doj sealOffice of Attorney Recruitment and Management

Experienced Attorneys

The effectiveness of the Department's law enforcement and other legal responsibilities depends upon the continued recruitment and hiring of excellent and diverse legal talent. We recognize the need for attorneys of varied backgrounds and skills and offer an inclusive environment that relies on those diverse perspectives to ensure that we effectively serve the American people. We welcome applications from candidates who are interested in positively contributing to the Department and hope that you will consider joining the wonderful public servants at the Department of Justice sometime during your legal career.

The Department of Justice offers a broad range of opportunities for experienced attorneys to work on many of the significant and complex issues that face our nation. Our lawyers work in virtually every area of legal practice. To learn more about the varied practice of the Department, please review the practice area chart at http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/images/practice.pdf. If you want to talk to a Department representative, we attend a number of bar association conferences and job fairs each year. For information about upcoming events, and where you can meet us, please review the recruitment event listing at http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/arm/events.htm.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Where are the opportunities?
2. Who is eligible?
3. How do you apply?
4. Are all of the opportunities in the Washington, D.C. area?
5. What kind of experience do the organizations look for?
6. Can you transfer within the Department?
7. What is the salary structure?
8. What is the Department’s promotion policy?
9. What kind of background checks will be done?
10. Can I work at the Department if I’m not a U.S. citizen? What if I am a dual citizen?
11. How much travel is required?
12. What’s the role of the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices versus the Divisions in litigating cases on behalf of the Department?
13. Recorded information


1. Where are the opportunities?

Approximately 50% of the more than 600 experienced attorneys hired by Department each year join one of the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The remainder of the positions are likely to be in the larger Department organizations that account for significant portions of attorney hiring. Those organizations are:
• Antitrust Division
• Civil Division
• Civil Rights Division
• Criminal Division
• Environment and Natural Resources Division
• Tax Division
• Federal Bureau of Prisons
• Executive Office for Immigration Review
• United States Trustees’ Offices

Many of the smaller offices also hire experienced attorneys, but generally on a less frequent basis and/or in far fewer numbers than the larger organizations mentioned above. The organization descriptions listed at http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/arm/components.htm identify the number of attorneys employed and average number of laterals hired within the last two years for each organization.

2. Who is eligible?

Any attorney who is an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction) and has at least one year post-J.D. experience is encouraged to apply for a position as an experienced attorney.

3. How do you apply?

The Department maintains a decentralized system of recruiting experienced attorneys. Each organization within the Department conducts its recruitment of experienced attorneys independently. Candidates can apply in response to specific vacancy announcements which may be advertised at http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.html.

Alternatively, you can apply at any time to any Department organization in which you have an interest. Just send your resume with a cover letter describing your interest and highlighting your relevant experience, to each organization where you wish to be considered for employment. Contact information for each organization within the Department where experienced attorneys can send their resume is listed at http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/arm/lar/larcontact.htm. For some of the smaller organizations, there is no hiring contact listed because those organizations hire very few attorneys and do not wish to receive unsolicited resumes (when they do want resumes, they will solicit them in an advertisement).

4. Are all of the opportunities in the Washington, D.C., Area?

No. The vast majority of attorney positions with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Executive Office for Immigration Review and U.S. Trustees’ Offices are located outside the Washington, D.C., Area In addition, some Department organizations have offices located outside the Washington, D.C., Area; for example, the Antitrust Division has seven field offices located in major cities around the country. A table of "Field Office Locations Employing Attorneys" can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/arm/fieldoffice.htm.

5. What kind of experience do the organizations look for?

Given the breadth of the legal practice at the U.S. Department of Justice (see the practice area chart at http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/images/practice.pdf) it is difficult to point to any particular experience as a basic threshold for consideration by an organization. Each organization and section has particular needs defined by its mission, type of practice and the specific skill needed at the time of the vacancy. Generally speaking, as the "Nation’s Litigator," the Department seeks attorneys with some litigation experience. However, some opportunities also exist for attorneys with other kinds of experience, such as legislative review, policy formulation, and provision of legal advice.

6. Can you transfer within the Department?

It is not unusual for attorneys within the Department to move within the Department, either to another section within their current Division or to move to another Division or position entirely. Some attorneys may hold several different positions within the Department over the course of their career. Because every attorney within the Department undergoes a background investigation, the transition from one organization to another can be accomplished quickly. To facilitate this, all Department organizations list current vacancies on the Department’s intranet web page.

