Legal Careers
Supervisory General Attorney (Deputy Chief – FOIA/PA Unit)
The Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO) provides investigative and prosecutorial support, legal advice, and statutorily required review and approval in almost 40 distinct subject areas. The Office also processes all requests for Criminal Division records made pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts, and assists U.S. Attorney's Offices in advocating the Division's position in civil litigation filed under these statutes.
Consider joining the Department of Justice, Criminal Division. One of seven litigating Divisions in the Department, the Criminal Division investigates and prosecutes complex criminal matters and assists the United States Attorney Offices in investigations, trials, and appeals. In addition to its direct litigation responsibilities, the Division formulates and implements criminal enforcement policy and provides advice and assistance in sensitive areas of law enforcement; advises the Attorney General, Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and the White House on matters of criminal law; provides legal advice and assistance to federal prosecutors and investigative agencies; and provides leadership for coordinating international as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement matters.
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.
As Deputy Chief of the FOIA/PA Unit, duties include:
- Reviewing the Division's responses to requests for records made pursuant to the FOIA or Privacy Act to ensure requests are handled in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
- Providing technical direction and guidance to the FOIA/PA Unit staff regarding the Division's responses to requests for records made pursuant to the FOIA or Privacy Act.
- Directly supervising a staff that may consist of one or more: attorneys, Supervisory Government Information Specialists, Government Information Specialists, Paralegal Specialists, Administrative Support Staff, and/or contractors by assigning projects, adjusting workloads, and providing feedback on performance and work product.
- Overseeing the substantive and technical training of the FOIA/PA Unit Staff.
- Assisting the Department's attorneys in litigation which challenges the Division's response to request for records made pursuant to the FOIA or Privacy Act.
- Supervising the presentation of the Division's views to the Office of Information Policy where the Division's response to a request for records is challenged by way of an administrative appeal.
- Assisting in the establishment of Division policy as to the disclosure or withholding of Division records.
- Serving as the principal point of contact for Division attorneys who need advice with respect to the obligations imposed by the Acts.
- Effectively communicating with the public regarding requests for access to Division records.
- Preparing statistical reports for Congressional and internal use to reflect the Division's activities and accomplishments under the Acts during each fiscal year.
Required Qualifications: Interested applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent, degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing. To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must have at least four (4) years post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: independently performing legal analysis; composing pleadings, briefs and other court documents involving unique and/or difficult legal issues in civil or criminal litigation; conducting highly complex civil or criminal litigation; and leading paralegals and support staff.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Demonstrated experience in having careful attention to detail in handling and responding to complex and sometimes publicly discussed issues, including maintaining contacts with appropriate offices, as necessary, to consult and coordinate regarding specific issues, questions, and problems.
- Demonstrated experience in making recommendations and providing leadership with essential professional legal analysis and advice regarding applicability of federal laws and regulations to requests and complaints.
- Demonstrated experience in the preparation of pleadings to be filed in court in response to FOIA or Privacy Act requests.
- Demonstrated experience working independently and producing high-quality work that is accepted as accurate in terms of soundness of approach, technical sufficiency, and application of legal principles, and that complies with applicable federal laws and regulations.
- Demonstrated experience applying initiative, mature judgment, and resourcefulness in researching and interpreting legal and administrative issues.
The Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.
Please submit your application through USAJOBS. The list of required documents can be found in the USAJobs announcement.
- If you do not already have an account, please create a USAjobs account before applying Create an Account. Create your account | Login.gov You will be able to upload your resume and supporting documents and complete your profile prior to applying.
- Once you have an account, apply to the USAjobs vacancy: USAJOBS - Job Announcement.
The salary range for this position is $163,964 – $191,900 per annum, which includes locality pay. See OPM’s Web page at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2024/GS.pdf
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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.