Attorney-Advisor (General)

Legislative Branch

Government Publishing Office

Office of the Inspector General

Summary

GPO employees possess a diverse array of talent in many administrative fields and trades. We provide other agencies with innovative services for the printing, publishing, storage, and distribution of digital content. If you are an energetic, inventive individual looking for a challenging, yet rewarding career opportunity, GPO may be the place for you.

This position is part of the The Office of the Inspector General, Government Publishing Office in Washington, DC.

This job is open to

The public

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

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens

Duties

Address issues generally concerning criminal, civil, and administrative investigations, audits, inspections, operations reviews, legislation, regulations, policy, procedures, complaints, and Congressional and public inquiries.
Review proposed and/or existing legislation, regulations, and guidelines relating to the operations of GPO and makes recommendations to the Inspector General on their efficiency, impact, and/or prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse.
Prepare memorandum, reports, correspondence, and where litigation is undertaken, assists in the preparation of briefs, motions, and other pleadings in coordination with the Department of Justice.
Advise on the legality or policy implications of operations, activities, or changes in procedures.
Assist with preparation of IG testimony and aids in the preparation of IG appearances, when requested and approved, before committees of Congress, and represent the OIG in judicial proceedings.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

U.S. Citizenship is required.
Males born after 12/03/59 must be registered for Selective Service.
Selectee must pass preemployment requirements prior to appointment.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
May be required to serve a one-year trial period.
Confidential Financial Disclosure report is required.
You are required to disclose any current allegations or previous findings of ethics, judicial, or other professional misconduct by any state bar or attorney disciplinary committee.
A current, valid license with eligibility to practice law in a state, the District of Columbia, or any United States territory or commonwealth is a continuing condition of employment for Federal attorneys.
Current active bar membership in good standing is required. Must maintain active bar membership while employed as an attorney with GPO.
A one-time recruitment incentive of up to 4.6% of the employee's salary may be offered in accordance with regulatory requirements and acceptance of a signed service agreement.

Qualifications

To qualify for the Attorney-Advisor (General), PG-0905-14, you must meet the following requirements:

EDUCATION: Attorneys must possess a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from a school of law that is accredited by the American Bar Association.
-AND-

LICENCSED ATTORNEY AND BAR MEMBERSHIP: A current, valid license with eligibility to practice law in a state, the District of Columbia, or any United States territory or commonwealth is required to include active bar membership in good standing. Admission to the bar of any State, territory, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, or Federal Court is acceptable.
- AND-

LEGAL EXPERIENCE: You must possess three (3) years of professional legal experience post bar admission with one year of experience that is equivalent to the PG/GS-13 grade level. Qualifying experience is providing legal advice on employment law matters, as well as providing representation in administrative/judicial proceedings.
Note: Law Clerk experience is not qualifying. Experience must be as a licensed Attorney to be creditable.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement (09/10/2026) to be considered.

Education

Substitution of education in lieu of legal experience may not be used for this grade level.

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to verify you meet the education requirement. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts which cites the name of the institution are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades and GPA, semester, year, and credit for the course. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Employment of Relatives:
Section 3110 of Title 5, U.S. Code, prohibits a Federal official from appointing, promoting, or advocating the appointment or promotion of a relative in the agency where the official is serving or exercises jurisdiction. In addition, Section 2302(b)(7) of Title 5, U.S. Code, makes it a "prohibited personnel practice" for a person in authority to "appoint, employ, promote, advance, or advocate for the appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement of a relative." For further information visit: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/3110 and https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/2302

Separated Employees:
If you have separated from Federal Government employment, you may obtain a copy of your SF-50 via: National Personnel Records Center, Annex, 1411 Boulder Boulevard, Valmeyer, IL, 62295; or visit the National Archives Website.

Work Life Balance:
The GPO offers Transit subsidy for commuters using public transportation (Metro Bus/Rail, MARC, VRE, etc.).

Background Investigation for a Secret Clearance:
To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the GPO requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy; this position requires a Secret clearance. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully completed a background investigation for a Secret clearance. This review could include financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs; this security process may take between 6 weeks to 12 months.

GPO will conduct an interim security clearance, pending the completion of the full investigative requirements for the final Secret clearance. The interim security clearance will be granted based on the favorable completion of preliminary checks that are accomplished as part of the security clearance process. The Agency may rescind the tentative offer if the candidate is unable to obtain an interim clearance.

Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.

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.

Attorney positions are Schedule A excepted service positions (5 C.F.R. § 213.3101(d) and (e). There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, GPO considers military service a positive factor in the hiring process and will apply veteran's preference as far as administratively feasible to ensure veterans receive fair and equitable treatment. Traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this position, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be excluded from further consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

You will be further evaluated on the following Competencies required for the position:

Legal, Government and Jurisprudence

We DO NOT require a separate narrative statement responding to the competencies: however, your resume must CLEARLY show possession of these competencies.

If you meet the qualifications stated above, your application may be referred to the Selecting Official for further review.

