Fbi Litigation Branch Attorney

Office of the General Counsel, Litigation Branch, Litigation Section:

The Litigation Section provides expert legal advice, representation, and support to the entire FBI, including the Director and other FBI HQ executives, as well as agents in the field, regarding litigation risk, personnel issues, training, security, employment law, and information access and disclosure. Most significantly, the Litigation Section defends the FBI and its employees against legal challenges to its programs and activities. This dynamic legal practice includes claims related to the policies of the FBI, employment decisions of managers, and actions of individual employees. Section attorneys also provide expert legal advice and counsel to executives, managers, and employees across the FBI related to these practice areas. The section accomplishes its mission through the work of dedicated attorneys in two Civil Litigation Units, two Employment Law Units, and a Freedom of Information Act Litigation Unit.
The mission of the FBI is to protect the American People and uphold the Constitution of the United States.

Attorneys working in the Litigation Section apply their expertise, skills, and education to cutting-edge legal issues. The section handles a wide array of civil litigation involving issues and matters of national significance as well as claims brought against individual employees and officials, employment matters impacting critical agency operations and including complex class and collective action cases, and Freedom of Information Act litigation of requests seeking some of the FBI's most sensitive records. Attorneys work closely with Department of Justice Trial Attorneys and Assistant U.S. Attorneys across the country in defending the FBI in federal court litigation, and serve as first-chair litigators in employment discrimination and whistleblower reprisal cases before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and DOJ's Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management (OARM).

We are seeking experienced attorneys with diverse experience and perspectives to join our dynamic legal practice. We are looking for accomplished and well-rounded attorneys with strong communication (oral and writing), analytical, problem-solving, and litigation skills.
Major duties include-

Serving as agency counsel to the FBI and its employees in defending civil, employment, and FOIA lawsuits filed in federal court; administrative claims; requests for testimony and documents; representation matters; and related areas.

Working closely with DOJ Trial Attorneys and AUSAs to defend the FBI's interests in civil, employment, and FOIA litigation to include assisting in the taking and defending of depositions of FBI employees and others; drafting affidavits and declarations in support of motions, and otherwise assisting in the preparation of motions and briefs; managing civil discovery; and providing assistance at trial and in post-trial proceedings.

Serving as first-chair litigators in employment discrimination and whistleblower reprisal cases before the EEOC, MSPB, and OARM. Conducting and responding to discovery requests; taking and defending depositions; writing and filing motions and briefs; engaging in settlement negotiations and mediations; and defending the agency in administrative hearings.

Conducting legal research and writing analytical legal products.

Providing expert-level advice and counsel directly to FBI executives, managers, and employees at all levels of the organization on myriad issues related but not limited to civil liability, employment, information access and protection, and privileges.

Collaborating with DOJ attorneys and our litigating partners in other agencies and the U.S. Intelligence Community.

Please make sure your specialized experience/requirement(s) can be identified in your resume.
BASIC REQUIREMENT: All Applicants must possess a law degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member of the bar (any US jurisdiction).

GS-13: Applicants applying for the GS 13 must also have 1.5 years or more post J.D. legal experience.

GS-14: Applicants applying for the GS 14 must also have 2.5 years or more post J.D. legal experience.

GS-15: Applicants applying for the GS 15 must also have 4 or more years of post J.D. legal experience.

Applicants must meet the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Applicant must possess a J.D. degree from an accredited law school (or have an LLM degree or other graduate law degree in addition to a J.D.).

Positive Education Requirement: This position has a specific education requirement; all applicants must verify completion of this basic education requirement by submitting a copy of law school transcripts by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Please see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement for additional information.

Please be advised candidates that are selected for this position, must be approved by the Department of Justice, before they can complete the FBI's background process.

How to Apply:
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes the following REQUIRED documents:

• Your resume and cover letter;
• A writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages;
• Proof of current and active bar association membership;
• Photocopy of Law School Transcripts;
• Current SF-50 (if external government employee).

Please Note: FBI employees currently assigned to a General Attorney position do not need to provide Law School Transcripts or Proof of Bar Association Membership.

Step 1 - Create a new email and attach all required electronic documents. Include contact information (phone number) and a brief introduction (2-3 sentences) in the body of the email.

Step 2 - Title the subject of the email using the following format, indicating whether you are an internal or external candidate. Example: OGC_LITB_2025_External/Internal

Step 3 - Submit the completed application email to OGC-JOBS@fbi.gov.

