UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ)
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS GS 12-15
About the Office:The Mission of the FBI is to protect the United States from foreign intelligence and terrorist activities; to investigate violations of federal criminal law; to provide leadership and law enforcement assistance to federal, state, local, and international agencies; and to perform these responsibilities in a manner that is responsive to the needs of the public and faithful to the Constitution of the United States. The FBI is the principal investigative arm of the DOJ and has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crimes. The FBI is also authorized to investigate matters where no prosecution is contemplated; for example, under the authority of several Executives Orders, the FBI conducts background security checks concerning nominees to sensitive government positions.
Role of Counsel: Attorneys for the FBI provide comprehensive legal advice and counsel to the FBI personnel on both operational and administrative matters; and perform related legal services in a wide range of substantive areas including, but not limited to: national security law, criminal investigative law, privacy law, civil liberties, employment law and litigation, Federal tort claims, general civil litigation, administrative law, standards of conduct and compliance, forfeiture law, Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts law and litigation, criminal and civil discovery, science and technology law, employee discipline, equal employment opportunity, fiscal law, procurement and contracting, and general law.
Opportunities Offered: Requirements for experience attorneys in a wide range of FBI legal practice areas arise through normal attrition, re-prioritization of mission, promotion of incumbent personnel and so forth. Vacancies remain open until filled. Personnel selected for employment will be offered a starting grade and step level commensurate with the level of experience in the practice area under consideration. Most applicants will be required to serve in a probationary status for up to two years. Experience in the following practice areas is particularly desirable:
- National Security Law: Counterterrorism and counter-intelligence investigations and operations, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act surveillance and searches, weapons of mass destruction and counter proliferation, government sponsored cyber crime and espionage, protection of civil liberties, information dissemination, classified litigation, and national security legal policy and training.
- Employment Law and Litigation: Legal representation in defense of the FBI before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) in the administrative hearing process; coordination of the agencys defense with DOJ when such mattes are in federal, district or appellate court; provide advice to management concerning issues arising under Title VII, the Rehabilitation Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Family Medical Leave Act, disciplinary matters, hiring, termination and other personnel related decisions. (Note: In addition to the minimum requirements listed below, applicants for positions in this practice area must have prior litigation experience, with prior practice area in Title VII and MSPB preferred but not required.)
- Civil Litigation: Legal representation in defense of the agency through all stages of litigation, service and receipt of process, depositions, brief preparation, discovery demands and responses, electronic discovery, tort litigation including constitutional tort actions, Freedom of Information and Privacy Act claims and litigation, and related fields.
- Criminal Law: Criminal investigative operations, Title III applications, undercover operations, interrogation of witnesses and subjects, criminal procedure, rewards, use and operation of informants, federal juvenile law and procedure, forfeiture law and administration; domestic counterterrorism, discovery demand response, and related fields.
- Science and Technology: Legal issues surrounding the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act implementation, DNA, computer analysis, cyber crime, fingerprint and other forensic analyses: FCC rulemaking, petitions, and enforcement actions; authorized communication interception, and related fields.
- Procurement and Contracting: Legal issues surrounding compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation; general procurement law including Federal socio-economic procurement policies such as Small Business set asides; memoranda of agreement; bid protest and contract dispute litigation; intellectual property licensing; IT system procurement, development, and implementation; and related fields.
- General Law: Legal issues surrounding agency administration and authority; fiscal law and policy; regulation and legislation review and proposals; privacy and civil liberty protection; information access, protection, and dissemination; criminal justice information systems; standards of conduct and compliance; and related fields.
Minimum Qualifications Required: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, 1 year of experience (minimum), a solid academic background and be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction).
Salary Information: The possible salary range is GS 12 ($74,872 – $97,333) to GS 15 (123,758 – $155,500), which includes locality pay for the Washington, D.C., area. Salary offered shall be commensurate with the candidates qualifications and experience.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Submission Process and Deadline Date: Applicants must be United States citizens and must consent to a complete background investigation, urinalysis, and a polygraph examination. All applicants are requested to note the practice areas for which they wish to be considered in the cover letter to their resume.
For consideration, please submit a letter of interest, a current resume describing qualifications and experience, and a writing sample not to exceed ten pages, to:
Ms. Elaine N. Lammert
Deputy General Counsel
Office of the General Counsel
Room 7427
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20535These positions are open until filled. Because of the current mail situation, it is recommended that applicants submit their information via facsimile at (202) 324-5366.
The FBI is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, status as a parent, membership or nonmembership in an employee organization or on the basis of personal favoritism. The Federal Bureau of Investigation welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities and will reasonably accommodate the needs of those persons. The FBI is firmly committed to satisfying its obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on a basis of merit within the FBI.
The FBI is a drug-free workplace with standards in place regarding the timing of permissible drug use in the past. All candidates are required to successfully complete a background investigation for purposes of obtaining a Top Secret security clearance. Compliance with the FBI’s drug policy, as well as other matters relating the an applicants suitability for FBI employment will be verified by a pre-employment polygraph examination and a urinalysis test.
Internet Site: For more information about the FBI, please visit our website at http://www.fbi.gov./ Other Department attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.html.
Department Policies: Department Policies: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination based on color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, status as a parent, membership or nonmembership in an employee organization, or personal favoritism. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department 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 of Justice. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department’s mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 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 are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.
