Closing Date: 26th September, 2025
Description:
Summary:This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Legal Counsel Division (LCD).
The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a legal advisor on information disclosure and privacy issues and handle Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation.
Non-BU: This is a non-bargaining unit position.
Duties:
As an Attorney-Advisor (General), GS-0905-13/14/15, your typical work assignments may include:
View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions. (https://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-careers/common-terms-announcements)
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
Qualifications:
Basic Requirements:
- Representing the Department in litigation relating to federal information disclosure/privacy law (e.g., FOIA, Privacy Act), including being the primary attorney responsible for handling cases, to include drafting answers, declarations, motions, and negotiating settlements, in coordination with the Department of Justice.
- Providing legal support, including oral and written legal advice, to the Chief Privacy Officer, Chief FOIA Officer, and other DHS leadership and staff on federal information disclosure and privacy law issues, including privacy compliance documentation, privacy policy and oversight, information sharing and matching agreements, and general FOIA advice.
- Providing advice and guidance to attorneys in DHS Headquarters and component agencies on federal information disclosure and privacy law issues.
- Reviewing and commenting on U.S Government-wide and DHS-wide regulations and legislation that implicate information disclosure and privacy issues, to include special protected class information.
- Contributing to the formulation of DHS-wide policies on information disclosure and privacy issues and providing training to DHS employees on information and privacy laws, policies, and guidance.
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
- You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
- You must successfully pass a background investigation.
- You must submit to a pre-employment drug test.
- You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
- You must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
- Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
- This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) and subject to random drug testing.
Qualifications:
Basic Requirements:
GS-13:
GS-14 and GS-15:
Specialized Experience:
The skills and experience listed immediately below are of particular importance to the position, and applicants should provide specific detailed information in these areas, where applicable, as part of their application.
Specialized experience is experience providing legal advice and support on matters related to privacy and information disclosure law, which is preferred but not required. Candidates without experience in privacy and information disclosure law should have experience in preparing complex legal memoranda and briefs and the demonstrated ability to quickly learn a new area of the law. All candidates must have experience in providing accurate, thorough, and well written legal advice on matters of first impression while under considerable time pressure.
Service as a federal judicial clerk is preferred but not required.
Applicants should have 5 or more years of relevant post-JD experience.
Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience may not be used for this grade level.
All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
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.
Education:
Applicants must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. You must submit a copy of both your law school and college transcript with your application. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.
- The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D) or the second professional law degree (LL.M.); AND
- Specialized professional legal experience in excess of two (2) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position, or two years of judicial clerkship as well as specialized professional experience of two years of a legal or non-legal nature that will be of material value in performing the duties of this position.
- The first professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) or the second professional law degree (LL.M.); AND
- Specialized professional legal experience in excess of three (3) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. The quality of the individual's background may be evidenced by the relatedness of his or her specialization.
Specialized Experience:
The skills and experience listed immediately below are of particular importance to the position, and applicants should provide specific detailed information in these areas, where applicable, as part of their application.
- You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal government.
- You qualify for the GS-14 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the federal government.
- You qualify for the GS-15 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the federal government.
Specialized experience is experience providing legal advice and support on matters related to privacy and information disclosure law, which is preferred but not required. Candidates without experience in privacy and information disclosure law should have experience in preparing complex legal memoranda and briefs and the demonstrated ability to quickly learn a new area of the law. All candidates must have experience in providing accurate, thorough, and well written legal advice on matters of first impression while under considerable time pressure.
Service as a federal judicial clerk is preferred but not required.
Applicants should have 5 or more years of relevant post-JD experience.
Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience may not be used for this grade level.
All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
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.
Education:
Applicants must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. You must submit a copy of both your law school and college transcript with your application. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.
