ATTORNEY-ADVISOR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL WASHINGTON, D.C.
About the Office: By delegation from the Attorney General, the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel provides authoritative legal advice to the President and all the Executive Branch agencies. The Office drafts legal opinions of the Attorney General and also provides its own written opinions and oral advice in response to requests from the Counsel to the President, the various agencies of the Executive Branch, and offices within the Department. Such requests typically deal with legal issues of particular complexity and importance or about which two or more agencies are in disagreement. The Office also is responsible for providing legal advice to the Executive Branch on all constitutional questions and reviewing pending legislation for constitutionality.
All executive orders and proclamations proposed to be issued by the President are reviewed by the Office of Legal Counsel for form and legality, as are various other matters that require the President's formal approval.
The Office reviews all proposed orders of the Attorney General and all regulations requiring the Attorney General's approval. It also performs a variety of special assignments referred by the Attorney General or the Deputy Attorney General.
The Office of Legal Counsel is not authorized to give legal advice to private persons.
Position Description: The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), U.S. Department of Justice, is seeking two highly qualified attorneys to serve as attorney-advisers in Washington, D.C. OLC’s principal function is to assist the Attorney General in fulfilling the role of legal adviser to the President and Executive Branch agencies. For more information, please visit OLC’s internet website, http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/.
OLC’s responsibilities include the following:
Advise the Attorney General, the White House Counsel, all executive departments and agencies, and the various components of the Department of Justice on constitutional and statutory matters
Resolve Legal disputes within the Executive Branch through the issuance of binding legal opinions
Review for constitutionality legislation proposed by the President or by Congress
Review for form and legality all executive orders, proclamations, and memoranda proposed to be issued by the President and all Attorney General Orders and regulations
Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least one year of post-J.D. legal experience. OLC is highly selective in its hiring because OLC attorneys handle some of the most difficult and important legal issues confronting the Executive Branch. The ideal candidate will have exceptional academic credentials, judicial clerkship or comparable experience, strong background in constitutional law, and outstanding legal research and writing skills.
