Agency-wide Requirements
All applicants must be:
- U.S. citizens (dual U.S. citizens also eligible)
- At least 18 years of age
- Willing to move to the Washington, DC area
- Able to complete security and medical evaluations
- Registered for the Selective Service
About the Job
The Office of General Counsel (OGC) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) provides legal advice and policy counsel to the Director of the CIA (DCIA) and other CIA officers on a variety of legal issues, to include intelligence and national security law; procurement and acquisition law; employment and personnel law; government ethics; fiscal law; general administrative law; privacy and civil liberties, and legislative affairs.
Our office places a high value on diversity of experiences and perspectives, and encourages resumes from qualified individuals from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBTQ individuals, and persons with disabilities.
As an attorney, you will be responsible for:
- Providing legal advice and policy counsel to CIA leadership on complex areas of law affecting the CIA’s duties and responsibilities under authorities including the National Security Act, the CIA Act, and Executive Orders.
- Conducting legal research and analysis on sensitive matters.
- Providing training on a variety of laws and policies affecting CIA personnel.
- Engaging with other Intelligence Community elements, federal agencies, and congressional committees.
- Maintaining productive working relationships with other OGC and Agency officers to further CIA’s mission.
Who You’ll Work With
At the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), we recognize our Nation’s strength comes from the diversity of its people. People from a broad range of backgrounds and viewpoints work at CIA, and our diverse teams are the reason we can keep our country safe.
Read more about diversity and inclusion
What You’ll Get
Our benefits support every aspect of a working professional’s life, including health and wellness, time off, family, finances, and continuing education. Our programs include highly sought-after government health benefits, flexible schedules, sick leave, and childcare.
As a CIA employee, you’ll also get the satisfaction of knowing your work is part of something bigger than yourself. Our work is driven by one mission: to keep our Nation safe. Every day is an opportunity to enhance U.S. national security.
Learn more about working at CIA
Minimum Qualifications
- Juris Doctor (JD) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
- Active membership of the bar (any US jurisdiction).
- Ability to meet the minimum requirements for joining CIA, including U.S. citizenship and a background investigation
- Demonstrated experience of at least three years in one or more of OGC’s practice areas.
Desired Qualifications
- All candidates are reviewed for the following competencies:
- Legal analysis, reasoning and writing, including the ability to effectively integrate and synthesize facts and law to make legally sound decisions, including in compressed timeframes.
- Interpersonal and communication skills.
- The ability to work both independently and as a team member in a demanding environment.
- The ability to exercise sound judgment in challenging situations.
- Willingness to consider diverse perspectives and ability to navigate changing circumstances.
- Ability to effectively manage multiple work assignments and competing priorities concurrently.
- Ability to develop and maintain collaborative working relationships inside and outside the CIA.
- Demonstrated expertise on complex legal matters, and strong client counseling skills, in one or more of the following practice areas: Constitutional Law, Government Contracts, Employment Law, Ethics, Fiscal Law, FOIA, International Law, Investigations, Litigation (Federal), Privacy Law, Operational Law, Surveillance Law, and Tech/Cyber Law.
- Lateral (or mid-career) hires have more than three years of post-law school experience and work on the most complex legal issues in the Agency.
- OGC prefers that lateral attorneys have a law school GPA of at least 3.0 for schools on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent on other scales.
- Please note other OGC job postings on CIA.gov tailored to specific practice areas (e.g., government contracts, employment law, etc.). Candidate may apply to a specialty practice area through the tailored job postings. This “Lateral Attorney” job posting is an opportunity for generalist candidates to highlight experience in multiple practice areas.