Summary The Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO) provides investigative and prosecutorial support, legal advice, and statutorily required review and approval in almost 40 distinct subject areas. The Office also processes all requests for Criminal Division records made pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts, and assist U.S. Attorneys' Offices in advocating the Division's position in civil litigation filed under these statutes. Responsibilities As a Trial Attorney in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) / Privacy Act (PA) Act Unit, the incumbent will: Assist the Unit Chief, Deputy Chief, and other Unit supervisors in the processing of Division records requested pursuant to the FOIA or the PA, and ensure that the searches and processing are conducted in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures. Assist in preparation of pleadings and in the defense of the Criminal Division in litigation brought under the FOIA/PA. Plan and assign work to subordinates, evaluate work performance, provide advice and instruction to staff, make recommendations to the Unit supervisors on training needs, and provide technical direction to staff when needed. Review Division records located as a result of FOIA or PA requests and have first-line responsibility for determining whether these records should be released in full, in part, or withheld. Recommend whether or not a document should be classified or declassified in whole or in part. Make recommendations to Unit supervisors in presenting the Division's views to the reviewing official where the Division's initial FOIA or PA determination is being challenged by way of an administrative appeal within the Department. Ensure that any subsequent release of Division information is properly coordinated within the Division. Assist in the establishment of Division policy. As appropriate, comment on, or review regulations, and prepare or supervise the preparation of Division directives relating to the application and implementation of the FOIA and/or PA. Assist in the preparation of new PA systems of records for Division components, and work with components to ensure their publication in the Federal Register. Assist in the preparation of statistical reports for both the Congress and internal use to reflect Division's activities under FOIA and PA during each fiscal year. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Required Qualifications: Interested applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent, degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing. To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must have at least four (4) years post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: independently performing legal analysis; composing pleadings, briefs and other court documents involving unique and/or difficult legal issues in civil or criminal litigation; conducting highly complex civil or criminal litigation; and leading paralegals and support staff. Preferred Qualifications: Prior substantive legal experience relevant to the position, such as planning and organizing civil litigation, handling e-discovery, policy work, and/or conducting training. Direct experience related to FOIA, Privacy Act, or other federal information law matters is a strong plus. Education A J.D., or equivalent, degree. Applicants who possess an equivalent degree rather than a J.D. may be subject to additional review by the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management. Additional Information Additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement to fill vacancies that occur subsequent to this announcement. The Criminal Division participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, 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. Additional information on DOJ's EEO policy can be found on our website. 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. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please reach out to criminal.crmjobs@usdoj.gov or (202) 514-0361 for alternative application procedures. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Human Resources team at CRM.RA@usdoj.gov. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Fair Chance to Compete: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to criminal.crmjobs@usdoj.gov. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.
