Hiring Organization
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Hiring Office
Office of the General Counsel
Attorney Appointment Type
Attorney Permanent
Job ID
OGC_LFU_2026
Location:
Washington, DC 20535 - United States
About the Office
The FBI's Office of the General Counsel (OGC) seeks a highly qualified, experienced attorney to join its exciting and challenging legal practice. OGC provides legal advice to the entire FBI, including the Director, FBI Headquarters officials, and agents in the 56 domestic field offices, on a wide range of substantive issues. OGC works closely with other elements of the Department of Justice and assists the FBI in forming partnerships with other federal, state, local and international agencies, as well as private sector entities, in support of FBI operations.
The Legal Forfeiture Unit (LFU) provides legal oversight of all aspects of the FBI's asset forfeiture program, ensuring proper utilization of forfeiture in a wide range of criminal violations to remove the profit from crime, dismantle existing and emerging organized criminal enterprises, cartels, and terrorist organizations, disrupt those illicit activities which threaten the physical or economic security of the United States, and recover assets that may be used to compensate victims when authorized by federal law. The ideal candidate should have practice experience in asset forfeiture law and/or criminal law, along with knowledge of property law and applicable Constitutional protections. Litigation or prosecution experience is also beneficial.
The mission of the FBI is to protect the American People and uphold the Constitution of the United States.
Job Description
Duties:
GS-14:
- Provide timely, accurate, and effective legal guidance, verbally and in writing, on all aspects of asset recovery and forfeiture; seizure, maintenance and disposal for multiple categories of property including currency, digital assets, and other personal property; victim remission and compensation including in large scale multi-victim cases; petitions for remission and requests for release of property; and financial investigations
- Conduct complex legal research, write analytical legal memoranda, and draft legal applications and correspondence
- Develop legal training and provide instruction to field-wide FBI components, including agent and support personnel, on substantive topics covered by the LFU
- Review forfeiture proceedings to ensure legal sufficiency and compliance with federal law and policy
- Render decisions on petitions for remission and direct distribution of proceeds of administratively forfeited assets to eligible crime victims in accord with federal law and policy
GS-15: In addition to the duties described above:
- Identify policy and practice gaps and develop legal solutions on emerging forfeiture issues
- Represent the FBI in interactions with other agencies and the U.S. Department of Justice on issues concerning asset forfeiture
Qualifications
Key Requirements:
- Must be a U.S. citizen
- Must be able to obtain a Top-Secret/SCI clearance
- Selectee may be required to complete form FD-887, Request for Access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)
- Selectee may be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 annually.
The Department of Justice will approve candidates that are selected for this position.
Please ensure work experience/requirement(s) are identifiable in the resume. The resume and supporting documentations will determine whether the candidate meets the job qualifications listed in this announcement. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements at the time of application.
Applicants deemed most competitive will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration.
All applicants are rated on the following competencies:
- Analytic Thinking
- Communication
- Governance and Legal Jurisprudence
- Leadership
- Oral/Written Communication
- Research
BASIC REQUIREMENT:
- Possess a law degree from an accredited American Bar Association law school; and
- Proof of active membership and good standing with any U. S. jurisdiction bar association
Positive Education Requirement: This position has a specific education requirement; all applicants must verify completion of this basic requirement by submitting both proof of JD degree and proof of good standing with a bar within a US jurisdiction. Please see the “Required Documents” under How to Apply for additional information.
Education: 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 school degree in addition to a J.D.) and be an active member of the bar (any US jurisdiction).
GS-14: Applicants applying for the Gs-14 must have 2.5 or more years post J.D. attorney experience.
GS-15: Applicants applying for the GS-15 must have 4 or more years of post J.D. attorney experience.
Application Process
NOTE: All FBI employees must undergo an FBI Background Investigation and receive an FBI Top Secret security clearance. For employment eligibility with the FBI, applicants must not violate any of the automatic employment disqualifiers, and adhere to the FBI's pre-employment drug policy. Please ensure you meet these standards before submitting an application. All of these disqualifiers are extensively researched during the FBI Background Investigation Process. The preliminary employment requirements include a polygraph examination; a test for illegal drug use; credit and records checks; and extensive interviews with former and current colleagues, neighbors, friends, professors, etc. Before applying for this position, please make sure that the FBI Employment Disqualifiers do not apply to you. https://www.fbijobs.gov/working-at-FBI/eligibility
How to Apply-
To apply for this position, provide a complete application package which includes the following REQUIRED documents:
1. Your resume and cover letter. Resume not to exceed two pages.
2. A writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages
3. Proof of current and active bar association membership
4. Copy of Law School Transcripts
5. Current SF-50 (if external government employee)
6. As applicable, supporting documentation for veterans' preference eligibility (see below).
Please Note: FBI employees currently assigned to a General Attorney position do not need to provide Law School Transcripts or Proof of Bar association Membership.
Step 1: Create a new email and attach all required electronic documents. Include contact information (phone number) and a brief introduction (2-3) sentences in the body of the email.
