U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
OFFICE OF INFORMATION POLICY
EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS / GS-12
ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER OIP-09-001
About the Office: The United States Department of Justice is seeking experienced attorneys to work in the Office of Information Policy (OIP), located in Washington, DC. OIP manages the Department's responsibilities related to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which includes coordinating and implementing policy development and compliance government-wide for the FOIA, adjudicating all appeals from denials by any Department component under the FOIA, and handling the defense of certain FOIA matters in litigation.
Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: The incumbent will perform varied legal work involving the interpretation and application of laws, executive orders, regulations, precedents, and agency practices relating to the FOIA. Specific responsibilities will include:
• recommending proposed actions to be taken in adjudication of administrative FOIA appeals by evaluation actions taken by Department of Justice components in processing initial FOIA requests:
• conduction legal research and providing legal advice involving inquiries and assignments related to the application of FOIA access laws;
• providing instructional training and guidance to various federal Departments regarding compliance with the FOIA; and
• serving as a litigator in defending certain FOIA lawsuits.
Qualifications: Required qualifications: Interested candidates must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least 1 year post-J.D. experience.
Preferred qualifications: It is preferred that applicants have a knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act and have administrative law and/or civil litigation experience.
Travel: Limited travel may be associated with this position.
Salary Information: Salary and grade level determinations are made based on the number of years of qualifying experience and current salary level. The range for these positions are GS-12: $73,100 - $95,026.
Location: Washington, DC
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
Application Process and Deadline Date: Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (highlighting relevant experience) and a resume or Optional Form 612 (OF-612 Application for Federal Employment) to:
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Information Policy
ATTN: Anne Work, Senior Attorney
1425 New York Avenue
Suite 11050
Washington, D.C. 20530
No telephone calls please. This position is open until filled, but applications must be received no later than May 15, 2009.
Internet Sites: For more information about OIP, please visit our Web page at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oip
This and selected other legal position announcements may be found on the Internet at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm and http://dojnet.doj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.php
Department Policies: 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 color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism. 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. 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.
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. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Dual citizens of the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
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, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/sf0015.pdf for a copy of SF-15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting documents). Applicants should note that SF-15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated within the last 12 months except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing 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).