Attorney Advisor (General)

Hiring Organization
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Hiring Office
Office of Chief Counsel
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
H-DEA-26-12874153-DE-DJ

Location:
700 Army Navy Drive
Arlington, VA 22202 - United States

Application Deadline:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
About the Office

TOUGH WORK. VITAL MISSION. Challenge yourself! You have the power to help combat drug trafficking. Be a part of DEA! It's tough work, but a vital mission. Whatever your background or expertise, your work at DEA will be tremendously rewarding because it will have a daily impact on national security and the quality of life of all Americans.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Department of Justice, is seeking attorneys to work in the Office of Chief Counsel (CC). The office is located in Arlington, Virginia, and provides legal advice and support to DEA management and field offices worldwide. CC attorneys coordinate with DEA investigative personnel during investigations, provide legal training, and respond to requests for assistance from DEA Division Counsel. They also prepare pleadings, motions, briefs, affidavits, and memorandum opinions, engage in discovery, take and defend depositions, appear at motions and evidentiary hearings, and provide other support in civil and administrative litigation. The Office of Chief Counsel works with federal and state prosecutors, and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to further DEA's mission.

The Department of Justice seeks to build and retain a workforce that shares our commitment to public service and welcomes interested applicants.

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.

Job Description

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) & Information Law Section provides authoritative legal counsel on FOIA and all information-disclosure matters involving DEA records, including records implicating active cartel investigations, sensitive law enforcement techniques, and cross-border operations. The Section serves as agency counsel in federal FOIA litigation and functions as the gatekeeper for DEA information release. Section attorneys advise on complex and high-risk FOIA requests; interagency, congressional, and state and local information demands; disclosure of DEA information held by other agencies; and compliance with all laws, regulations, and policies governing the collection, retention, and protection of sensitive law enforcement information. Attorneys independently deliver expert-level advice, coordinate litigation strategy with Assistant United States Attorneys, and work across DEA Headquarters, Field Divisions, and the Office of Chief Counsel to identify and mitigate disclosure risks with agency-wide impact.

Duties also include:
Lead the evaluation and application of FOIA exemptions, particularly complex ones like Exemption 6, 7C, 7E, and 7D and prepare detailed justification demonstrating facts to support the use of the exemption and the ability to articulate a foreseeable harm analysis.
Oversee FOIA administrative appeals, work collaboratively with the FOIA Intake and Processing Unit and collaborate with law enforcement divisions to ensure FOIA processing aligns with DEA's ongoing investigative efforts while balancing transparency requirements.
Assess and mitigate disclosure risks with agency wide operational, reputational, or national security implications.
Conduct legal review of audio, video, and photographic footage requested for commercial media use to ensure compliance with FOIA, Privacy Act, and DEA policy.
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 1-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. Five (5) years of legal experience is preferred, and experience in administrative law is also preferred but not required.

To qualify for each GS level:

• Applicants applying for the GS-13 must have 2 or more years of post J.D. legal experience
• Applicants applying for the GS-14 must have 3 or more years of post J.D. legal experience
• Applicants applying for the GS-15 must have 4 or more years of post J.D. legal experience

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: www.naces.org/members.php.

Application Process

Required for ALL Applicants

Cover letter describing your interest in the position.

Resume - showing applicant's name, email address, relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year), work schedule (e.g. part or full time), the number of hours per week worked/volunteered, job title and description of duties performed. (No more than 2 pages)

Writing Sample - A brief or comparable analytic legal exposition that is your work product. (No more than 10 pages)

Law School Transcripts - Submit a copy of your law school transcript(s) (unofficial is acceptable). Applicants must be graduates of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.

Proof of current and active bar association membership

SF-50 (If Applicable) - SF-50(s) must show the effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, competitive status, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency.

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position.

Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents.

Political Appointees (Current and Former): 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 or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

All applicants will have to apply through USAJOBS: Vacancy Announcement Number: H-DEA-26-12874153-DE-DJ

Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, 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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Salary

Salary listed includes locality: (GS-13 $121,785 - $158,322) (GS-14 $143,913 - $187,093) (GS-15 $169,279 - $197,200)