Duties

OCR Attorney Advisors are critical to the Department of Justice's efforts to ensure that recipients of Federal financial assistance from the DOJ are complying with federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment and the delivery of services. OCR is the external civil rights office not only for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), but also for the DOJ's Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The laws that OCR enforces include (but are not limited to) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the nondiscrimination provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. The office receives complaints from the public, which Attorney Advisors evaluate and, where appropriate, investigate and resolve. Attorney Advisors engage in large-scale compliance reviews of DOJ grantees, which include law enforcement, departments of corrections, programs supporting victims of crime, and other justice entities. Attorney Advisors also provide training and technical assistance both within the DOJ's grant programs and to its grantee community. Attorney Advisors do this work both individually and in small teams and report to a Deputy Director. As an Attorney Advisor in OJP's Office for Civil Rights, you will:

• Investigate complaints of discrimination and conduct compliance reviews, including conducting site visits and interviews, legal and factual research, and drafting investigative findings and compliance review reports.
• Provide legal analysis and recommendations related to enforcement of civil rights laws.
• Provide professional advice and guidance on compliance with civil rights law and related issues to the DOJ (including OJP's program offices, OVW, and the COPS Office), state and local entities, other federal agencies, and other sectors.
• Review proposed legislation, regulations, and policies on matters involving civil rights.
• Prepare high-quality written documents including memoranda, reports, advisory opinions, and implementation recommendations.
• Address civil rights law issues including discrimination affiliated with age, disability, criminal justice, education, employment, equal protection, race/ethnic groups, national origin, public accommodations, housing, religion, and sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex traits).
• Serve as an organizational or agency representative. Make public appearances and engage in outreach to educate customers and stakeholders regarding the civil rights laws that OJP/OCR enforces and provides technical assistance on compliance with those laws.
• Liaison with individuals in DOJ and OJP, other federal agencies, state and local governments, and in private industry. May provide liaison services to Congress.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Subject to background/suitability investigation/determination.
• Federal payments are required to be made by Direct Deposit.
• Requires registration for the Selective Service. Visit www.sss.gov.
• Pre-employment drug testing required.
• This appointment is subject to completion of a 2-year trial period.
• This position requires active bar membership (any jurisdiction) in good standing.
• Submit all required documents and Online Assessment Questionnaire.

How You Will Be Evaluated

• 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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

  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.

• Required Documents

  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

  REMINDER: ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MIDNIGHT Eastern Time (Washington, D.C. time) ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
  Required Documents

  • Cover Letter

  • Resume (must include education, including name of undergraduate and law school, degree received and date graduated; date admitted to bar and jurisdiction; a general description of all past employment relevant to the practice of law, including dates of employment; and two professional references of those who supervised you or worked directly with you on a daily or routine basis and can speak directly to your performance/quality of your work outputs/and your knowledge, skills, and abilities in a given position).

  • Writing Sample (5-10 pages)

  • Unofficial law school transcripts (degree conferred must be reflected; official transcripts will be required if selected)

  • Proof of bar membership in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction)

  • Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable; see below for more information)

  Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered.Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• How to Apply

  To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the supporting documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the vacancy closing date to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.

  • Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

  To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site .If you are unable to apply via email, please contact Bradley Mitchell at Bradley.Mitchell@usdoj.gov for alternate application procedures.

  Agency contact information

  Bradley Mitchell

  Email

  Bradley.Mitchell@usdoj.gov

  Address

  Office of Justice Programs
  DO NOT MAIL
  Washington, DC 20531
  US

  Next steps

  Once your completed application is certified and received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.

• Fair and Transparent

  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

Clarification from the agency

Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.