Attorney-Adviser

About the role

Serves as an Attorney-Adviser providing senior legal counsel to the Military Justice Review Panel (MJRP). This position is located in Arlington, Virginia. This is an excepted service position and does not confer competitive status.

9/11/2026 - Updated: The "How to Apply" instructions in the have been revised.

What you will do

• This is an Excepted Service position in the 0905 Attorney series and is governed by DoD Instruction 1442.02, Personnel Actions Involving Civilian Attorneys.
• The incumbent performs a range of senior legal duties, which typically include: Providing expert legal advice, analysis, and counsel to the Military Justice Review Panel (MJRP) on statutory responsibilities related to independent periodic reviews and assessments of the operation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
• Advising the Staff Director, Military Justice Review Panel (MJRP) on maters arising under Article 146, UCMJ, and other advisory entities requiring such support.
• Conducting extensive legal research and analysis of case law, statutes, regulations, policy issuances, congressional reports, testimony, and data related to military justice, criminal law and other complex or emerging legal issues.
• Reviewing, analyzing, and providing comments on proposed legislation, draft legislative language, and legislative reports, including identifying legal implications and resolving issues related to Department of War and MJRP legislative proposals.
• Performing detailed comparative legal analysis of military, federal, state, and comparable foreign justice systems to support research, policy development, findings, and recommendations.
• Working in a team to organize legal research plans; preparing reports, findings, recommendations, letters, memoranda, and briefing materials; coordinating hearings, site visits, interviews, and presentations; and ensuring compliance with applicable information management, safeguarding, and advisory board requirements.
• Exercises significant initiative in accomplishing the position's assigned missions.
• Ensures that the supported organizations comply with all applicable laws, rules, and procedures governing advisory committees and is responsible for ensuring the production of timely, high-quality written reports and correspondence.

Education

Applicants must possess a first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited law school.

Education alone is not sufficient for qualification at the GS-15 level; applicants must also meet the active bar membership and specialized experience requirements described in this announcement.

Applicant must possess a professional law degree, (Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.)), from a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing.

You must submit a copy of both your law school and college transcript with your application.

Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions.

Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: *** Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet 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. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, please click Foreign Education.

How you will be evaluated

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position.

Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: legal experience, subject matter expertise, professional accomplishments, writing and analytical ability, and other job-related factors demonstrating ability to perform the duties of the position.

Selections for DoD civilian attorney positions are made on the basis of merit, with the objective of identifying the highest-caliber, most qualified candidate.

Documents you must provide

• A complete application package includes your resume and documents which prove your eligibility to apply.
• If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further: Resume - A complete resume demonstrating relevant experience including job titles, duties, and accomplishments.
• The resume must provide sufficient detail for each position to demonstrate that the applicant meets the minimum qualification requirements.
• If an applicant submits multiple resumes, only the most recently submitted resume will be reviewed to determine qualifications and eligibility for referral to the Selecting Official.
• NOTE: The maximum number of pages accepted for a resume is TWO pages.
• Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• Cover letter - Address demonstrated interests and/or qualifications as they relate to this position.
• Cover letters must not exceed two pages.
• Law school transcript(s) - This position has an individual occupational requirement for education.
• You MUST submit a copy of your transcript(s) with your application package, or you may be rated ineligible.
• Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but official transcripts will be required prior to entry on duty.
• Certificate of Active Bar Status: Certificate of good standing from the Bar of a state, territory or commonwealth of the United States (e.g., American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), or the District of Columbia.
• Document should be dated within three (3) months of the date the application is submitted.
• If the document has been ordered, but not arrived, you may provide a screenshot of your certificate (clearly showing a time/date within the last 90 days) which validates your current, active status.
• Writing sample - Applicants must submit a writing sample of no more than 10 pages that demonstrates their legal research, analysis, and writing ability.
• Veterans' preference documentation, if applicable: DD-214 SF-15 for 10-point preference, if applicable Supporting documentation for claimed preference Current or former Federal employee documentation (if applicable): Applicants who are current or former Federal employees may submit an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, to document Federal service, grade, and pay history, if relevant.

What to expect next

This is a public notice flyer to notify interested applicants of anticipated vacancies. Applications will not be accepted through this flyer. Interested applicants must follow the directions in the "How to Apply" section of this flyer to be considered.

There may or may not be actual vacancies filled from this flyer. Notice of Result letters will not be sent to applicants who respond to this flyer.

Additional information

This is an excepted service appointment and does not confer competitive status.

Candidates must disclose any pending or completed disciplinary investigation or action in any jurisdiction in which they are members of the bar or licensed to practice law, consistent with applicable DoD attorney professional responsibility requirements.

Notice of Veteran's Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring.

Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Uniformed Service") to their submissions.

Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed.

Military Spouse Preference: Military spouse preference will be considered, as applicable, consistent with DoDI 1400.25, Volume 315, and DoDI 1442.02. Application of military spouse preference may not contravene veterans' preference or nepotism rules.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing an online application, you may request an alternative application.

Please send an email to the following address for information on how to obtain an alternative application: *** Reemployed Annuitants: Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. /*** Current or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level.

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 that to the Human Resources Office. Nepotism: Under the provisions of 5 USC 3110, an individual may not be appointed into a position if the position is under the supervisory chain of command of a relative.

Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.