Legal Careers
General Attorney
The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) ensures that the FBI maintains its integrity and professionalism by impartially adjudicating allegations of employee misconduct. To preserve credibility and the respect of society, FBI employees must be accountable to rigorous standards of personal and institutional responsibility enforced both internally and through responsiveness to external oversight.
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.
Major Duties
GS-14:
- Serve as an attorney advisor to all segments of the office.
- Responsible for review of investigative files and the preparation of investigative reports and legal memoranda.
- Respond to questions concerning the FBI's disciplinary process and OPR policies from FBI personnel in headquarters and field divisions, other Federal agencies, Congressional overseers, and members of the public.
- Conduct comprehensive legal research; prepare written documents such as legal memoranda and policy statements; and evaluate proposed legislation and policies impacting the FBI disciplinary process.
- Assist with training, including presentations to FBI personnel in headquarters and field divisions.
GS-15: In addition to the above duties;
- Responsible for the most complex employee disciplinary cases.
- Respond to questions from the highest levels of management in the FBI.
The ideal candidate will experience in one or more of the following practice areas:
- Civil Litigation
- Employment Law
- Federal Employees
- Police Misconduct
- Professional Responsibility Issues
Key Requirements
- Must be able a U.S. citizen
- Must be able to obtain a Top Secret clearance
- Selectee will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 annually
- ALL applicants must verify completion of the basic education requirement by submitting a copy of college transcripts by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Qualifications and Evaluations
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 and will be compared to your responses to the online assessment questionnaire. 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.
If you are deemed Most Competitive, you will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.
All applicants will be rated on the following Competencies:
- Governance and Legal Jurisprudence
- Analytic Thinking
- Communication
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 a copy of college transcripts by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. 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, before they can complete the FBI's background process.
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements provided you can show foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.
Specialized Experience (SE):
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).
GS-14: Applicants applying for the GS-14 must also have 2.5 or more years post J.D. attorney experience.
- Experience in participating in interpreting and analyzing legal issues.
GS-15: Applicants applying for the GS-15 must also have 4 or more years of post J.D. attorney experience.
- Experience demonstrating proficiency in interpreting and analyzing complex
How to Apply
The following instructions outline our application process:
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 to this position, interested applicants must provide a complete application package by the closing date which includes:
Your resume, specifically noting relevant work experience and associated start and end dates
A complete assessment questionnaire
Other supporting documents (if applicable):
- College transcripts, if qualifying based on education or if there is a positive education requirement
- Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50
- Most recent Performance Appraisal; not applicable to current FBI employees
- Veterans: DD 214; Disabled Veterans: DD 214, SF-15, and VA letter dated 1991 or later
How to Attach Documents
To attach documentation for submission, please follow the instructions below. Once documents are successfully attached, they will automatically be 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.
You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) 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.
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
- 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 principle investigative arm of the DOJ. All FBI positions are in the excepted service.
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens and consent to a complete background investigation, urinalysis, and polygraph. You must be suitable for Federal employment; as determined by a background investigation.
- Failure to provide necessary and relevant information required by this vacancy announcement may disqualify you from consideration. Additional information will not be requested if your application is incomplete. You application will be evaluated solely on the basis of information you have submitted.
- Management may select any grade for which this position has been announced.
- Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties.
- If you are hired, you will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. Probationary employees are generally precluded from being considered for other FBI job opportunities until their 12-month probationary period has concluded.
- The probationary periods will be served concurrently.
- Memorandum of Understanding: Work performed outside assigned duties (that would not normally be documented on an SF-50, i. e., back-up duties), has to be 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.”
Reasonable Accommodation Request
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.
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.
GS 14: $112,021.00 - $145,629.00 GS 15: $131,767.00 - $161,900.00
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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.