General Attorney

The United States Department of Justice; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 144,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States Department of Justice seeks a General Attorney in the Office of Professional Responsibility to adjudicate FBI employee misconduct, upholding integrity and high standards. The role involves advising on disciplinary matters, mentoring colleagues, and coordinating with internal oversight bodies.

Candidates must have a J.D. degree, be admitted to the bar, and meet specialized experience requirements for GS-14/15 levels; travel may be occasional.

Qualifications

• This position requires interpreting and analyzing legal issues.
• Experience preparing advisory opinions, briefs, memoranda and reports.
• Providing continual, accurate legal advice on FBI disciplinary matters.
• GS-15 requires mentoring lower-level attorneys in disciplinary matters.

Responsibilities

• Interpret and analyze complex legal issues relevant to FBI disciplinary matters.
• Prepare detailed advisory opinions, legal briefs and memoranda.
• Offer timely legal advice on procedural, operational and personnel issues.
• Mentor junior attorneys in analyzing disciplinary cases.

Skills

Legal analysis

Advisory opinions

Disciplinary matters

Mentoring

Education

J.D. degree (ABA-accredited)

Job description

Location: 935 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20535 - United States

Application Deadline:

Thursday, March 11, 2027

About the Office

Serving as a General Attorney for the Office of Professional Responsibility, you will be part of a dedicated team helping to ensure that the FBI maintains its core values and its high standards of integrity and professionalism by impartially adjudicating allegations of employee misconduct.
OPR's mission is to ensure that the FBI maintains its high standards of integrity and professionalism by impartially adjudicating allegations of employee misconduct. Employee misconduct is investigated by the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General as well as the FBI's Internal Affairs Section. Investigative files are then referred to OPR where OPR's attorneys promote and enforce disciplinary policies and practices through the application of the FBI Offense Codes and Penalty Guidelines, FBI policy, and state and federal law. OPR's attorneys also provide training on the FBI's disciplinary process to FBI employees.

Job Description

The mission of the FBI is to protect the American People and uphold the Constitution of the United States. The General Attorney position available in the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) OPR's mission is to ensure that the FBI maintains its core values and its high standards of integrity and professionalism by impartially adjudicating allegations of employee misconduct.

To preserve credibility and the respect of society, FBI employees must be accountable to rigorous standards of personal and institutional responsibility, enforced both internally and through responsiveness to external oversight. OPR's adjudicative process materially enhances confidence in and support for the FBI, thereby enabling the institution to better perform its mission.

Qualifications

This position has a specific education requirement; all applicants must verify completion of this basic educational requirement by submitting a copy of their college transcripts by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Specialized Experience (SE)

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

• Experience in participating in interpreting and analyzing legal issues.
• Experience preparing detailed advisory opinions, legal briefs, memoranda and/or reports outlining and analyzing facts and legal issues.
• Experience providing continual, accurate, proper, and timely legal advice on all facets of FBI disciplinary matters ranging from procedural, operation, administrative, and personnel issues.

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

• Experience demonstrating proficiency in interpreting and analyzing complex legal issues.
• Experience serving as a mentor for lower-level attorneys in the legal analysis of disciplinary matters to be employed in the adjudication of a case.

Desired Skills

Desired skills are NOT mandatory and will NOT be utilized to minimally qualify applicants. Desired Skills are:

The ideal candidate will have experience in one or more of the following practice areas:

• Employment Law
• Judicial Clerkship
• Police Misconduct
• Professional Responsibility

Education

All degrees must be from an accredited college or university. Education may be substituted for specialized experience as follows:

• Applicant must possess a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association(or have a LLM degree or other graduate law degree in addition to a J.D.) and be an active member of the bar (any US jurisdiction).

Application Process

General Attorney, GS-14/15 Office of Professional Responsibility / Adjudication Unit
Applications for this vacancy will be accepted from 2/25-/2026 - 3/11/2026.

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.

Travel

Occasional travel may be required.

Salary:

GS-14 $143,913.00 - $187,093.00

GS-15 $169,279.00 - $197,200.00