Step 2: Title the subject of the email using the following format, indicating whether you are an internal or external candidate. (Example: OGC_LFU_2026 External/Internal)
Step 3: Submit the completed application email to
[email protected]
What to Expect Next
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. The Most Competitive candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. You will be notified of your status throughout the process.
Internal Applicants Additional Information
- Management may select at any grade for which this position is announced.
- Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties.
- Probationary employees are precluded from being considered for all job opportunities until 12-months of their 24-month probationary period has concluded. Probationary employees may be considered for competitive vacancies that are advertised within their respective division or field office after serving 90 days within the FBI.
- Candidates will not be considered if currently on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP); a Letter of Requirement (LOR); or have failed a PIP or LOR and are currently awaiting the final action by HRD.
1. A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is a 90-day written developmental plan for an employee whose performance on one or more critical elements is rated “Unacceptable.”
2. A Letter of Requirement (LOR) is issued when a supervisor identified leave abuse and/or when frequent absences negatively impact operations of the office.
- Limited Movement: Policy has been implemented wherein support employees entering a position through competitive OR non-competitive action may be precluded from moving to another position within the Bureau by means of reassignment or change to lower grade for a minimum of 12 months.
- Relocation expenses will be borne by the selectee, except FBI employees returning from LEGAT assignment. Employees returning from LEGAT assignments must advise the Staffing Unit, Administrative Unit, and the International Operations Unit of their application to apply.
- On December 22, 2017, the President signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This law may impact your transfer.
- This legislation made previously non-taxed moving expenses reimbursements taxable as of January 1, 2018. Please see HR Link for the list of FBI's current understanding of the applicable tax changes. However, this may change upon receipt of official guidance from GSA and DOJ.
- Current law provides the FBI with the authority to compensate employees for much of the tax burden caused by a transfer through the Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) process, in an effort to identify way to minimize the additional tax burden on transferring employees.
- Candidates receiving a transfer of physical location, whether at the expense of the FBI or not, will be required to complete a one-year commitment to the assignment, prior to moving to a new position at the FBI. The 12-month waiting period begins the day an employee reports for duty at the new location.
- Employees selected for positions at the GS-14 level or higher, as well as employees selected for positions where a transfer of location is required, will be processed through the name check program prior to being notified of their selection.
- Memorandum of Understanding: Work performed outside assigned duties (that would not normally be documented on a SF-50, i.e., back-up duties), has to be documented in detail by an immediate supervisor in order to receive full credit for amount of time worked in that position. If no documentation is furnished, no credit will be given for the time worked in that position. The following notations must be specified in the documentation (Memorandum of Understanding):
- Percent of time worked in the particular position (cannot conflict with main duties)
- The month/year work began
- Frequency worked (i.e., daily, monthly, etc.)
- Specific duties performed
Attach the Memorandum of Understanding to your application in the “Cover Letters and Attachments” section of My Career Tools on the Careers Home page. Please upload the attachment as type “Other.”
External Applicants Additional Information
- The FBI is in the Executive Branch if the federal government. It is one of the components of the Department of Justice (DOJ). The FBI is the principle investigative arm of the DOJ. All FBI positions are in the excepted service.
- Applicants must be a U.S. citizen and consent to a complete background investigation, urinalysis, and polygraph. You must be suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
- Failure to provide necessary and relevant information required by this vacancy announcement may disqualify you from consideration. Additional information will not be requested if your application is incomplete. Your application will be evaluated solely on the basis of information you have submitted.
- Management may select any grade for which this position is announced.
- Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties.
- If you are hired, you will be required to serve a two-year probationary period. Probationary employees are precluded from being considered for all job opportunities until 12-months of their 24-month probationary period has concluded. Probationary Employees may be considered for competitive vacancies that are advertised within their respective division or field office after serving 90 days within the FBI. The probationary periods will be served concurrently.
- Memorandum of Understanding: Work performed outside assigned duties (that would not normally be documented on a SF-50, i.e., back-up duties), has to be documented in detail by an immediate supervisor in order to receive full credit for amount of time worked in that position. If no documentation is furnished, no credit will be given for the time worked in that position. The following notations must be specified in the documentation (Memorandum of Understanding):
- Percent of time worked in the particular position (cannot conflict with main duties)
- The month/year work began
- Frequency worked (i.e., daily, monthly, etc.)
- Specific duties performed
Veterans Preference
If you are entitled to Veterans' Preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume and application. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency.
Nepotism
Nepotism is the act of favoring relatives in the hiring process and is prohibited by law. Public officials are prohibited from hiring or promoting relatives or relatives of officials in their chain of command, as well as actively or indirectly endorse a relative's appointment of promotion.
Reasonable Accommodation Request
The FBI provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of your application and/or hiring process, please notify the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Affairs (OEEOA) Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Program by either email at
[email protected], telephone at (202) 324-4128, or FAX at (202) 324-3976. Your request will receive an individualized assessment.
Benefits
The FBI offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.
This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: http://www.opm.gov/insure/new_employ/index.asp
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.
Salary
GS-14: $143,913.00-$187,093.00; GS-15: $169,279.00 - $197,200.00