What to Expect Next:

Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. The Most Competitive candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. You will be notified of your status throughout the process.

Internal Applicants Additional Information:

Management may select any grade for which this position is announced.

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties.

Probationary employees are precluded from being considered for all job opportunities until 12-months of their 24-month probationary period has concluded. Probationary employees may be considered for competitive vacancies that are advertised within their respective division or field office after serving 90 days within the FBI.

Candidates will not be considered if currently on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP); a Letter of Requirement (LOR); or failed a PIP or LOR and are currently awaiting the final action by HRD.
1. A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is a 90-day written developmental plan for an employee whose performance on one or more critical elements is rated ?Unacceptable.?
2. A Letter of Requirement (LOR) is issued when a supervisor identified leave abuse and/or when frequent absences negatively impact operations of the office.

Limited Movement: Policy has been implemented wherein support employees entering a position through competitive OR non-competitive action may be precluded from moving to another position within the Bureau by means of reassignment or change to lower grade for a minimum of 12 months.

Relocation expenses will be borne by the selectee, except FBI employees returning from LEGAT assignment. Employees returning from LEGAT assignments must advise the Staffing Unit, Administrative Unit, and the International Operations Unit of their application to apply.

On December 22, 2017, the Presidential Administrative signed into law the Tax cuts and Jobs Act. This law may impact your transfer.

This legislation may previously non-taxed moving expenses reimbursement taxable as of January 1, 2018. Please see HR Link for the list of FBI?s current understanding of the applicable tax changes. However, this may change upon receipt of official guidance from GSA and DOJ.

Current law provides the FBI with the authority to compensate employees for much of the tax burden caused by a transfer through the Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) possess, in an effort to identify way to minimize the additional tax burden on transferring employees.

Candidates receiving a transfer of physical location, whether at the expense of the FBI or not, will be required to complete a one-year commitment to the assignment, prior to moving to a new position at the FBI. The 12-month waiting period begins the day an employee reports for duty at the new location.

Employees selected for positions at the GS-14 level or higher, as well as employees selected for positions where a transfer of location is required, will be processed through the name check program prior to being notified of their selection.

Memorandum of Understanding: Work performed outside assigned duties (that would not normally be documented on a SF-50, i.e. back-up duties), has to be documented in detail by an immediate supervisor in order to receive full credit for amount of time worked in that position. If no documentation is furnished, no credit will be given for the time worked in that position. The following notations must be specified in the documentation (Memorandum of Understanding):

Percent of time worked in the particular position (cannot conflict with main duties)

The month/year work began

Frequency worked (i.e. daily, monthly, etc.)

Specific duties performed

Attach the Memorandum of Understanding to your application in the ?Cover Letters and Attachments? section of My Career Tools on the Careers Home page. Please upload the attachment as type ?Other.?

External Applicants Additional Information:

The FBI is in the Executive Branch of the federal government. It is one of the components of the Department of Justice (DOJ). The FBI is the principle investigative arm of the DOJ. All FBI positions are in the excepted service.

Applicants must be a U. S. citizen and consent to a complete background investigation, urinalysis, and polygraph. You must be suitable for Federal employment; as determined by a background investigation.

Failure to provide necessary and relevant information required by this vacancy announcement may disqualify you from consideration. Additional information will not be requested if your application is incomplete. Your application will be evaluated solely on the basis of information you have submitted.

Management may select any grade for which this position is announced.

Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties.

If you are hired, you will be required to serve a two-year probationary period. Probationary employees are precluded from being considered for all job opportunities until 12-months of their 24-month probationary period has concluded. Probationary Employees may be considered for competitive vacancies that are advertised within their respective division or field office after serving 90 days within the FBI. The probationary periods will be served concurrently.

Memorandum of Understanding: Work performed outside assigned duties (that would not normally be documented on a SF-50, i.e. back-up duties), has to be documented in detail by an immediate supervisor in order to receive full credit for amount of time worked in that position. If no documentation is furnished, no credit will be given for the time worked in that position. The following notations must be specified in the documentation (Memorandum of Understanding):

Percent of time worked in the particular position (cannot conflict with main duties)

The month/year work began

Frequency worked (i.e. daily, monthly, etc.)

Specific duties performed

Application Deadline: No deadline. Applicants can submit applications on any date.

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.

GS-13: $120,579.00 - $156,755.00

GS-14: $142,488.00 - $185,234.00

GS-15: $167,603.00 - $195,200.00