Attorney-Advisor (IR Litigation Staff)

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking an experienced attorney to work in the Office of Information Policy (OIP), located in Washington, DC. OIP manages the Department’s responsibilities related to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which includes coordinating and implementing policy development and compliance government-wide for the FOIA, processing FOIA requests for the senior leadership offices within the Department, adjudicating all administrative appeals from denials by any Department component under the FOIA, and assisting in the defense of certain FOIA matters in litigation. OIP attorneys may be assigned/reassigned to any one of several distinct but inter-related teams based on mission-critical office needs. Those teams include: the Administrative Appeals Staff, which adjudicates administrative appeals from Department components’ FOIA determinations; the Initial Request (IR) Staff, which processes FOIA requests on behalf of the Department’s leadership offices; the IR Litigation Staff; which handles FOIA requests subject to litigation; or the FOIA Compliance Staff, which supports the Office’s responsibilities to oversee and encourage government-wide compliance with the FOIA.

OIP is hiring an Attorney-Advisor to be assigned to its FOIA Litigation Staff. Primary duties of this position include handling FOIA requests made to the Department’s senior leadership offices that have become subject to litigation in federal court and assisting in the defense of FOIA lawsuits. The incumbent in this position also performs varied legal work involving the interpretation and application of laws, executive orders, regulations, precedents, and agency practices relating to the FOIA.

Specific responsibilities may include:

Processing high-visibility and highly complex FOIA requests for DOJ senior leadership office records, including processing those records pursuant to court deadlines;

Reviewing records in-depth for consultation and disclosure determinations;

Drafting declarations and Vaughn indices, drafting or reviewing court filings, and assisting in the formulation of litigation strategies and legal arguments;

Coordinating and collaborating with litigators in the Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, Department senior leadership office stakeholders, and other agency contacts;

Negotiating request scope and processing schedules with FOIA plaintiffs through assigned litigation counsel;

Providing instructional training and guidance to various federal agencies regarding compliance with the FOIA;

Conducting legal research and providing legal advice involving inquiries and assignments related to the FOIA;

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;

Providing expert advice and guidance to agency personnel and Department of Justice litigators concerning the application of the FOIA;

Presenting or teaching at OIP training programs and events; and

Maintaining awareness of developments in FOIA and Privacy Act law, regulation, and policy.

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree (or equivalent), be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least 1 year post-J.D. work experience before your start date. (Please note that the time from selection of an applicant to the start date is typically about 3 months.) No exceptions can be made regarding the required one year of experience.

Preferred qualifications: It is preferred that applicants have knowledge of and a demonstrated interest in the FOIA and have administrative law and/or civil litigation experience. Candidates must have at least one year FOIA processing / FOIA litigation experience to qualify at the GS-13 level; at least two years experience to qualify at the GS-14 level; and at least three years experience to qualify at the GS-15 level.

Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, tax and credit checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation. Applicants will be required to qualify for a Top Secret security clearance.

Applicants are required to submit a cover letter (highlighting relevant experience and justifying interest in the position), resume, and a writing sample containing a brief or comparable analytic legal exposition that is your work. Resumes should include a detailed description of employment history, to include dates of employment (month/year). Please also submit an unofficial transcript if you graduated law school less than two years ago. Materials should be submitted as one combined PDF file.

Applicants are encouraged to email application to: Laurie Day at Laurie.Day@usdoj.gov.

No telephone calls please. Please reference IRL-2025-2 in your cover letter and put your name in the subject of the email, as well as include your name on all submitted materials. Applications must be received no later than midnight December 16, 2025.

Otherwise, please send to:

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Information Policy

ATTN: Laurie Day

441 G Street, NW

6th Floor

Washington, D.C.20530

GS-12 - GS-15 ($101,401 - $195,200)

See: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2025/DCB.pdf