Attorney Advisor

Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office for Civil Rights. OJP provides federal leadership, funding, and other critical resources to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, protect American children, provide services to American crime victims, and address public safety challenges, including human trafficking and the opioid crisis.

Duties

The duties and responsibilities for a GS- 0905-13 generally include, but are not limited to, the following: Senior Civil Rights Legal Counsel and Advisory Services Responsible for highly complex and challenging legal issues that significantly expand or limit an agency's operations. Handles confidential and sensitive civil rights matters that span organizational boundaries and influence the agency's management and use of resources. Offers legal guidance to grant recipients to help them understand and comply with federal civil rights requirements, including nondiscrimination obligations, accessibility standards, and equitable service delivery. Manages civil rights compliance reviews, data analysis, document requests, and interviews to determine whether grantees adhere to federal nondiscrimination laws. Manages legal review of civil rights complaints filed with OCR, determines whether OCR has jurisdiction, assigns matters for investigation, and makes preliminary legal determinations. Civil Rights Legal Analysis, Decision Drafting, and Regulatory Development Monitors emerging judicial decisions, regulatory updates, and DOJ policy shifts; prepares legal analyses advising OJP leadership on their civil rights implications. Creates written guidance, briefing papers, FAQs, and training modules on civil rights compliance requirements for federal employees, grantees, and external partners. Handles highly complex and challenging civil rights issues involved in drafting, interpreting, or implementing laws, regulations, contracts, directives, rulings, opinions, and other legal documents. Reconciles competing interests by applying advanced, innovative, and independent legal reasoning. Civil Rights Legal Oversight, High-Level Consultation, and Outreach Handles cases and legal issues that can significantly expand or limit an agency's operations. Identifies when issues under consideration are so precedent-setting or sensitive that any recommendations must first be reviewed and approved by senior officials before being released. Provides briefings and presentations on civil rights law at seminars and other agency outreach events. Leads meetings and facilitates post-meeting question-and-answer sessions on civil rights issues.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Attorney Advisor, at GS-0905-13, you must meet the qualification requirements listed below. Possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited law school. Be an active member of the bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction). Have a minimum of one and a half (1.5) years of post J.D./LL.B legal experience, which must have been in at least one of the following areas: Interpreting and applying civil rights laws, regulations, and legal precedents to novel or evolving fact patterns; providing well-reasoned legal guidance to leadership, program offices, and external stakeholders; and preparing substantive legal analyses to support informed agency decision-making; Conducting civil rights compliance reviews by analyzing documentary evidence and data, coordinating information requests, interviewing grantee personnel, and assessing adherence to federal nondiscrimination laws; or Reviewing proposed grant programs, solicitations, and policy or program changes to ensure compliance with statutory civil rights requirements; coordinating with the Civil Rights Division on overlapping enforcement matters; and contributing to interagency investigations and referrals. You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/12/2026. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited law school.