Attorney-Adviser; General

Position: Attorney-Adviser (General)
Summary

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is seeking recent law school graduates, early-career attorneys, and experienced attorneys for positions in our Washington, D.C. office. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to OSC's mission of promoting accountability, integrity and fairness in the federal workplace.

Duties

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Why Join OSC?

OSC consistently ranks high in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) for workplace satisfaction!

Division Overview

Selected candidates will gain hands-on legal experience working in one of OSC's many program areas, which may include:

• Case Review Division (CRD)
• Disclosure Unit (DU)
• Hatch Act Unit (HAU)
• Investigation and Prosecution Division (IPD)
• Outreach, Training and Compliance Unit (OTC)
• Retaliation and Disclosure Unit (RDU)

You can find additional information about our program units here.

Duties

Under the supervision or mentorship of experienced attorneys, you may:

• Conduct legal research and draft memoranda;
• Investigate claims and interview witnesses;
• Prepare pleadings and litigate before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB);
• Participate in mediation and settlement efforts;
• Appear as amicus in federal court;
• Advise agency leadership on legal and policy matters involving federal personnel law, administrative law, constitutional law, and civil procedure.

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for candidates who embrace the privilege of public service, bring enthusiasm and dedication to such service, and work well within a team setting. Flexibility and a strong commitment to OSC's statutory mission are essential.

Positions may be filled at any GS grade level (11 through 14) depending on applicant experience.

This announcement may be used to fill multiple open positions within the US Office of Special Counsel. This is an open, continuous announcement that will close March 31, 2026, but may be extended at agency discretion. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with the first review no earlier than 10 business days after the date this announcement posts. Additional reviews of applications will be conducted periodically, after the initial review, as needed to fill vacant positions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship or National authorized to work in the U.S.
• Individuals born after 12-31-1959 and required to register for Selective Service under the Military Selective Service Act of 50 USC App. 453, must be registered or otherwise exempt from Selective Service. See "Additional Information" section below.
• May be required to successfully complete a trial period.
• May be eligible for incentive pay.
• May be eligible for superior qualifications/special needs pay setting.
• Direct Deposit of pay is required.
• E-Verify will be used to confirm employment eligibility on new employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
• Suitable for Federal employment as determined by appropriate background investigation.

Qualifications

Education Qualifications for all positions: A professional law degree (L.L.B., J.D., L.L.M.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.

In addition to Education, applicants must meet the minimum Experience Requirements outlined below:

Position Title

Bar

Membership

Legal Experience Requirements

GS-11, Attorney-Adviser

Required *
* None

GS-11, Law Clerk

N/A

Law school graduates who have not yet been admitted to the bar and who have not served in a judicial clerkship may be temporarily employed at the GS-11 level, not to exceed 14 months as law clerk trainees

GS-12, Attorney-Adviser

Required *
* 1 year of professional legal experience post bar admission.

GS-12, Law Clerk

N/A

Law school graduates who have not yet been admitted to the bar and who have served one year in a judicial clerkship may be temporarily employed at the GS-12 level, not to exceed 14 months as law clerk trainees

GS-13, Attorney-Adviser

Required *
* 2 years of professional legal experience post bar admission, with at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the GS-12

GS-14, Attorney-Adviser

Required *
* 3 years of professional legal experience post bar admission with one year of experience equivalent to the GS-13 level

** An active membership in good standing in a bar of a state, U.S. Territory, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth or Puerto Rico.

Your resume must explicitly outline your qualifications. We will not make assumptions about your experience.

NOTE: To be considered for this position, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the GS-0905 series set forth in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards by the closing date of the announcement. A copy is available at: https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).-standards

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, Ameri Corps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious;…