7. What’s the salary structure?

Attorneys at the Department are paid under one of two salary structures - the General Schedule (GS) or the Administratively Determined (AD) pay scale - depending on the organization for which they work. Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) are paid under the AD pay scale. The vast majority of other attorneys at the Department are paid under the General Schedule.
Experienced attorneys under the General Schedule are hired in the GS-11 to GS-15 range, depending on the nature of the position to be filled, an attorney's years of experience, and the hiring component's policies. AUSA salaries are based on the amount of professional attorney experience at the time hired, level of performance on the job, and the United States Attorney's office pay practices. Both GS and AD attorney positions receive geographic pay differentials based on the location of the position. We encourage you to visit the Office of Personnel Management's web site at http://www.opm.gov/Federal_Salaries_Wages for GS salaries and geographic pay information. For AUSA pay ranges, please contact the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, Personnel Staff.

8. What’s the Department’s promotion policy?

Attorneys may be considered for promotion from their current GS level (e.g., GS-13)
to the next highest GS level (e.g., GS-14) once they have served the requisite minimum
time-in-grade. The following chart summarizes the promotion eligibility schedule for
experienced attorneys under the General Schedule:

Grade Level Minimum Waiting Time for Consideration
GS-11 to GS-12 6 months
GS-12 to GS-13 6 months (if hired at the GS-12 level: otherwise 1 year)
GS-13 to GS-14 1 year
GS-14 to GS-15 1 year (with outstanding performance appraisal); otherwise, 18 months


It is thus possible for attorneys starting at the GS-12 grade level, for example, to reach
the GS-15 level in only two and a half years. Please note, however, that some organizations
may require longer waiting periods or restrict the grade level to which non-supervisory attorneys
may be promoted. Assistant United States Attorneys receive an annual pay review that may lead to an increase in basic pay, based on the attorney’s performance rating, current pay and pay range, and years of experience as an attorney.

9. What kind of background checks will be done?

It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace, and persons selected
for employment will be required to pass a drug test to screen for current illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Moreover, employment is contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation conducted by the FBI. As part of its investigation, the FBI interviews or checks references and close personal associates; former spouse(s); employers and co-workers; neighbors and landlords; institutions of higher learning; court and financial records; and military and police records. In addition, the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management (OARM), which determines suitability of all attorney applicants, will check your federal income tax filing/payment history, credit report, and certification of active bar membership. (Please note that applicants for employment with the FBI are required to submit to a polygraph examination prior to entry on duty.)

The most common suitability issues that arise are: past unlawful use of drugs; failure to fulfill tax obligations; and failure to comply with financial obligations. After an applicant has received an offer of employment from the Department, OARM can advise him/her as to any issues regarding potential suitability problems.

10. Can I work at the Department if I’m not a U.S. Citizen? What if I’m a dual citizen?

Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and the FBI. Non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other Department organizations (unless otherwise indicated in a vacancy announcement), but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are extremely rare. Such appointments are considered if necessary to accomplish the Department’s mission and are subject to strict security requirements. Dual citizens of the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

11. How much travel is required?

The amount of travel required, if any, depends on the particular organization and the nature of its practice. A moderate to heavy travel schedule can be expected in the litigating divisions, whose attorneys often conduct depositions, lead grand jury investigations, and/or appear before federal courts across the country.

12. What’s the role of the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices versus the Divisions in litigating cases on behalf of the Department?

There is a great deal of collaboration between the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the litigating divisions (Antitrust, Civil, Civil Rights, Criminal, Environment and Natural Resources, and Tax).
Much of the day-to day criminal and civil litigation is carried out in the field by the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, with the litigating divisions having oversight duties and serving as sources of legal expertise and assistance for the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. In addition, the litigating divisions have primary responsibility for the investigation and prosecution of certain cases or categories of cases. They handle issues with broad policy or geographic impact. The litigating divisions also help develop Department policy in their areas of responsibility, and assist the U.S. Attorneys’ offices in resolving policy disputes or questions.

13. Recorded Information

You may call (202) 514-3396 for 24-hour recorded information on the eligibility and application requirements for applying to the Department as an experienced attorney (select option 4) TDD number - 202-616-2113




Page Update: 5/17/04
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