Requires admission to the bar and active license in at least one jurisdiction. Requires professional knowledge of the statutes, orders, rules and regulations applicable to the adjudication of federal claims. Requires expertise in how to work in partnership with public safety officers and national public safety organizations or similar organizations. Requires knowledge of the mission, structure and overall responsibilities of public safety agencies at the state and local levels. OJP offers opportunities for flexible work schedules. Additional selections may be made from this announcement. 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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin 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 Policy: 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 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 human.resources@usdoj.gov. 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

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

1. Resume (Maximum 2 pages):

Include for each job:

• Education, including name of undergraduate and law school, degree received, and date graduated
• Date admitted to bar and jurisdiction
• A general description of all past employment relevant to the practice of law.
• Employer name and contact information
• Start and end dates (month and year)
• Full-time or part-time hours per week
• Duties performed and accomplishments

See How do I write a resume for more information

2. Cover Letter
Share your skills or goals that are relevant for the job you are applying to. Or anything you want to highlight that is not included in your resume.

3. Writing Sample
Demonstrating your legal analytical abilities, for which you must be the principal author (It should not exceed 10 double-spaced pages)

4. Transcripts
Unofficial law school transcripts (degree conferred must be reflected; official transcripts will be required if selected)

5. Bar Membership
Proof of bar membership in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction)

6. Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable

• 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 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).

How to Apply

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 11/12/2026 to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

• Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
• Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
• Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on11/12/2026.

Need Help?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help website which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.

Reasonable Accommodation:
To request reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the hiring agency contact directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.