Summary

Office of Information Policy (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, processing FOIA requests for the senior leadership offices within the Department, adjudicating all administrative appeals from denials by any Department component under the FOIA, and assisting in the defense of certain FOIA matters in litigation.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S. Citizens. Please see "How to Apply" to submit your application information.

Duties

The duties and responsibilities for an Attorney-Adviser (Appeals Staff), GS-0905-12/13/14/15 generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

OIP is hiring an Attorney-Advisor to be assigned to its Administrative Appeals Staff. Primary duties of this position include the adjudication of appeals from Department component FOIA determinations. 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.

* Recommending proposed actions to be taken in the adjudication of administrative Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) appeals by reviewing the administrative record and evaluating actions taken by Department of Justice components in processing initial FOIA requests.
* Conducting legal research and providing legal advice to a wide variety of federal agencies involving inquiries and assignments related to the application of FOIA and Privacy Act (PA) access laws.
* Developing a mastery of assigned area(s) of expertise and updating corresponding section(s) of the United States Department of Justice Guide to the FOIA.
* Encouraging FOIA compliance by components of the Department of Justice.
* Providing instructional training and guidance to various federal Departments regarding compliance with FOIA.
* Providing written and oral legal advice to litigators or periodically serving as litigators in defending certain FOIA lawsuits.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must be a United States Citizen or National.
You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
You will be required to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Attorney-Adviser, at GS-0905-12/13/14/15, you must meet the qualification requirements listed below.

Preferred qualifications: It is preferred that applicants have knowledge of and a demonstrated interest in the Freedom of Information Act AND have administrative law and/or civil litigation experience.

Qualifications needed at the GS-13: Candidates must have at least one-year FOIA processing/FOIA litigation.
Qualifications needed at the GS-14: Candidates must have at least two-years of FOIA processing/FOIA litigation.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the 06/05/2026 of this announcement.

Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below.

Applicants MUST possess a J.D. degree (or equivalent), AND be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction)

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

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education.

All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made from this announcement.

Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, tax, and credit checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. Applicants will be required to qualify for a Top Secret security clearance.

Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
1) your performance and conduct;
2) the needs and interests of the agency;
3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
4) whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

EEO Statement/Policy: 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. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline .

DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#policy

Selective Service: If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to contact information contained in the job announcement. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.

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.

Review our benefits

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.

Once the job opportunity announcement closes at 11:59 pm ET on 06/05/2026, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted.

Application Process: Applicants are required to submit a cover letter (highlighting relevant experience and justifying interest in the position), resume (not to exceed two pages), and a writing sample containing a brief or comparable analytic legal exposition that is your work. Resumes should include detailed description of employment history, to include dates of employment (month/year)

Materials should be submitted as one combined PDF file.

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.

Required Documents

It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility.

Cover Letter
Resume
Transcript
Writing Sample

Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:

Official position title,
Employer name and contact information,
Start and end dates (including month and year),
Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time, and
A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

College Transcripts - If you are using education to qualify for this position, or education is required, you must submit: An unofficial transcript containing a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award. Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcripts will be required prior to your first day.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/05/2026 to receive consideration.

Applicants are encouraged to email application information to:

Laurie Day at laurie.day@usdoj.gov
Please reference AP-2026-2 in your cover letter and put your name in the subject of the email.

Applications must be received no later than the closing date of the announcement. Otherwise, please send your information to:

Attn: Laurie Day
Office of Information Policy
441 G Street, NW
6th Floor
Washington, DC 20530
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Essay Questions: The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question (see the application questionnaire). You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
1. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
1. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
1. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

Need Help?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.

Reasonable Accommodation: To request reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please use the contact information located in the announcement for assistance.

Agency contact information

Laurie Day

Phone: 202-514-4386
Email: Laurie.Day@usdoj.gov

Address: Office of Information Policy
441 G Street, NW
6th Floor
Washington, DC 20530
US

Next steps

NO TELEPHONE CALLS PLEASE.

Applicants are encouraged to email application information to:

Laurie Day at laurie.day@usdoj.gov
Please reference AP-2026-2 in your cover letter and put your name in the subject of the email.

Applications must be received no later than the closing date of the announcement. Otherwise, please send your information to:

Attn: Laurie Day
Office of Information Policy
441 G Street, NW
6th Floor
Washington, DC 20530

Attorney-Adviser Job in Washington, DC