Legal Careers
General Attorney
Mission
To protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners. Public Service is a public trust. For the FBI, this means that the public has committed to our care the safety of our Nation and the defense of our Constitution. To sustain that trust and to meet our resulting obligations, we must adhere strictly to our core values of: Rigorous obedience to the Constitution, Respect, Compassion, Fairness, Integrity, Accountability, and Leadership.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
Key Requirements
- Must be able to obtain a Top-Secret.
- U.S. Citizenship Required
- Major Duties
GS-11:
- Communicates with internal and external partners to develop professional, customer service oriented relationships.
- Adheres to complaint processing policies and time frames conveyed in the CPU Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
- Reviews for legal sufficiency all work products associated with assigned cases.
GS-12: In addition to the duties described above;
- Provides guidance concerning the correct application and interpretation of laws, regulations, case precedent, guidelines, policies, and procedures.
- Ensures allegations accepted for investigation are timely, concisely, and accurately framed, and subject to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's or Department of Justice's jurisdiction.
Qualifications and Evaluations
Education
Applicant must possess a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (or have an LLM degree or other graduate law degree in addition to a J.D.) and be an active member of the bar (any US jurisdiction).
Positive Education Requirement: This position has a specific education requirement; all applicants must verify completion of this basic education requirement by submitting both proof of JD degree and proof of good standing with a bar within US jurisdiction by the closing date of the job opening. Please see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement for additional information.
Please be advised candidates that are selected for this position, must be approved by the Department of Justice.
BASIC REQUIREMENT: All applicants must possess a law degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, and be an active member of the bar (any US jurisdiction). Applicants applying for the GS-11 must possess a law degree (J.D. or equivalent). Applicants applying for the GS 12 must have 1 year of post-law school full-time judicial clerkship experience.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the BASIC REQUIREMENTS above, applicants must meet the specialized experience (SE) as described below;
GS-11: Applicant must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level. Specialized Experience is;
- Conduct legal research and analyze diverse issues, including Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, or Equal Pay Act employment discrimination complaints and Reasonable Accommodations in employment cases.
- Process equal employment opportunity complaints of discrimination.
GS-12: Applicants must possess one (1) year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 level. Specialized Experience is;
- Experience managing compliance matters pertaining to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Department of Justice Compliant Adjudication Office orders.
Please make sure your specialized experience/requirement(s) can be identified in your resume. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Your application will be evaluated and rated under the FBI’s Candidate Rating Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the online assessment questionnaire.
Names of candidates that meet the basic requirements and that have uploaded all of the requested documentation will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration. All applicants will be rated on the following Competencies:
- Governance and Legal Jurisprudence
- Analytic Thinking
- Communication
How to Apply
High self-assessment in the vacancy questions that is not supported by information in your resume, and/or supporting documents may eliminate you from Most Competitive status or result in a lowered score.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. If applying online is a hardship please contact the HR Specialist listed in the vacancy announcement prior to the closing date for assistance.
Step 1 - Establish an applicant account on the FBIJobs website by clicking Apply Now and then Register Now or login using your existing applicant account.
Step 2 - Paste your text resume in the space provided, upload a new resume or use a resume you have applied with previously.
Step 3 – Complete your applicant profile if establishing your account for the first time.
Step 4 - Complete the assessment questionnaire.
Step 5 – Complete the application sections requested and submit your application
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package by the closing date which includes:
Your resume (required) and cover letter (Mandatory)
A complete assessment questionnaire (required)
A Writing Sample, not to exceed 10 pages (Mandatory);
Other supporting documents:
· Proof of current and active Bar Association Membership
· Photocopy of Law School Transcripts
Please Note: FBI employees currently assigned to a General Attorney position do not need to provide LAW School Transcripts or Proof of Bar Association Membership.
NO EXTENSIONS WILL BE GRANTED FOR REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
How to Attach Documents:
To attach documentation for submission, please follow the instructions below. Once documents are successfully attached, they will automatically get sent to HR.
