Attorney Adviser (Civil Rights)

Summary

This position is located in the Office of the Secretary of State (S), Office of Civil Rights (S/OCR). S/OCR's mission is to manage the Secretary's equal employment opportunity (EEO) program to become a model EEO program. S/OCR does this through oversight of the EEO Process, management of the Anti-Harassment Program (AHP), educating employees about unlawful employment discrimination, facilitating resolution, and advocating change to overcome barriers that restrict EEO.

Duties

Recognized as the expert advisor to a range of Department officials, as appropriate, on all legal and factual matters concerning complex and difficult matters of EEO law and regulations. Serves as the Department's representative for EEO and harassment discussions. Acts as legal counsel to the head of S/OCR and assesses EEO laws and regulations both domestically and internationally and for Department posts and Missions worldwide. Prepares complex proposals, responses to policy inquiries, letters, legal memoranda, and testimony. Drafts, negotiates, or examines agreements, memoranda of understanding or other legal documents related to EEO and harassment . Conducts EEO investigations in accordance with 29 C.F.R. 1614 and produces thorough reports of investigation (ROI). Ensures thorough legal review of all ROIs, investigative plans (IP), and all other relevant documentation. Mentors, trains, leads, and guides other counsel in research, analysis, and evaluation of complex and difficult legal questions that have an impact on S/OCR and the Department. Delivers formal training, presentations, and/or briefings.

Qualifications

THE CLOSING DATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO JUNE 22, 2026. Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. Applicants apply for this position must meet the following requirements to be eligible for further consideration: Law Degree: Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with a J.D. or LL.M. Bar Membership: Applicants must be a current member of a bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Experience: Applicants must have at least four years of specialized experience with at least one year equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal Service, which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position. The specialized experience must have been gained after admission to the bar. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience with employment law, including Federal statutes, administrative regulations, and judicial decisions that pertain to areas of the employer/employee relationship; AND Experience defending against claims at the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), conducting investigations or negotiations, planning the approach, and developing the completed products. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-15 position. *Vacancy closing date has been extended*

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

How You Will Be Evaluated

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of State considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor in the hiring process. For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the qualifications for this position, specifically, the education and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applicants that are verified to meet the required qualifications will be referred to the selecting official. Your resume will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required; and on the extent to which your application shows that you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position as defined below: Ability to draft legal briefs, formulate legal arguments, perform legal research, and conduct administrative litigation in defense of the Department's position. Ability to orally present factual and legal arguments in formal hearings before administrative authorities as well as in meetings with Departmental senior management. Ability to negotiate settlement agreements with parties holding widely divergent objectives and points of view. Ability to draft clear legal arguments citing applicable laws, regulations, and precedents. Knowledge of employment law including Federal statutes, administrative regulations, and judicial decisions that pertain to areas of the employer/employee relationship such as employment discrimination and overtime regulations. Ability to provide guidance to less experienced colleagues. Your resume limited to two pages serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement. Your application package must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

THE CLOSING DATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO JUNE 22, 2026. All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to "LegalJobs1@state.gov" by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. 1. Resume – your two-page resume or any other written format you choose should contain the required information as specified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section. Insufficient information will result in an ineligible rating. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further. 2. Transcripts – you must submit a copy of your college transcript(s) from an accredited law school with your application. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment. 3. Proof of bar membership – you must submit proof of bar membership from any state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico with your application. 4. If you are qualifying based on other criteria listed under the Qualification Section of this announcement, you MUST submit the required supporting documentation (certificates, certifications, etc.) with your application. 5. References – you must submit three professional references with your application. 6. Veterans Preference, if applicable – Veterans' preference does not apply to this vacancy. Any supporting documentation received from veterans will be retained to document veteran's status for appointment purposes, if selected. To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. To claim 10-point preference, submit all required documentation outlined on the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.). If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference. To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 and all required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim. To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge. For all preference claims: DD-214 Member 4 copies are preferred and must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals. For more veterans' preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.

How to Apply

The apply button is deactivated and applications packages are being accepted directly by the Office of the Secretary, Executive Secretariat, Executive Director, Human Resources (S/ES-EX/HR). Application packages are being accepted directly by emailing an application with all required documents, preferably in one PDF, to LegalJobs1@state.gov. Please have the subject line of the email read "Attorney Adviser (Civil Rights)". Please note this vacancy exists with instructions on how to apply. Applicant notifications, however, will NOT be sent. If a hiring official determines you have the skillset for this vacancy, a member of the hiring team will contact you. Those applicants who may be contacted for an interview may be asked to provide further application materials at that time.

What to Expect Next

After all application packages have been received, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. After we review and evaluate all applications, the most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration for possible interviews in approximately two weeks after the announcement closes. After a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigation, which generally takes an average of at least two to six months. You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process: 1. Upon receipt of your application. 2. Upon minimum qualification determinations. 3. After the certificate is issued. 4. After final selection is made. For instructions on how to view the status of your application, please click here.

Additional Information

For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at OAA@state.gov. If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

THE CLOSING DATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO JUNE 22, 2026. Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. Applicants apply for this position must meet the following requirements to be eligible for further consideration: Law Degree: Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with a J.D. or LL.M. Bar Membership: Applicants must be a current member of a bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Experience: Applicants must have at least four years of specialized experience with at least one year equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal Service, which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position. The specialized experience must have been gained after admission to the bar. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience with employment law, including Federal statutes, administrative regulations, and judicial decisions that pertain to areas of the employer/employee relationship; AND Experience defending against claims at the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), conducting investigations or negotiations, planning the approach, and developing the completed products. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-15 position. *Vacancy closing date has been extended*