Required Documents

Content of Resume: Your resume or other written form you choose to describe your job-related experiences are used to verify your qualifications. Therefore, it is important that your resume accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities under each position you have held with each employer. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. It is your responsibility to make sure your resume states complete information for each job entry (beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY; and total number of hours worked per week). If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package may be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position. To assist you in sending in a complete resume, use the checklist at: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal positions, those eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) 0pt, on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section(s) provided. Only veterans discharged or released from active duty in the armed forces under honorable conditions are eligible for veterans' preference.
DD-214: If you are claiming Veterans' Preference, provide a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4) Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other equivalent documentation to prove your entitlement and to verify your type of discharge. Failure to provide this information may result in your application not receiving preference.
VA Letter and SF-15: If you are claiming Veterans' Preference based on a Compensable Disability, Widow or Spouse Entitlement, or as a Purple Heart recipient, you must submit your DD-214 or other proof of entitlement as described above; and SF-15, and the required proof of disability, i.e., Department of Veterans Affairs letter dated 1991 or later. Failure to provide this documentation may result in your application not receiving preference. (Please see veteran eligibility documentation for more information on veterans preference in federal hiring)
Active Duty Service Members: If you are veteran who has not yet been discharged, you may provide a statement of intent to discharge from your agency to receive Veterans Preference under the VOW (Veteran Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011. Agencies are required to accept, process, and grant tentative veterans' preference to those active duty service members who submit a certification (in lieu of a DD-214) along with their job application materials. Agencies must verify the individual meets the definition of 'preference eligible' under 5 U.S.C. 2108 prior to appointment. A '"certification" is any written document from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. More information may be found at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-employment-initiative/vet-guide/.
School transcript(s) - official or unofficial. A transcript showing you possess a J.D. or LL.B. is required. The information presented in the transcript must be verifiable; at the minimum the transcript should contain the name of the institution, applicant's name, list of completed courses, semester hours, GPA, and date degree conferred. If you provide an unofficial transcript at the time of application and you are selected, you will be asked for official versions prior to an official job offer.
Attorney license and active bar membership - you must submit certification that you are an active bar member in good standing licensed to practice law in a state, the District of Columbia, or any United States territory or commonwealth.

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

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes 1) your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire, 2) your resume, and 3) any other documents needed to verify your qualifications or eligibility (see the required documents section).

Please follow the instructions listed below for submitting your complete application package. Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all instructions before you begin.

Resume Requirements:

Resumes are limited to two (2) pages.
Resumes should focus on the knowledge, skills, abilities; accomplishments and results; and training and education relevant to this position.
Resumes must be in the following format (for each position held relevant to this position):
- Short summary of position duties
- Accomplishments while in the position
- Results of those accomplishments

Copying and pasting position descriptions into a resume is not acceptable.

Illegible Information and/or Documents

If your supporting documents and resume are illegible or do not provide the necessary information for the Human Capital Specialist and/or Subject Matter Expert to make a qualification determination, you may lose consideration for this position.

Last Document Uploaded

If multiple copies of the same document are uploaded/faxed and submitted with your application, GPO will only consider the last copy of the document uploaded/faxed when determining your eligibility and qualifications. For example, if you upload/fax two or more resumes only the last resume uploaded/faxed and submitted will be considered.

Print a copy of the occupational questionnaire so that you may read and review the questions before submitting your online responses. Click here to view the Occupational Questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13045377

The completed Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/10/2026.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account http://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

DeAundra McKinnis

Phone: 202-512-1138
Email: dmckinnis@gpo.gov

Address: US Government Publishing Office
732 North Capitol Street
Washington, DC 20401
US

Next steps

After each step in the recruitment process, your status will be updated in the online application tracking system and if you have elected to receive email updates, you will be notified through your USAJOBS registered email address. If you have not elected to receive email updates, you can review your current application status in USAJOBS at any time. Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job. This will ensure we can contact you as quickly as possible.

In addition to changing your status online, we will send you email notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or ineligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected.

Position Reconsideration Process
Applicants who have applied for employment with the Government Publishing Office who were found to be ineligible for a position, may submit a request for reconsideration upon reasonable demonstration that a reconsideration review is necessary. Request for Reconsideration will not be accepted for failure to submit appropriate required documentation and/or failure to complete required Assessments or respond accurately to Assessment Questions.

Applicants seeking a Request for Reconsideration should reach out to the servicing Human Resources Specialist indicated in the Vacancy Announcement to see you meet the eligibility requirements for reconsideration. If you meet the eligibility requirements for reconsideration, the Human Capital Talent Acquisitions and Transactions Division will review the application based on the reconsideration request to determine if the rating was appropriate and render a final decision to the applicant.

A request to reconsider a rating determination must be received in the servicing Talent Acquisitions Office within 5 business days from the date indicated on the Touch Point Notification, Notice of Results received from USA Staffing, or it will be rejected as an untimely request for reconsideration.

Attorney-Advisor (General) Job in Washington, DC