Department of State Office of Legal Affairs
Legal Counsel heads the Office of the Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of State. As such, the Legal Counsel has the rank of Assistant Secretary. [2] [3] In addition to general legal counsel, L also hires non-rotating “specialized” lawyers with specialized legal experience in the following areas: labour law; privacy and health care; construction, procurement and procurement; FOIA Litigation; ethics and financial disclosure; regulation and administrative law; international arbitration; visas and immigration; and nationality and citizenship. The office consists of approximately 200 permanent lawyers and approximately 100 auxiliary staff, including paralegals, contract analysts, secretaries and general administrative staff. Although all are based in Washington, D.C., the firm`s lawyers also hold the positions of legal counsel and assistant counsel in the U.S. representations in Geneva and The Hague, as well as the positions of legal counsel in the United States. Missions to the European Union in Brussels and to the United Nations in New York. Occasionally, the office provides lawyers for other positions abroad.
Specialized positions are advertised on the USA Jobs and Legal Recruitment websites. Candidates for specialized lawyer positions who respond to a specific job offer must follow the application instructions in this notice. L`s applications as a specialist lawyer may also be submitted to legaljobs@state.gov. Applicants must include “Specialist” in the subject line of their email and cover letter and clearly indicate their area of expertise. Lawyers for these positions are hired as needed, not on a fixed schedule. Lawyers in the regional offices support these offices and deal with issues such as U.S. protection. Citizens and investments, problems in diplomatic and consular relations, interpretation and negotiation of treaties, rights to military bases and status issues of armed forces, peaceful settlement of disputes and trade issues.
The Legal Adviser shall have a rank equivalent to that of Deputy Secretary of State and report directly to the Secretary of State. Four Deputy Legal Advisers jointly supervise the Deputy Legal Advisers who manage each regional and functional office. Lawyers in functional offices provide support and advice in specific programme areas. Please apply online for general legal advice at legaljobs@state.gov The Office of the Legal Counsel (L) hires General Counsel who rotate approximately every two to five years as part of L`s wide range of practices. New hires for L are typically used by clerks, lawyers from other federal agencies, private sector lawyers, and other organizations involved in legal work. It also occasionally hires third-year law students with higher credentials. Competition for L-shaped positions is intense. Outstanding academic achievement, international or other relevant work experience, demonstrated interest in public service, strong interpersonal skills, analytical skills, writing skills, special honours or achievements, relevant publications and extracurricular activities are important considerations in all selections. The office is divided into sections roughly equivalent to the various offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including regional offices that focus on specific regions of the world and functional offices that deal with specific issues, such as: human rights and refugees; Political and military affairs; Economy; oceans, international environmental and scientific affairs; Foreign legislation and aid or administration. As a result, the Office of the Legal Counsel is divided into twenty-three sections, in addition to the offices in The Hague, Geneva, Brussels and New York. Lawyers` “rotation” preferences are requested after completing an assignment for approximately two years; Lawyers typically change assignments within the office every two to three years to broaden their experience and take on new challenges. The Office of the Legal Counsel advises on all national and international legal issues arising in the work of the Department.
This includes assisting department heads and policymakers in formulating and implementing U.S. foreign policy and promoting respect for and development of international law and its institutions as a fundamental element of that policy.