Attorney-Adviser

Summary

This is a public notice flyer. Applications will not be accepted through USA Jobs. If you are interested in applying, please see the official announcement on the DOJs Legal Careers page by following the links below: Legal Careers | Attorney-Advisor | United States Department of Justice https://prod.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/attorney-advisor-164

Duties

About the Office The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking experienced attorneys to work in the Office of Information Policy (OIP), located in Washington, DC. 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. OIP attorneys may be assigned/reassigned to any one of several distinct but inter-related teams based on mission-critical office needs. Those teams include: the Administrative Appeals Staff, which adjudicates administrative appeals from Department components' FOIA determinations; the Initial Request (IR) Staff, which processes FOIA requests on behalf of the Department's leadership offices; the IR FOIA Litigation Staff; which handles FOIA requests subject to litigation; or the FOIA Compliance Staff, which supports the Office's responsibilities to oversee and encourage government-wide compliance with the FOIA. Job Description 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. Specific responsibilities may include: Recommending proposed actions to be taken in the adjudication of administrative 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 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 Freedom of Information Act; Encouraging FOIA compliance by components of the Department of Justice; Providing instructional training and guidance to various federal Departments regarding compliance with the FOIA; and Providing written and oral legal advice to litigators or periodically serving as litigators in defending certain FOIA lawsuits.

Qualifications and evaluation

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree (or equivalent).

How to apply

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 a detailed description of employment history, to include dates of employment (month/year). Materials should be submitted as one combined PDF file. Applicants are encouraged to email application to: Laurie Day at Laurie.Day@usdoj.gov. No telephone calls please. Please reference AP-2026-3 in your cover letter and put your name in the subject of the email. Applications must be received no later than 11:59 PM (ET) September 30, 2026. Otherwise, please send to: ATTN: Laurie Day Office of Information Policy 441 G Street, NW 6th Floor Washington, D.C. 20530 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

Listed under the 'How to Apply' section.

Additional information

Salary GS-12 - GS-13 ($102,415 - $158,322) with promotion potential to a GS-14 ($143,913 - 187,093) See: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2025/DCB.pdf Number of Positions One Travel Very limited travel may be associated with this position. Relocation Expenses Relocation expenses are not authorized.