Director, Office of the Committee on Admissions and Unauthorized Practice of Law Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. COA-2026-0001 Department District of Columbia Courts
Salary $163,964.00 to $191,900.00 Grade 15 to 15
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/12/2026 Close Date 1/26/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The Director of the Office of the Committees on Admissions and Unauthorized Practice of Law administers the statutory responsibility of the Court of Appeals to regulate the D.C. Bar, protecting the public by assuring that persons licensed to provide legal representation in the District of Columbia demonstrate competence and fit moral character and by assuring that persons who have not made such a demonstration and are not permitted to practice do not provide representation to the public. 

This job is open to

The public

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

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

Clarification from the agency

United States Citizens or individuals lawfully admitted for permanent residency or authorized by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service to work in the United States.

Duties

Brief Description of Duties:

  • Directs the overall operations of the office including supervising office staff.
  • Manages bi-annual administration of the D.C. Bar examination, the review process, and processing of applications.
  • Certifies candidates for admission to the bar of the D.C. Court of Appeals. This includes grading the written components of the bar examination along with conducting character and fitness reviews.
  • Investigates and resolves complaints involving the unauthorized practice of law
  • Assesses training needs and proposing training and development opportunities for staff to ensure satisfactory work performance and excellent customer service.
  • Works with Information Technology staff to develop, implement and maintain information and records management systems.
  • Develops and maintains collaborative working relationships with bar admissions administrators in other jurisdictions, with the National Conference of Bar Examiners, and with the District of Columbia Bar.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • This position is Excepted Service appointment.
  • Background and security investigation are required.

To qualify for this position, you must submit the following:
1. Resume
2. Completed Vacancy Questionnaire
3. Documentation /Proof of Education (e.g. copy of college transcript or degree)
4. List of three (3) professional references

All required documentation must be received by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

A bachelor’s degree plus six (6) years of administrative experience in a court, law office, or other legal environment, which includes at least four (4) years as a manager.  Excellent writing and grammar skills are required, and you must demonstrate the ability to work on multiple tasks, requiring careful attention to detail and priority setting. 

A Juris Doctor (J.D.) or experience as an administrator in the area of bar admissions or unauthorized practice of the law is preferred.  

Management training may substitute for one (1) year of supervisory experience (You must provide documentation of your management training (i.e. certificate, transcript, etc.) with your application).

Proof of education must be provided with your application.  

*Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience, and that you meet the basic qualifications, or you will not be determined qualified for this position.

Education

To qualify based on education, upload a copy of your college transcript or degree. The transcript must show the name of the college or university, your name, list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking.

Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for District of Columbia Courts employment.  You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.  

Foreign Education: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must upload a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript at time of application to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Additional information

This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive Federal civil service.

All required information must be received by the vacancy announcement closing date.

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.

This is not a federal position.

The District of Columbia Courts is an independent branch of the District of Columbia Government and is not under the authority of the City Mayor or the D. C. Council. DC Courts' appropriation comes directly from Congress. All DC Courts non-judicial employees receive federal benefits for the following programs:  Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits, Health Insurance and Workers Compensation.

Please click on the following for more information about these benefits:

http://www.opm.gov/Insure/health/enrollment/new_employees.asp

The DC Courts leave policy is as follows:

Annual Leave:  New full-time employees earn four (4) hours of annual leave biweekly. After three years of service this increases to six (6)hours biweekly, and at 15 years it increases to eight(8)hours biweekly. Most military, federal and District of Columbia government service counts toward the time required to go into the next higher annual leave category. Employees can carry over no more than 240 hours of annual leave into the next leave year.

Sick Leave is used for personal medical needs, care of a family member, or adoption related purposes. Full-time employees earn four(4)hours of sick leave biweekly. This leave can be accrued without limit.

In addition to the federal health plans, the DC Courts offer employees supplemental vision and dental plans as well as a commuter transit benefit subsidy, for a maximum of $150 a month. There are 26 pay periods in the year.

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.

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure that you meet the minimum qualification requirements.  Answers submitted in the questionnaire must be supported on your resume.

Your resume must reflect the relevant experience and that you meet the minimum qualifications or your application will not be considered.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

1. Resume
2. Completed Vacancy Questionnaire
3. Documentation /Proof of Education (e.g. copy of college transcript or diploma)
4. List of three (3) professional references

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 begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.  Follow the prompts to complete the vacancy questionnaire. Afterward, click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.

Agency contact information

G. Brandon
Phone
202-879-8159
Email
jobs@dcsc.gov
Address
District of Columbia Courts
Historic Court House
430 E Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20001
United States

Next steps

Once your completed application is received, the qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. All applicants will be notified of the final outcome.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.