Government Contracts & National Security Associate Attorney

LeoForce; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 260,000 - 365,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Pro bono opportunities

Comprehensive attorney benefits

Job summary

LeoForce is seeking an experienced associate attorney for its Government Contracts & National Security practice in Washington, DC. The role focuses on litigating complex government contracts matters, negotiating federal agreements, and advising on major federal grants and compliance issues.

Ideal candidates will have 3+ years in government contracts, strong research and writing skills, and DC bar eligibility.

Qualifications

• Minimum three years of relevant government contracts experience.
• Strong research, writing, analytical, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent academic credentials and references.
• Current D.C. admission or eligibility.

Responsibilities

• Litigate complex, multi-billion-dollar contract award challenges for government clients.
• Negotiate agreements with the federal government, including OTAs, CRADAs, and TIAs.
• Advise recipients and subrecipients on federal grants, including Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act funding, on compliance and interpretation.
• Handle federal audits, enforcement actions, investigations, and controversies with awarding agencies.
• Counsel on export controls, cybersecurity, M&A, due diligence, purchase agreements, novations, and transactions involving government contractors.
• Work across all aspects of the practice, with meaningful exposure to litigation, investigations, regulatory issues, and transactions.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Analytical thinking

Teamwork

Independent problem-solving

Job description

Government Contracts & National Security Associate Attorney

Location: Washington,DC, US

6908020

Date Posted: 09-02-2026

Job Description

Experience: Mid Level
Salary: $260,000 - $365,000 per year

Job Details

The Opportunity

• Litigate complex, multi-billion-dollar contract award challenges for aerospace, defense, technology, and government-contractor clients.
• Negotiate novel agreements with the federal government, including OTAs, CRADAs, and TIAs.
• Advise recipients and subrecipients of major federal grants, including Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act funding, on compliance and interpretation.
• Handle federal audits, enforcement actions, investigations, and controversies with awarding agencies.
• Counsel on export controls, cybersecurity, M&A, due diligence, purchase agreements, novations, and transactions involving government contractors.
• Work across all aspects of the practice, with meaningful exposure to litigation, investigations, regulatory issues, and transactions.

Candidate Profile

• Minimum three years of relevant legal experience and demonstrated interest in government contracts law.
• Strong research, writing, analytical, teamwork, and independent problem-solving skills.
• Excellent academic credentials and references.
• Current D.C. admission or eligibility for admission.
• Particularly Valuable Experience
• Federal Circuit or Court of Federal Claims clerkship, academic training in government contracts, or transactional experience involving government contractors.

A bit about us:

A globally recognized law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers across 16 offices is expanding several elite regulatory, transactional, and finance practices. The platform advises more than half of the Fortune 100 and is especially differentiated by its ability to combine sophisticated regulatory insight, high-stakes litigation strength, and complex transactional capability across more than 40 practice and industry groups.

Why join us?

Compensation

$260,000-$365,000 base salary; hours-based bonus eligible

Practice Ranking

Chambers and Legal 500 Band 1 / market-leading

Hours

2,000-hour bonus threshold; qualifying credit structure applied

Ranked among the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer's 2025 A-List, with 173 lawyers ranked by Chambers and 202 recognized by Legal 500 in 2026.

Collegial, team-oriented culture with meaningful responsibility, direct client exposure, and interdisciplinary work across offices and practices.

• Billable-hour framework: 2,000-hour annual bonus threshold, with market reporting indicating approximately 1,800 client-billable hours and up to 200 qualifying hours for pro bono and other approved activities.
• Flexible hybrid culture historically recognized for allowing approximately 50% remote work, subject to client, team, office, and current firm expectations.
• Exceptional pro bono platform: more than 107,000 pro bono hours recorded in 2025, with recent recognition from the Financial Times and Bloomberg Law.
• Comprehensive attorney benefits, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid leave, mental-health and well-being resources, medical concierge support, and commuter benefits.
• Robust associate development through formal partner, counsel, peer, and group mentoring; annual retreats; practice-specific training; Trial School; deposition-skills workshops; and a proprietary in-house learning platform.
• Associates may use up to 100 hours annually for a shadowing program that allows them to observe trials, hearings, client meetings, and other advanced professional activities.