Senior Level Attorney

Full Job Description

The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), under delegation from the Attorney General, provides authoritative legal advice to the President and all executive branch agencies.

OLC drafts formal legal opinions, resolves complex and interagency legal disputes, and reviews the constitutionality of pending legislation.

The Senior Counsel serves in OLC, which is led by an Assistant Attorney General who supports the Attorney General in overseeing DOJ operations and advising executive departments and agencies.

The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME-ONLY. Applicants must show clear evidence of the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) embedded within their resume.

The resume-based application should not to exceed 2 pages (1-sheet double-sided or 2 sheets one-sided) MTQ 1: Demonstrated experience with, and knowledge about, statutes bearing on the national security, such as those dealing with cyber and surveillance matters; national security issues arising under the Constitution; and executive orders or directives dealing with national security issues.

MTQ 2: Demonstrated experience in other areas of the Office's practice, such as separation of powers, administrative law, appointment and removals, or congressional oversight.

MTQ 3: Demonstrated experience with establishing and maintaining effective relationships with components or agencies within the government, or comparable demonstrated ability to establish and maintain such relationships.

**Only experience obtained by the closing date (01/16/2026) of this announcement will be considered!

Major Duties:

*Note: This is a Senior Level position (SL). Most senior level employees are in non-executive positions whose duties are broad and complex enough to be classified above GS-15.

The position duties are primarily leading teams and projects, and do not meet the SES functional criteria.

The incumbent of this position has wide experience, knowledge, and achievements in the field of national security law, as well as administrative and constitutional law.

The incumbent's expertise in national security law includes, but is not limited to, surveillance statutes, cyber law, and the provisions of the Constitution bearing on national security questions.

Advises, orally and in writing, about questions under the surveillance and cyber statutes, such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Stored Communications Act; other statutes bearing on the national security, besides those statutes dealing with surveillance and cyber matters; executive orders, such as Executive Order 12333; and constitutional provisions, such as the Fourth Amendment.

The incumbent personally handles these matters and occasionally directs a team of attorneys.

Provides a wide knowledge and experience in these fields a well as others in more general practice of the Office.

Other areas of knowledge and expertise may include the separation of powers, administrative law, appointments and removals, and congressional oversight.

Familiar with how questions in all of these fields are handled in the context of Executive Orders and proposed legislation.

Consults with senior lawyers in other components of the Department, the Office of the Legal Advisor to the National Security Council, and in General Counsel offices in the Executive Branch.

Leads special projects and initiatives, as assigned by a Deputy Assistant Attorney General, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, or the Assistant Attorney General for OLC.

Ensures compliance with Departmental policies, regulations, and applicable laws.