Senior Level Attorney

Senior Level Attorney

Department: Department of Justice

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $150160 - $225700 Per Year

Job Summary: The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), under delegation from the Attorney General, provides authoritative legal advice to the President and all executive branch agencies. OLC drafts formal legal opinions, resolves complex and interagency legal disputes, and reviews the constitutionality of pending legislation. The Senior Counsel serves in OLC, which is led by an Assistant Attorney General who supports the Attorney General in overseeing DOJ operations and advising executive departments and agencies.

Major Duties:

• *Note: This is a Senior Level position (SL). Most senior level employees are in non-executive positions whose duties are broad and complex enough to be classified above GS-15. The position duties are primarily leading teams and projects, and do not meet the SES functional criteria. The incumbent of this position has wide experience, knowledge, and achievements in the field of national security law, as well as administrative and constitutional law. The incumbent's expertise in national security law includes, but is not limited to, surveillance statutes, cyber law, and the provisions of the Constitution bearing on national security questions. Advises, orally and in writing, about questions under the surveillance and cyber statutes, such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Stored Communications Act; other statutes bearing on the national security, besides those statutes dealing with surveillance and cyber matters; executive orders, such as Executive Order 12333; and constitutional provisions, such as the Fourth Amendment. The incumbent personally handles these matters and occasionally directs a team of attorneys. Provides a wide knowledge and experience in these fields a well as others in more general practice of the Office. Other areas of knowledge and expertise may include the separation of powers, administrative law, appointments and removals, and congressional oversight. Familiar with how questions in all of these fields are handled in the context of Executive Orders and proposed legislation. Consults with senior lawyers in other components of the Department, the Office of the Legal Advisor to the National Security Council, and in General Counsel offices in the Executive Branch. Leads special projects and initiatives, as assigned by a Deputy Assistant Attorney General, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, or the Assistant Attorney General for OLC. Ensures compliance with Departmental policies, regulations, and applicable laws.

Qualifications: The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME-ONLY. Applicants must show clear evidence of the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) embedded within their resume. The resume-based application should not to exceed 2 pages (1-sheet double-sided or 2 sheets one-sided) MTQ 1: Demonstrated experience with, and knowledge about, statutes bearing on the national security, such as those dealing with cyber and surveillance matters; national security issues arising under the Constitution; and executive orders or directives dealing with national security issues. MTQ 2: Demonstrated experience in other areas of the Office's practice, such as separation of powers, administrative law, appointment and removals, or congressional oversight. MTQ 3: Demonstrated experience with establishing and maintaining effective relationships with components or agencies within the government, or comparable demonstrated ability to establish and maintain such relationships. **Only experience obtained by the closing date (01/16/2026) of this announcement will be considered!

How to Apply: To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 01/16/2026 to receive consideration. If you would like to preview the announcement questionnaire, please click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12853973 Click "Apply Online" to get started. If you're not logged in to your USAJOBS account, you will need to login. If you don't have an account, please create one. You will be prompted to select one of your stored (or uploaded) resumes, and any supporting documents you have uploaded to USAJOBS. If you have not uploaded these documents, you can do so later before submitting your application. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, you will be asked to submit your demographic information (if you have provided this in your profile). Submission is optional and anonymous. You'll be asked to confirm your choices and certify the accuracy of your information before you're able to continue to the Application Manager system. Until you see the blue border and DOJ logo, you are still on USAJOBS. You'll see a folder animation just before you leave USAJOBS. Once you reach DOJ's Application Manager system, you'll be asked to verify the information you transmitted from USAJOBS. You will then respond to the application assessment questionnaires and indicate your eligibility options. After responding to the questionnaires, you will have the opportunity to attach the documents you brought over from USAJOBS *OR* upload documents directly from your computer or device. If you opt to upload a document directly, click the "Upload" button and select the document on your device, then wait for the upload to finish. Repeat as needed. Documents must be less than 3 MB each and should be in a compatible file format. Once all your documents are uploaded, you must assign the uploads to the appropriate document category. You may attach more than one document to each category. Click the drop-down menu for a document category and select one of the available options in the menu. The document will be listed under this category. You can click the drop-down again to add other documents, as needed. You can have up to 15 document assignments. Once you've uploaded and assigned all your documents to an appropriate document type, you can proceed to the final verification step, and click Submit. If you have correctly submitted your application, you will receive an automated e-mail notification within 30-60 minutes. Be sure to review the announcement fully to make sure that your application contains everything that is required. If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site (for everything on the USAJOBS-side), or the Application Manager Help Site (for everything on the DOJ-side). Regrettably, the Department of Justice cannot assist you with USAJOBS account issues. If you contact us for assistance and the problem is related to your USAJOBS account, we will have to direct you to USAJOBS to remedy the issue. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: If you are unable to apply online due to a disability or overseas deployment, you must request an alternative application, which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact April Harris at april.harris@usdoj.gov or 771-219-7719 to discuss your situation. Accommodations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Indicate that you're asking for a reasonable accommodation in your e-mail subject so the HR Specialist knows where to direct you.

Application Deadline: 2026-01-16