Attorney-Advisor (Appeals Staff)

Location: 441 G Street, NW 6th Floor Washington , DC 20530-0001 - United States Application Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026 About the Office The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking experienced attorneys to work in the Office of Information Policy (OIP), located in Washington, DC. OIP manages the Department’s responsibilities related to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which includes coordinating and implementing policy development and compliance government-wide for the FOIA, processing FOIA requests for the senior leadership offices within the Department, adjudicating all administrative appeals from denials by any Department component under the FOIA, and assisting in the defense of certain FOIA matters in litigation. OIP attorneys may be assigned/reassigned to any one of several distinct but inter-related teams based on mission-critical office needs. Those teams include: the Administrative Appeals Staff, which adjudicates administrative appeals from Department components’ FOIA determinations; the Initial Request (IR) Staff, which processes FOIA requests on behalf of the Department’s leadership offices; the IR FOIA Litigation Staff; which handles FOIA requests subject to litigation; or the FOIA Compliance Staff, which supports the Office’s responsibilities to oversee and encourage government-wide compliance with the FOIA. Job Description OIP is hiring an Attorney-Advisor to be assigned to its Administrative Appeals Staff. Primary duties of this position include the adjudication of appeals from Department component FOIA determinations. The incumbent will perform varied legal work involving the interpretation and application of laws, executive orders, regulations, precedents, and agency practices relating to the FOIA. Specific responsibilities may include: Recommending proposed actions to be taken in the adjudication of administrative FOIA appeals by reviewing the administrative record and evaluating actions taken by Department of Justice components in processing initial FOIA requests; Conducting legal research and providing legal advice to a wide variety of federal agencies involving inquiries and assignments related to the application of FOIA and Privacy Act access laws; Developing a mastery of assigned area(s) of expertise and updating corresponding section(s) of the United States Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act; Encouraging FOIA compliance by components of the Department of Justice; Providing instructional training and guidance to various federal Departments regarding compliance with the FOIA; and Providing written and oral legal advice to litigators or periodically serving as litigators in defending certain FOIA lawsuits. Qualifications Applicants must possess a J.D. degree (or equivalent), be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction). Preferred qualifications It is preferred that applicants have knowledge of and a demonstrated interest in the Freedom of Information Act and have administrative law and/or civil litigation experience. Candidates must have at least one-year FOIA processing / FOIA litigation experience to qualify at the GS-13 level. Promotion potential to a GS-15. Security Requirements Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, tax and credit checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. Applicants will be required to qualify for a Top Secret security clearance. GS-12 - GS-13 ($102,415 - $158,322) with promotion potential to a GS-15 ($169,279 - 197,200) Very limited travel may be associated with this position. Relocation Expenses Relocation expenses are not authorized. This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr