Duties

Summary

The U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, is seeking a highly qualified attorney to serve in the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) Unit.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The FOIA/PA Unit receives, evaluates, and processes all FOIA and Privacy Act requests for records made of the Antitrust Division, in accordance with the FOIA, 5 U.S.C. § 552, the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, and related Department of Justice regulations, 28 C.F.R. § 16.1, et seq. The FOIA/PA Unit assists in defending FOIA/PA litigation, provides program guidance, and prepares material for state attorneys general under Section 4F of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 15f. In addition, the FOIA/PA Unit reviews for pre-clearance the content of Antitrust Division staff presentations, speeches, lectures, and panel discussions for public appearances to outside groups, as well as staff articles, publications, and other written materials for circulation outside the Department of Justice that pertain to antitrust enforcement or Division business. The FOIA/PA Unit also maintains and indexes the Division's pleadings, business review letters, and other frequently used files.

As an Attorney of the FOIA/PA Unit, the incumbent coordinates with the Unit's FOIA Specialists and reviews the processing of FOIA, Privacy Act, and Section 4F requests received by the Division and advocates the Division's position on FOIA and Privacy Act administrative appeals. The incumbent processes complex FOIA/PA requests and administrative appeal work as a primary assignee, handling: record searches, review, and redaction; consulting within the Division, within DOJ, and with other federal agencies; proposing dispositions; drafting correspondence, summaries, and memoranda. The incumbent serves as a point of contact for trial counsel and is responsible for providing litigation support and assistance in litigation involving information disclosure. The incumbent advises Division and Department decision-makers and others on legal and policy issues relating to the FOIA and the Privacy Act, other access laws, and grand jury procedures. The successful candidate can expect a stimulating and collegial environment working with professional staff, as well as the satisfaction of serving the public interest on matters of national significance.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

You must be a US citizen to be considered for this position.
You must undergo a pre-employment security investigation.
You may be required to take and successfully clear a drug test.
You must submit a complete application package by closing.
You must meet all time-in-grade and qualification requirements by closing.
SELECTIVE SERIVCE: All male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service (see SSS.gov ). If selected for this position, the applicant must sign a statement certifying his registration, or the applicant must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
This is a full time, permanent appointment in the excepted service, not eligible for inclusion in the bargaining unit.
This is a non-supervisory appointment, subject to a two-year trial period. Time served in a temporary, term or other not-to-exceed appointment is not counted toward completion of the required trial period.
The Antitrust Division participates in the E-Verify program.
When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.
Applications mailed using government postage and/or internal federal government mailing systems are in violation of agency and postal regulations and will not be accepted.
Please Note: Additional selections may be made from this announcement. Also, a writing sample may be requested of individuals identified as best qualified, to be forwarded to the selecting official along with your application package, upon referral

Qualifications

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the position qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this position, your resume and supporting documentation will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration. To qualify, an applicant must:

Be a citizen of the United States;

Possess a J.D. or equivalent degree, be an active member of the bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least one and a half years of post-J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-13 level, and/or at least two and a half years of post J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-14 level;

Applicants should have strong academic and professional credentials and proven FOIA, analytical, legal research, and oral and written advocacy skills;

Post-J.D. legal experience in FOIA and Privacy issues, litigation, and litigation support is preferred.

Education

You must possess a J.D. or equivalent degree to qualify for consideration as an Attorney Advisor for the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.

Additional information

The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination based on color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, status as a parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or personal favoritism. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys' Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by- case basis.

We place a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspective and encourage applications from all interested eligible candidates, including candidates from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, women, LGBT individuals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job applicants
DOJ EEO Statement/Policy
OPM Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement
DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement
Veterans Information
Legal and Regulatory Guidance

If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Karen Jung at Karen.Jung@usdoj.gov or (202) 514-8885 to obtain an alternative application.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the position qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this position, your resume and supporting documentation will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration.

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veteran's preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.

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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

This and selected other legal position announcements can be found at https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes:

Cover Letter (highlighting relevant experience and a description of significant federal cases litigated, to include your role in them).

Your Résumé - applicants will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their resume. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.

RESUME REQUIREMENTS: ALL APPLICANTS: you must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire. The federal government has very specific resume requirements. If you have not written a federal resume before, you may want to watch this Resume Writing Tutorial video on the USAJOBS YouTube channel , or read through a helpful Resume Writing FAQ on the USAJOBS Help Site to learn what details you should, and should not, include in your resume. A CV (curriculum vitae) may not contain enough information to meet these resume requirements.

• Your resume should list all work experience (paid and unpaid); you must list the full name and address of each employer.
• For all types of work experience, you should indicate the start and end date (include month and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that your worked.
• Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).

Writing Sample/Brief (not to exceed 15 pages).

Performance Appraisal (if a current federal employee) - issued within the last 12 months, or if none exists, a statement to that effect.

A copy of your latest SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if a current federal employee).

Veterans Preference Documentation (if applicable):

If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives .

If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, and 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.

If you are a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or mother or spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a completed SF-15 and all additional proof required by the SF-15 , as applicable. If you don't have your Department of Veterans Affairs letter establishing proof of disability, you may request it at http://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ or call 1-800-827-1000.

Documentation of eligibility for special hiring authorities (if applicable) to prove appointment eligibility. Examples include: Schedule A disability letter, Peace Corps volunteer letter, military spouse hiring authority documentation, etc.

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.