Attorney Advisor (FOIA)

About the role

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is one of the best places to work in the Department of Justice (DOJ) and is one of the premier inspector general offices in federal government. The mission of the OIG is to detect and deter fraud, waste, abuse and misconduct in DOJ.

The DOJ-OIG Office of General Counsel (OGC) provides legal advice on complex issues relevant to general OIG operations and specific OIG audits, investigations, inspections, and reviews.

What you will do

• Serve as an OIG OGC attorney primarily assigned to support the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Unit as a client.
• The attorney will work on matters of national scope that involve the balancing of public access with effective law enforcement.
• The selected candidate will be required to coordinate with DOJ litigators and U.S. Attorneys' offices across the country.
• The attorney will ensure that OIG equities are protected in a host of high- profile and complex matters, including those in litigation.
• Provides legal advice to, and consults and coordinates with, personnel in DOJ and other federal agencies on issues at the intersection of law enforcement and civil litigation with an emphasis on FOIA and other information disclosure-related matters, including in complicated multi-agency FOIA and Privacy Act (PA) cases.
• To that end, drafts, edits, and reviews legal documents, including briefs and declarations, relating to FOIA and PA cases in litigation and keeps others within the OIG, as well as Department leadership, apprised of the status of litigation.
• Provides guidance in the development and establishment of FOIA/PA policies and procedures to ensure that significant FOIA/PA issues are identified and addressed.
• Provides legal advice and guidance in connection with classification reviews, especially those that may impact release of information pursuant to FOIA requests.
• Provides legal advice and guidance regarding records and information retention and related issues as needed.
• Provides support to the OIG FOIA Unit and the OIG General Counsel as needed to advance the OIG mission.
• Assists with other OGC responsibilities as assigned.

Education

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 this criteria, see *** 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.

How you will be evaluated

USA Hire Assessment: Applicants will be required to complete a USAHire Assessment.

This assessment is online and measures the following competencies: 4 or more years post-J.D. legal experience Active member in good standing of the (any U.S. jurisdiction) Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Graduate of ABA-accredited law school Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reasoning Self-Management Specialized Experience Stress Tolerance Teamwork You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the USAHire assessment.

You will be evaluated by a panel of subject matter experts through the following assessment process: Resume Review: Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications. 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), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position and a review of your application by a panel of subject matter experts.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Litigation experience, including drafting and filing legal briefs or memoranda as well as drafting FOIA declarations and serving as the declarant.

Extensive experience analyzing complex legal issues, making statutory interpretations, and developing sound and supportable legal recommendations and arguments. Thorough knowledge of legal principles and federal law, including familiarity with the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, and federal records regulations.

Ability to represent an organization professionally and articulate the organization's position at meetings and in interactions with high-level officials, and to coordinate with internal and external offices. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

Once your complete application package is received, it will be reviewed to ensure you meet all job requirements. A subject matter expert will then review all qualified applicants and make recommendations for invitation to interview. You will be notified if selected for an interview.

Subject Matter Expert (SME) Resume Review: In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. A subject matter expert, or SME, is a person with bona fide expert knowledge about what it takes to successfully perform in a particular job. The SME(s) will measure potential applicants for the critical competencies.

Your resume will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications, as well as any required certification(s) applicable to the position. Applicants found to meet the requirements will be eligible to move forward for additional hiring consideration To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:***

Documents you must provide

• Resume Your updated resume must not exceed two (2) pages.
• If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement.
• The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position.
• Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, and social).
• Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.
• You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
• Assessment Questionnaire (you will be prompted to complete this when you apply online).
• Proof of active bar membership A writing sample not to exceed 10 pages Schedule A documentation (if applicable) Schedule A: DOJ 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.
• DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes.
• 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.
• Veterans' Preference (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 his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

What to expect next

We will notify you of your candidate status after each step of the recruitment process (receipt of application, determination of basic qualifications, notice of forward to selecting official, and final selection). We expect to make a tentative job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement and will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

We expect to make a final job offer once all reviews have been completed. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position/agency during the probationary period.

Additional information

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.

Additional information on DOJ's EEO policy can be found on our website.

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 the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.

You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: *** title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.

Additional information is found at: *** Schedule A: DOJ 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.

DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes. Veterans Preference: 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 indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included in their cover letter or resume) and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference.

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).