Assistant General Counsel (Legislative and Correctional Issues Branch)

Department of Justice

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Summary

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.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

• ATTORNEY APPOINTMENTS ARE IN THE EXCEPTED SERVICE. • DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPLY ONLINE. • PLEASE REFER TO THE "HOW TO APPLY SECTION" FOR APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS. • FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE REFER TO: https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/assistant-general-counsel-legislative-and-correctional-issues-branch-0 • Duty Location: Central Office, Office of General Counsel, Washington D.C.

Duties

The mission of the Legislative and Correctional Issues Branch (LCI) is to provide legal advice to Bureau of Prisons (BOP) staff covering a broad range of subjects, including but not limited to: management of correctional facilities, First Step Act of 2018 implementation; civil commitment of sexually dangerous prisoners; Special Administrative Measures preventing threats from inmates associated with violence, national security, and terrorism; Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems to detect unauthorized drones; extradition of detainees from foreign courts; federal sentencing issues to include the BOP's calculation of inmate sentences; reviewing and processing compassionate release / Reduction in Sentence requests; reviewing and revising internal policies as well as proposed legislation consistent with administration priorities.

The incumbent works with and advises senior leaders, supervisors, and staff concerning legal aspects of, and the interpretation, applicability, and compliance with state and federal statutes and regulations, and constitutional provisions relating to the confinement of inmates. The incumbent will work closely with other BOP divisions, Department of Justice officials, and officials in other Executive Branch agencies on statutory matters that affect the BOP and to resolve correctional issues.

The Practice areas related to this position are: Correctional Law, Criminal Law, and Prisoners' Rights.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

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 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: http://www.sss.gov
U.S. Citizenship is Required.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: Applicants must have a J.D. degree and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).

Preferred qualification: Prior experience in correctional law and/or federal or civil litigation is preferred, but not 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.

Additional information

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, 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

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal 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.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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.

Required Documents

Resume: 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),
College transcripts,
Writing sample, and
List of legal references

Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit a cover letter highlighting relevant experience, resume (not to exceed two pages), college transcripts, writing sample, and a list of legal references by November 3, 2026 to Paul Irby, Branch Chief/Associate General Counsel, at pirby@bop.gov.

Applications must be received on or before the application deadline date below. Please include in the subject line "LCI Assistant General Counsel - November 2026."

Applications must be received on or before the application deadline date below:

November 3, 2026

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE REFER TO: https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/

DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ON-LINE.

Submit a complete/detailed resume or curriculum vitae.
Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration.
Resume or curriculum vitae must contain all information listed in the Qualifications Section.
Submit supporting documents (i.e. transcripts, certification, registration, and/or license, if applicable).

A complete application packet (including optional https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13101177 responses) MUST be submitted directly to the following email address: pirby@bop.gov.

Agency contact information

Office of General Counsel

Email: BOP-OGC-LegalAdminOfficer-S@bop.gov

Assistant General Counsel (Legislative and Correctional Issues Branch) Job in Washington, DC