Deputy General Counsel

Summary The Criminal Division is seeking attorneys to fill Deputy General Counsel positions available in the Office of Administration's (ADM) Office of General Counsel (OGC). The incumbents provide legal advice and counsel to Criminal Division managers and supervisors on employment and federal personnel law, as well as litigation and investigation matters. Responsibilities As a Deputy General Counsel, you will: Provide advice and counsel to managers and supervisors on a wide variety of employment law matters including performance and conduct issues, time and attendance, reasonable accommodations, and complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Represent the Criminal Division in proceedings before the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Serve as agency counsel in federal court litigation. Serve as agency point of contact for investigations involving the EEOC, OSC, Office of the Inspector General, and Office of Professional Responsibility. Participate in mediations and settlement negotiations. Propound and respond to discovery, draft motions and briefs, and conduct legal research. Collaborate on the planning, development, and implementation of training on legal issues for supervisors and managers and provide such training. Review proposed Division policy and work with Division management to ensure legal sufficiency, as well as compliance with regulations, policies, procedures, and business processes. Research complex legal issues and recommend potential solutions to the General Counsel and ADM leadership. Provide support to the General Counsel on special projects and administration of Criminal Division programs, including the Honors Program and attorney bar certification. 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 with at least two of the following areas: (1) Standards of Conduct and Ethics, (2) Federal Employment Law; and/or (3) Equal Employment Law. Preferred Qualifications: Expert knowledge of federal personnel and employment law, to include litigation before the MSPB, EEOC, and OSC. Experience advising senior leaders (to include SES and political appointees) on employment related issues. Experience working in a General Counsel's Office within a federal agency. Current or prior experience working for the Department of Justice is preferred. 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 Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. A list of eligible candidates will be referred to the hiring managers every 2 weeks during the open period of the announcement. The first cutoff date will be applications on or before July 24, 2026. If you are interested in applying, it is recommended that you do so early. 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 View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io 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 View email address on click.appcast.io. 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 View email address on click.appcast.io. 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.