Assistant General Counsel (FOIA)
Company: The United States Department of Justice
Location: Washington
Posted on: May 4, 2024
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Job Description:
Central Office, Office of General Counsel, Legal Administration
Branch, Washington, DC Location: Office of General Counsel, Legal
Administration Branch, 320 First Street NW Location: Office of
General Counsel, Legal Administration Branch, 320 First Street
NW
Washington, DC 20534 - United States Application Deadline: Friday,
May 17, 2024 About the Office The Legal Administrative Branch of
the Office of General Counsel encompasses the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) Section. This section
is responsible for processing requests for documents pursuant to
the FOIA/PA, as well as related litigation.
Attorneys working in the FOIA branch apply their expertise, skills,
and education to serve as agency counsel in defending the Bureau of
Prisons (BOP) in FOIA lawsuits brought by private parties and
public interest groups seeking records of BOP operations and
activities. Attorneys regularly handle litigation seeking sensitive
records within the agency's possession and also serve as subject
matter experts and provide legal and policy guidance to officials
at all levels within the BOP with regard to its FOIA program and
other issues of public access to the BOP information and records.As
the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and
impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the
Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and
inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that
reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American
people, we welcome applicants from the many communities,
identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions,
and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to
public service. Job Description The incumbent exercises discretion
and independent judgment in the applications of laws and executive
orders, regulations, precedents, and agency practices related to
the FOIA/PA. The incumbent will be expected to provide expert legal
advice and guidance on an array of information access issues to the
highest levels of BOP management. The incumbent will work with
Central Office, regional and institution management and line staff
with respect to litigation affecting the BOP, as well as working
with the United States Attorney's Offices. The incumbent should
have knowledge of the FOIA/PA practice, procedure, and law,
responding directly to complex and high profile FOIA/PA requests,
and will participate as agency counsel in FOIA/PA related
litigation. Incumbent will liaise with the Department of Justice's
Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties on Privacy Act-related
issues, which include component reporting requirements and legal
requirements to create and/or maintain Systems of Records.
Incumbent will review records in-depth for consultation and
disclosure determinations, draft declarations and Vaughn indexes.
Incumbent will assist FOIA/PA's Supervisory Attorney in approving
documents for release pursuant to non-BOP audits by the Government
Accounting Office, Office of Inspector General, and pursuant to the
Federal Information Security Management Act.
Qualifications Required qualifications: Applicants must possess a
J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and
have at least one (1) year of post-J.D. experience.
Preferred qualifications: Prior experience in FOIA/PA matters is
preferred, but not required. Application Process Applicants must
submit a cover letter highlighting relevant experience and a resume
by May 17, 2024, to:
U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Office of General Counsel
Legal Administration Branch
320 First Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20534
Attention: Eugene Baime, Supervisory Attorney Advisor
It is preferred that you submit your application packet via email
to: EBaime@bop.gov
Please include in the subject line "FOIA Attorney."
No telephone calls, please. This position is open until filled, but
no later than May 17, 2024.
The possible salary range is: GS-12 ($99,200 to $128,956) GS-13
($117,962 - 153,354) GS-14 ($139,395 to $181,216); or GS-15
($163,964 to $191,900). Number of Positions One Travel Limited
travel may be required. Relocation Expenses * * *Equal Employment
Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal
Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where
otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because
of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender
identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of
age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic
information, parental status, marital status, political
affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor. 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.For more
information, please review our fullEEO Statement .Reasonable
Accommodations: 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.Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with
Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with
disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe
disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements.
Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be
eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under
Schedule A (5 C.F.R. - 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals
with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department's
Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being
considered for a position. See list ofDPOCs . 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.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 their retirement was due to a
permanent service-connected disability or that they were
transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement
or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or
more).USAO Residency Requirement: Assistant United States Attorneys
must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles
thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.* *
*This and othervacancy announcements can be found underAttorney
Vacancies andVolunteer 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.
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Keywords: The United States Department of Justice, Washington DC , Assistant General Counsel (FOIA), Legal , Washington, DC
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