The Criminal Division is seeking attorneys to fill Deputy General Counsel positions available in the Office of Administration's (ADM) Office of General Counsel (OGC). The incumbents provide legal advice and counsel to Criminal Division managers and supervisors on employment and federal personnel law, as well as litigation and investigation matters.
Duties
As a Deputy General Counsel, you will: Provide advice and counsel to managers and supervisors on a wide variety of employment law matters including performance and conduct issues, time and attendance, reasonable accommodations, and complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Represent the Criminal Division in proceedings before the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Serve as agency counsel in federal court litigation. Serve as agency point of contact for investigations involving the EEOC, OSC, Office of the Inspector General, and Office of Professional Responsibility. Participate in mediations and settlement negotiations. Propound and respond to discovery, draft motions and briefs, and conduct legal research. Collaborate on the planning, development, and implementation of training on legal issues for supervisors and managers and provide such training. Review proposed Division policy and work with Division management to ensure legal sufficiency, as well as compliance with regulations, policies, procedures, and business processes. Research complex legal issues and recommend potential solutions to the General Counsel and ADM leadership. Provide support to the General Counsel on special projects and administration of Criminal Division programs, including the Honors Program and attorney bar certification.
Salary
Qualifications
Required Qualifications: Interested applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent, degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing. To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must have at least four (4) years post J.D. legal experience with at least two of the following areas: (1) Standards of Conduct and Ethics, (2) Federal Employment Law; and/or (3) Equal Employment Law. Preferred Qualifications: Expert knowledge of federal personnel and employment law, to include litigation before the MSPB, EEOC, and OSC. Experience advising senior leaders (to include SES and political appointees) on employment related issues. Experience working in a General Counsel's Office within a federal agency. Current or prior experience working for the Department of Justice is preferred.
Education
A J.D., or equivalent, degree. Applicants who possess an equivalent degree rather than a J.D. may be subject to additional review by the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management.
Required Documents
See "How to Apply"
How to Apply
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. A list of eligible candidates will be referred to the hiring managers every 2 weeks during the open period of the announcement. The first cutoff date will be applications on or before July 24, 2026. If you are interested in applying, it is recommended that you do so early. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes the Assessment Questionnaire and the Required Documents indicated below. The Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on 08/07/2026. You are strongly encouraged to convert your resume to an Adobe PDF file prior to submitting your application, especially if you are submitting using a Mac system. Resumes not pre-converted to a PDF file will undergo conversion by the system. This conversion process may cause some formatting changes to your resume, including line and page break errors. To ensure your submitted resume does not display with formatting issues, please submit your resume as a PDF. This error does not affect USAjobs resumes. A complete application package must include: Cover Letter (highlighting relevant experience). Resume - Applicants will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their resume. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position. Your resume must be no more than 2 pages. Resumes longer than 2 pages will not be accepted. Please ensure all information you believe is qualifying for the position is contained within your resume, or you may be marked ineligible. Additionally, your resume must include your JD date and the following information for each job listed: month and year, start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008), and full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week). Assessment Questionnaire (you will be prompted to complete this when you apply online). Documentation of eligibility for special hiring authorities (if applicable) to prove appointment eligibility. Examples include: Schedule A disability letter, Peace Corps volunteer letter, military spouse hiring authority documentation, etc. Current or Former Political Appointees (if applicable) - please note on your resume and attach an SF-50. 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. Schedule A Documentation (if applicable) - The Criminal Division welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. The Criminal Division also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes directly to CRM's disability POC at crm.schedulea@usdoj.gov. Veterans Preference Documentation (if applicable): If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives at www.archives.gov/veterans. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) 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, and 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. If you are a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or mother or spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a completed SF-15 http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf and all additional proof required by the SF-15, as applicable. If you don't have your Department of Veterans Affairs letter establishing proof of disability, you may request it at https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-started-with-va/ or call 1-800-827-1000. To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire. Please ensure you click the "Submit My Answers" button at the end of the process.