Step 1: Login to your FBI Jobs account, and click the "My Career Tools" hyperlink at the top of the page
Step 2: Click the "Add Attachment" hyperlink located under the "Cover Letters and Attachments" section
Step 3: Select the appropriate Attachment Type (or "Other" if one is not available)
Step 4: Populate the Attachment Purpose field
Step 5: Click the Add Attachment hyperlink
Step 6: Upload the desired attachment
Step 7: Click "Save & Add More" (if you are attaching more than one) or "Save & Return" if you have finished attaching documents
What to Expect Next
Once your complete application is received we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. The Most Competitive candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of your status throughout the process.
Additional Information
Additional selections may be made from this announcement to fill positions within the same division when the position includes substantially the same duties and responsibilities and qualifications.
Probationary employees are generally precluded from being considered for other FBI job opportunities until their 12-month probationary period has concluded.
Memorandum of Understanding: Any work performed outside normally assigned duties (that would not normally be documented on a SF-50, i. e., back-up duties), has to be properly documented in detail by an immediate supervisor in order to receive full credit for amount of time worked in that position. If no documentation is furnished no credit will be given for time worked in that position. The following notations must be specified in the documentation (Memorandum of Understanding):
Percent of time worked in the particular position (cannot conflict with main duties)
The month/year work began
Frequency worked (i.e., daily, monthly, etc.)
Specific duties performed.
Attach the Memorandum of Understanding to your application in the Cover Letters and Attachments section of My Career Tools on the Careers Home page. Please upload the attachment as type “Other.”
Policy has been implemented that requires support employees entering a position through a competitive OR non-competitive action may be precluded from moving to another position within the Bureau by means of reassignment or change to a lower grade for a minimum of 12 months.
This policy does not apply to probationary employees. Probationary employees are generally precluded from being considered for all job opportunities until their 12-month probationary period has concluded.
All internal FBI candidates being considered competitively or non-competitively for positions at the GS 14 and GS 15 levels are subject to a complete name check of FBI records for any pending or past disciplinary actions and equal employment investigations for the past 3 years.
Candidates are ineligible to apply if currently on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP); a Letter of Requirement (LOR); or have failed a PIP or LOR and are currently awaiting the final action by HRD.
· A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is a 90-day written developmental plan for an employee whose performance on one or more critical elements is rated "Unacceptable".
· A Letter of Requirement (LOR) is issued when a supervisor identifies leave abuse and/or when frequent absences negatively impact operations of an office.
The selectee will be required to serve a one-year probationary period for initial assignment to a supervisory position.
Selectees will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450, prior to entering on duty and annually thereafter.
Management has the prerogative to select at any grade for which this position has been announced.
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 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.
The FBI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for this vacancy. Except where otherwise provided by law, selection will be made without regard to, and there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, parental status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, age, sex, sexual orientation, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism, or any other non-merit factors.
The FBI welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities and will reasonably accommodate the needs of those persons. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the person on the extension provided above. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. The FBI 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.
The FBI is in the Executive Branch of the federal government. It is one of the components of the Department of Justice (DOJ). The FBI is the principal investigative arm of the DOJ. All FBI positions are in the excepted service.
The FBI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and/or hiring process, please notify the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Affairs (OEEOA) Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Program by either e-mail at REASONABLE_ACCOMMODATIONS@ic.fbi.gov, telephone at 202-324-2158, or FAX at 202-324-3976. Your request will receive an individualized assessment and will be processed in the order it was received.
THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS IS ONLY FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS. PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION AND/OR ANY QUESTIONS UNRELATED TO REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS. SHOULD ANY APPLICATIONS BE RECEIVED, THEY WILL NOT BE FORWARDED FOR CONSIDERATION DURING THE HIRING PROCESS.
Salary: GS-11: $64,650.00 - $84,044.00 GS-12: $77,490.00 - $100,736.00
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Department Policies
Equal Employment Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor. 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. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.
Reasonable Accommodations: 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.
Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
Suitability and Citizenship: 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. 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, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). 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.
Veterans: 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, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf 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 their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
USAO Residency Requirement: Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
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This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.