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Attorney-Adviser
Offices, Boards and Divisions
Department of Justice
Location
Salary
$102,415 - $187,093
per year
Type
Full-Time
More Legal jobs →Closes
April 20, 2026More DOJ jobs →
GS-9 Pay Grade
Base salary range: $51,332 - $66,732
Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-8. Master's degree or 2 years graduate study.
Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).
Job Description
Summary
This job involves working as a lawyer in the Department of Justice's Office of Information Policy, where you'll review appeals for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, give legal advice to government agencies on access laws, and help train others on compliance.
It's a good fit for someone with a law degree who is passionate about transparency laws, has experience in administrative law or civil cases, and enjoys researching and guiding federal teams on public information rules.
Key Requirements
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school
- Active membership in a state bar association
- At least 2 years of relevant post-J.D. legal experience for GS-12 level (higher for GS-13/14)
- Knowledge of and interest in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
- Experience in administrative law or civil litigation
- Strong skills in legal research, writing, and oral communication
- Ability to provide training and guidance on FOIA compliance
Full Job Description
Office of Information Policy (OIP) manages the Department's responsibilities related to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which includes coordinating and implementing policy development and compliance-wide for the FOIA, processing FOIA requests for the senior leadership offices, adjudicating all administrative appeals from denials and assisting in the defense of certain FOIA matters in litigation.
OIP attorneys may be assigned/reassigned to any one of several distinct teams.
To qualify for the position of Attorney-Adviser, at GS-0905-12/13/14, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below.
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.
You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the 04/20/2026 of this announcement. Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements.
Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume. Major Duties:
The duties and responsibilities for an Attorney-Advisor, GS-0905-12 - 14 generally include, but are not limited to, the following: * Recommending proposed actions to be taken in the adjudication of administrative Freedom of Information Act (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.
* Providing written and oral legal advice to litigators or periodically serving as litigators in defending certain FOIA lawsuits.
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