Attorney Advisor - General (Assistant General Counsel - FOIA)

About the role

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities. Our highly-skilled, diverse, and innovative workforce creates a strong foundation of safety and security. Through the principles of humanity and normalcy, we develop good neighbors.

What you will do

• The Legal Administrative Branch of the Office of General Counsel encompasses the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) Section.
• This section is responsible for processing requests for documents pursuant to the FOIA/PA, as well as related litigation.
• Attorneys working in the FOIA Section apply their expertise, skills, and education to serve as agency counsel in defending the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in FOIA lawsuits brought by private parties and public interest groups seeking records of BOP operations and activities.
• Attorneys regularly handle litigation seeking sensitive records within the agency's possession and also serve as subject matter experts and provide legal and policy guidance to officials at all levels within the BOP with regard to its FOIA program and other issues of public access to the BOP information and records.
• The incumbent exercises discretion and independent judgment in the applications of laws and executive orders, regulations, precedents, and agency practices related to the FOIA/PA.
• The incumbent will be expected to provide expert legal advice and guidance on an array of information access issues to the highest levels of BOP management.
• The incumbent will work with Central Office, regional and institution management and line staff with respect to litigation affecting the BOP, as well as working with the United States Attorney's Offices.
• The incumbent should have knowledge of the FOIA/PA practice, procedure, and law, responding directly to complex and high profile FOIA/PA requests, and will participate as agency counsel in FOIA/PA related litigation.
• Incumbent will liaise with the Department of Justice's Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties on Privacy Act-related issues, which include component reporting requirements and legal requirements to create and/or maintain Systems of Records.
• Incumbent will review records in-depth for consultation and disclosure determinations, draft declarations and Vaughn indexes.
• Incumbent will assist FOIA/PA's Supervisory Attorney in approving documents for release pursuant to non-BOP audits by the Government Accounting Office, Office of Inspector General, and pursuant to the Federal Information Security Management Act.
• The Practice areas related to this position are: Freedom Of Information And Privacy Acts, Correctional Law, Complex Litigation.

Requirements

• 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).
• Key Requirements: See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
• Selective Service Requirement: *** U.S. Citizenship is Required.

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement.

Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable).

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, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

How you will be evaluated

This position is processed under Direct Hire, veteran's preference and Category Rating procedures do not apply. Applicants will be evaluated utilizing the documentation submitted and considered for the grade level in which the resume and/or educational transcripts supports.

Documents you must provide

• Resume limited to 2 pages showing relevant experience (cover letter optional).
• Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, etc.) To receive credit for experience contained in an application, the experience must be documented: Reflecting start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND Include the number of hours worked per week.
• College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable).
• NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.
• SF-50: for proof of prior LEO coverage, if applicable.
• Cover letter highlighting relevant experience Resume (not to exceed two pages) Law school transcripts Writing sample List of legal references Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration.

Benefits

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.

To learn more, please visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment.

Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement.

What to expect next

Applicants must submit a cover letter highlighting relevant experience, resume (not to exceed two pages), law school transcripts, writing sample, and a list of legal references by November 27, 2026 to Chung-Hi Grace, Associate General Counsel, at ***.

Please include in the subject line "FOIA Attorney - November 2026."

Additional information

Location Negotiable: This position is within the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons. The location is negotiable after selection. While the duty location for this position is designated as negotiable after selection, the final official duty station must be established within an approved Bureau of Prisons worksite.

Locations: There are two possible locations for this vacancy (Washington, D.C. or Annapolis Junction, MD. You may apply for multiple locations at the same time by noting your interest in your cover letter.

Special Conditions of Employment Section: Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, ***).

Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations.

However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is 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.

All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement.

Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years.

The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement.

This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.

All applicants are subject to, and must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements in relation to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check and must pass a review of their income tax filing history.

Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications.

In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.