Duties

Summary

As the largest anti-crime task force in the country, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program is led by the OCDETF Executive Office, which implements the nationwide OCDETF strategy of combining targeting, intelligence sharing, coordination, and directed resourcing to have the greatest impact disrupting and dismantling command and control elements of criminal organizations.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Attorney Advisor is primarily responsible for implementing, directing and administering OCDETF's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act of 1974 (PA), and Records Management (RM) programs.

• Performing legal research, developing authoritative guidance and advising leadership on information law and policy matters, as well as ancillary civil and administrative legal issues.
• Interpretation and application of statutes, case law, regulations, and other authorities and applying these authorities in response to requests for information.
• Ensuring PA and RM compliance.
• The Attorney Advisor must review requests for information and evaluate and execute the proper response in light of law, regulation, and policy. Confers and negotiates with the information requester community, as well as officials in the Departments of Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security, and Defense, the Intelligence Community, and other federal, state, local, tribal, and foreign agencies on important legal and policy questions concerning information disclosure.
• Evaluates effects of pending legislation and proposed changes in existing legislation that may affect the operations of the legal program, with a focus on information disclosure law.
• Prepares detailed legal briefs that identify policy ramifications of such legislation for leadership.
• Attends meetings with senior leaders and attorneys from other federal, state, local, tribal, and foreign agencies.
• Provides authoritative technical legal guidance on complex, controversial, high value, and precedent-setting cases.
• Personally handles complex legal matters, including all litigation arising under the FOIA and PA, and drafts detailed records schedules and legal affidavits in support of FOIA/PA litigation.

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 United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a two-year probationary or trial period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• Candidate selected for an Attorney position with OCTEDF are expected to make a three year commitment.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree;
• Be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney (any jurisdiction)
• Have at least 3 years of post J.D. professional experience.

Applicants must also have superior academic credentials, writing and analytic skills. OCTDEF seeks candidates with Applicants must have solid academic credentials as well as excellent writing and strong interpersonal skills. Applicants should possess: strong speaking and presentation skills; experience in the training of, and development of, professional training for prosecutors and agents; criminal prosecution experience, including experience with long term, complex organized crime, drug, and money laundering investigations; experience with electronic surveillance and related legal issues; experience with domestic and international financial investigations; and familiarity with federal investigative agencies is preferred. Experience in handling international extradition and mutual legal assistance cases, and proficiency in at least one foreign language are also desirable.

Suitability and Citizenship: Suitability and Citizenship : 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. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/ ). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is 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. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.

Education

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

Additional information

General Employment Information:

• DOJ EEO Statement/Policy: http://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/08-eeo-policy.pdf
• Selective Service: If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov .
• Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Our policy can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/manual-and-procedures-providing-reasonable-accommodation
• Schedule A for Persons with Disabilities : Learn more at USAJOBS - Individuals with Disabilities .
Preference Eligible Veterans and Military Spouses : Please see USAJOBS Veterans Preference for more details.
• Career Transition Assistance Programs (CTAP & ICTAP) : For more information visit: USAJOBS Career Transition Programs

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Salary and grade level determinations are made based on the number of years of qualifying experience and current salary level. The salary range for this GS-15 position is: $144,128 - $172,500.

Veterans: 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 veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

Interested candidates should submit all of the following:
1. Cover letter highlighting your relevant skills and experience,
2. Copy of your resume,
3. Writing sample, and
4. Current performance appraisal.