Attorney Advisor (CLC Attorney)

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.

ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

The legal practice at the Western Regional Office Consolidated Legal Center (CLC), with office location at the Federal Correctional Institution, Mendota CA, (FCI Mendota), covers a wide variety of issues focusing on correctional law, either through administrative channels or litigation in federal court. Issues include such matters as inmates' reasonable access to the courts (e.g., access to legal materials, legal correspondence, and attorney-client visits), conditions of confinement (e.g., medical care, diet and religious accommodations, housing assignments, hygiene & sanitation), and post-sentence administration (e.g., sentence computation and inmate discipline).

This position is part of the Western Regional CLC, and the position is located at FCI Mendota, as part of a legal team that oversees legal matters in the Eastern and Northern Districts of California associated with Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) operations, which includes the following correctional institutions: United States Penitentiary, Atwater (USP Atwater), Federal Correctional Institution at Herlong (FCI Herlong), Federal Correctional Institution at Mendota (FCI Mendota), and the Federal Correctional Institution at Dublin (FCI Dublin).

As a member of the Western Regional CLC, the incumbent is expected to provide advice and guidance to all levels of staff at these correctional facilities, including members of the Executive Staff. The incumbent may also be required to handle other BOP legal matters as assigned, which are outside the Eastern and Northern Districts of California and pertain to other BOP institutions. The incumbent will also be expected to communicate with defense attorneys, prosecutors, federal courts, and agency officials. The incumbent is expected to possess excellent skills in both legal research and writing, as the position requires incumbent to perform extensive work in these areas with minimal oversight. The incumbent must have thorough knowledge of all aspects of BOP policy and practice as he/she may be required to appear in District Court on short notice to explain and advocate the agency's rationale for its correctional management decisions.

The duties of this position may at times require frequent and direct contact with individuals in confinement who are suspected or convicted of serious criminal offenses. It has also been determined that the duties of this position require experience and knowledge of the on-the-job responsibilities of a primary law enforcement officer working in a detention facility. Because of the nature and mission of this position, it requires "hands-on" understanding of the issues encompassed in working within an institution. The incumbent may be called on to perform as a law enforcement officer in a correctional environment during training, emergency situations, times of staff shortages, and under any other type of correctional operating crisis. Specific correctional responsibilities may include custody and supervision of inmates, responding to emergencies and institution disturbances, participating in fog and escape patrols, and assuming correctional officer posts when necessary. The incumbent may be required to conduct pat down and visual searches of inmates and search inmate work or living areas for contraband. The incumbent must be prepared to use physical control in situations where necessary, such as in fights among inmates, assaults on staff, and during riots or escape attempts.

The Practice areas related to this position are: Correctional Law, Civil Litigation, and Constitutional Law.

Applicant must possess a J.D. degree and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction).

Preferred qualifications: Prior and extensive experience in correctional law and/or federal civil litigation is preferred, but not required.