Attorney Adviser

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an independent office whose mission is to promote excellence, integrity, and accountability throughout the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In our dynamic environment, the OIG conducts investigations, audits, evaluations, and inspections to enhance program effectiveness and efficiency and to detect and prevent waste, fraud, and mismanagement in DHS programs and operations.

Attorney Advisors (General) in the Office of Counsel (OC) provide legal advice, services, and policy recommendations to the Inspector General and a nationwide staff of auditors, information technology experts, investigators, and program analysts. Typical work assignments include representing the OIG before administrative bodies, conducting investigations into suspected violations of laws of the United States and rules and regulations relating to programs and operations of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), providing legal advice and policy recommendations to the Inspector General and OIG program offices on civil, criminal, and administrative law matters, including program fraud, ethics, contracting, and procurement. The range of legal duties include: Preparing legal analysis and advice to the OIG on legal and policy implications of DHS and DHS OIG activities and plans.

Interpreting legislation, executive orders, regulations, and policy directives. Conducting legal research addressing complicated and novel issues of law by examining Federal and state statutes, regulations, Executive Orders, court decisions, and legislative hearings and committee reports, and by analyzing factual, technical, and legal issues. Coordinating with and providing support as Agency Counsel to the DOJ and USAOs on federal court litigation involving DHS OIG and its employees.

Responding to Congressional inquiries through our Office Executive Operations and Communication (EOC) on a wide variety of issues THERE MAY BE OPENINGS IN THE FOLLOWING DIVSIONS. IN YOUR COVER LETTER, PLEASE IDENTIFY YOUR AREA (DIVISION) OF INTEREST. GENERAL LAW DIVISION Advising OIG leaders and Program Offices on matters associated with civil and criminal procedure, Investigative techniques, law enforcement, immigration, counterterrorism, Intelligence, federal contracting, ethics, and administrative law. Conducting legal sufficiency reviews of DHS OIG audits, inspections, investigations, subpoenas, law enforcement/ investigative policy, Giglio determinations, consistent with the Inspector General Act of 1978. Handling claims filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Providing advice concerning the conduct of criminal investigations, inspections, and evaluations. Serving as Agency Counsel to the DOJ and USAOs for federal litigation involving DHS OIG matters. Providing training to various DHS OIG audiences regarding issues within the General Law Division's portfolio. INFORMATION LAW AND DISCLOSURE DIVISION Providing legal advice to internal and external stakeholders on issues impacting the entire breadth of the DHS OIG's portfolio, including Touhy regulations, information disclosure, Privacy Act (PA), and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Serving as an attorney advisor researching, interpreting, and opining on novel and complex information law issues, including laws, statutes, and regulations pertaining to the FOIA and PA.

Serving as agency counsel in FOIA/PA litigation. PERSONNEL LAW DIVISION Providing advice to managers on various personnel issues to include, but not limited to, discipline, performance, time and attendance, and Equal Employment Opportunity matters. Providing advice to the Human Resource Division on personnel related issues and providing legal sufficiency reviews for personnel related directives, policies, and guidance. Providing training to managers and employees on various personnel related topics.

Representing DHS OIG before various administrative bodies including the Office of Special Counsel, Merit Systems Protection Board, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Serving as Agency Counsel to the DOJ and USAOs for federal litigation involving personnel matters. WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION UNIT (DIVISION) - INVESTIGATIVE COUNSEL Conducting investigations, drafting and preparing the investigative case, which includes: identifying the primary nature of the allegations, specifying the potential violations of law, rule or regulation, specifying the focus of the investigations, considering coordination of investigative efforts with other authorities, projecting the type of evidence that will be required and the investigative steps and strategies that should be employed, and conducting interviews and reviewing and analyzing of documentary evidence during the course of the investigation.

Analyzing the record, evaluating facts, determining questions of law, and either recommend adoption of a decision prepared by another attorney/investigator or draft a thorough decision with well-reasoned analysis and recommendation for consideration and adoption by agency officials who exercise final authority in such matters. Conducting complaint intake to determine whether complaints, supplemented, when necessary, by complainant interviews, constitute complaints of reprisal warranting investigation. Serving as experts in the area of federal whistleblower law and policy.