Summary
The Litigation Section provides expert legal advice, representation, and support to the entire FBI regarding litigation risk, personnel issues, training, security, employment law, and information access and disclosure. The Litigation Section defends the FBI and its employees against legal challenges to its programs and activities. These employees also provide expert legal advice and counsel to executives, managers, and employees across the FBI related to these practice areas.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
All U.S. Citizens.
Duties
- Serving as agency counsel to the FBI and its employees in defending civil, employment, and FOIA lawsuits filed in federal court; administrative claims; requests for testimony and documents; representation matters; and related areas.
- Working closely with DOJ Trial Attorneys and AUSAs to defend the FBI's interests in civil, employment, and FOIA litigation to include assisting in the taking and defending of depositions of FBI employees and others; drafting affidavits and declarations in support of motions, and otherwise assisting in the preparation of motions and briefs; managing civil discovery; and providing assistance at trial and in post-trial proceedings.
- Serving as first-chair litigators in employment discrimination and whistleblower reprisal cases before the EEOC, MSPB, and OARM. Conducting and responding to discovery requests; taking and defending depositions; writing and filing motions and briefs; engaging in settlement negotiations and mediations; and defending the agency in administrative hearings.
- Conducting legal research and writing analytical legal products.
- Providing expert-level advice and counsel directly to FBI executives, managers, and employees at all levels of the organization on myriad issues related but not limited to civil liability, employment, information access and protection, and privileges.
- Collaborating with DOJ attorneys and our litigating partners in other agencies and the U.S. Intelligence Community.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. citizen
- Must be able to obtain a Top-Secret/SCI clearance
- Selectee may be required to complete form FD-887, Request for Access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)
- Selectee may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 annually.
BASIC REQUIREMENT: All applicants must possess a law degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member of the bar (any US jurisdiction).
Qualifications
To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, applicants must possess a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited ABA law school, active bar status in good standing, and 1.5 years of professional legal experience post JD.
To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, applicants must possess a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited ABA law school, active bar status in good standing, and at least 2.5 year of professional legal experience post JD.
To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must possess a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited ABA law school, active bar status in good standing and have at least one year of specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level or at least four years of professional legal experience post JD.
Examples of specialized experience include independently performing legal analysis; composing pleadings, briefs and other court documents involving unique or difficult legal issues; conducting highly complex counseling and litigation; and leading junior attorneys, paralegals, and support staff. Please identify in your written statement of interest/cover letter and resume any specialized experience in employment law, if applicable.
Education
Positive Education Requirement: This position has a specific education requirement; all applicants must verify completion of this basic requirement by submitting both proof of JD degree and proof of good standing with a bar within a US jurisdiction. Please see the "Required Documents" under How to Apply for additional information.
Education: Applicant must possess a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (or have a LLM degree or other graduate law school degree in addition to a J.D.) and be an active member of the bar (any US jurisdiction).
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Please be advised that candidates that are selected for this position must be approved by the Department of Justice.
Please make sure your experience/requirement(s) can be identified in your resume. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements at the time of application.
Candidates deemed most competitive will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration.
All applicants will be rated on the following Competencies:
- Governance and Legal Jurisprudence
- Analytical Thinking
- Communication
- Collaboration and interpersonal skills
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes the following REQUIRED documents:
- Your resume and cover letter
- A writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages
- Proof of current and active bar association membership
- Photocopy of Law School Transcripts
- Current SF-50 (if external government employee)
How to Apply
To apply for the Attorney (Litigation Branch) position, please click here.
Step 1 - Create a new email and attach all required electronic documents. Include contact information (phone number) and a brief introduction (2-3 sentences) in the body of the email.
Step 2 - Title the subject of the email using the following format, indicating whether you are an internal or external candidate. Example: OGC_LITB_2023_External/Internal
Step 3 - Submit the completed application email to OGC-JOBS@fbi.gov.
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. The Most Competitive candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. You will be notified of your status throughout the process.
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