Closing Date: 19th October, 2026
Description:
Summary:This position is located in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Office of Chief Counsel, Asset Forfeiture Section.
The Office of Chief Counsel works with federal and state prosecutors, and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to further DEA's mission. CC attorneys coordinate with DEA investigative personnel, provide legal training, and respond to requests for assistance from DEA Division Counsel.
Duties:
The Asset Forfeiture Section is comprised of a team of professionals dedicated to deterring, disrupting, and dismantling criminal drug trafficking organizations with Asset Forfeiture. Administrative, Civil-Judicial, and Criminal Forfeiture deprives criminals of their illegal drug proceeds and disrupts drug trafficking by confiscating facilitating property.
Duties of Asset Forfeiture attorneys include:
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
Qualifications:
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
All applicants must be an active member of a bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction) and possess: 1) a J.D. degree (or equivalent) and have at least 2-year post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience; 2) excellent academic credentials; 3) strong oral and written advocacy skills; 4) superior legal research and analytical skills; and 5) a demonstrated ability to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment.
To qualify for each GS Level:
Education:
A J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
For a list of schools that meet these criteria, see www.ed.gov.
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: ww.naces.org/members.php.
Additional Information:
For reasonable accommodation at the Drug Enforcement Administration, please contact the Human Resources office listed in this announcement.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office listed in this announcement.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Division/Office listed in this announcement.
Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. Please notify this office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Additional Information:
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits:
Duties of Asset Forfeiture attorneys include:
- Serving as a subject matter expert for search and seizure matters, complex asset forfeiture and money laundering law, policy, and practice; and reviewing pre-seizure probable cause determinations for legal sufficiency and ensuring due process is afforded to parties with a legal interest in seized property;
- Collaborating with HQ and Field DEA personnel responsible for asset forfeiture processing to ensure efficient and legally sufficient forfeiture cases;
- Partnering with DEA personnel and other federal, state, local, tribal, and international law enforcement agencies to strengthen drug-related financial investigations; and examining forfeiture notice and publication efforts for legal compliance; and issuing Declarations of Administrative Forfeiture;
- Representing DEA at meetings involving forfeiture matters and delivering legal instruction to DEA personnel as well as domestic and international partners;
- Liaising and supporting U.S. Attorney Offices and DOJ litigating components prosecuting and defending DEA forfeitures in judicial proceedings; and reviewing draft legislation, policy proposals, and assisting with responses to Congressional inquiries;
- Ruling on petitions for remission or mitigation of forfeiture; and deciding requests for equitable sharing of forfeited assets.
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
- U.S. Citizenship is required
- Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
- Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
- All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Incumbent is subject to random drug testing.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
- Selectee may be required to serve a 1-year OR 2-year trial period, as appropriate) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
- Must be active member of a Bar Association.
- Initial appointment is conditional upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprints, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
Qualifications:
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
All applicants must be an active member of a bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction) and possess: 1) a J.D. degree (or equivalent) and have at least 2-year post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience; 2) excellent academic credentials; 3) strong oral and written advocacy skills; 4) superior legal research and analytical skills; and 5) a demonstrated ability to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment.
To qualify for each GS Level:
- Applicants applying for the GS-13 must have 2 or more years of post J.D. legal experience with federal administrative, civil-judicial, and/or criminal asset forfeiture cases.
- Applicants applying for the GS-14 must have 3 or more years of post J.D. legal experience with federal administrative, civil-judicial, and/or criminal asset forfeiture cases. Applicants must also have experience working in a collaborative interagency environment involved in the reviewing or editing of intra-agency policies, interagency agreements, or proposed legislation.
- Applicants applying for the GS-15 must have 4 or more years of post J.D. legal experience with federal administrative, civil-judicial, and/or criminal asset forfeiture cases. Applicants must also possess experience providing legal counsel on complex asset forfeiture, financial, and money laundering investigations, advising senior agency decisionmakers on complex legal or policy matters, and training law enforcement agents on asset forfeiture issues.
Education:
A J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
For a list of schools that meet these criteria, see www.ed.gov.
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: ww.naces.org/members.php.
Additional Information:
For reasonable accommodation at the Drug Enforcement Administration, please contact the Human Resources office listed in this announcement.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office listed in this announcement.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Division/Office listed in this announcement.
Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. Please notify this office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Additional Information:
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits:
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits. (https://usajobshelp.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/52684371945747-Benefits)
Review our benefits (http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal.html)
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet
Review our benefits (http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal.html)
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet
