![]() Practicing Law in the Office of the Legal Adviser. The Office of the Legal Adviser furnishes advice on all legal issues, domestic and international, arising in the course of the Department's work. This includes assisting Department principals and policy officers in formulating and implementing the foreign policies of the U. S., and promoting the adherence to, and development of, international law and its institutions as a fundamental element of those policies. Attorneys in the Office are at the forefront of the important international issues faced by our country, whether they are working to respond to humanitarian crises, to prevent human rights abuses, to promote international trade and resolve international disputes, to create a more livable world or to help foster peace and security. They work directly with high- level U. S. While almost all of the Office’s attorneys are based in Washington, their work may require them to travel overseas on a “temporary duty” basis to most anywhere in the world for bilateral and multilateral negotiations, dispute resolution efforts or an unlimited range of other diplomatic missions. ![]() ![]()
The Office of the Legal Adviser furnishes. The attorneys work closely with the Department of Justice in litigation in the U.S. The Honors Attorney program at the Labor Department’s Office of the Solicitor is a great fit for new attorneys. Attorneys negotiate, draft and interpret international agreements involving a wide range of matters, such as peace initiatives, arms control discussions, trade- liberalization agreements, international commodity agreements, consular conventions and private law conventions on subjects like judicial cooperation and recognition of foreign judgments. They also work with Department officials on legislative initiatives and draft and interpret domestic statutes, Departmental regulations, Executive Orders and other legal documents. They represent or assist in representing the U. S. Claims Tribunal, as well as in international arbitrations. The attorneys work closely with the Department of Justice in litigation in the U. S. Although all are stationed in Washington, D. C., attorneys from the Office also fill the Legal Counsel and Deputy attorney positions at U. S. Missions in Geneva and The Hague, and the Legal Counsel positions at U. S. Missions to the European Union in Brussels and the United Nations in New York. On occasion, the office provides attorneys for other overseas posts. Accordingly, the Office of the Legal Adviser is divided into twenty- three sections, in addition to the offices at The Hague, Geneva, Brussels, and New York. Attorneys’ preferences for “rotation” are requested after they have served approximately two years in an assignment; attorneys typically rotate assignments within the Office every two or three years to broaden their experience and take on new challenges. The Legal Adviser holds a rank equivalent to that of Assistant Secretary of State and reports directly to the Secretary of State. Four Deputy Legal Advisers collectively supervise Assistant Legal Advisers, who manage the individual regional and functional offices described below. Assistant Legal Advisers supervise the attorneys who support those bureaus, dealing with such matters as protection of U. S. Among the issues and the activities which draw on the Offices' legal staff in the various regions are the following: Office of African and Near Eastern Affairs (L/AN): Support for the Middle East peace process; the Multinational Force and Observers and U. N. Security Council actions; border questions; military facility and status of forces agreements; U. S. A representative description of the functional offices is set forth below: Office of Buildings and Acquisitions (L/BA): Provides legal advice and representation in the solicitation, award and administration of Federal acquisition contracts; the acquisition and development of real property abroad; the negotiation and litigation of contract disputes; the defense of bid protests at the General Accounting Office; the management of Government property domestically and abroad; the drafting and interpretation of Federal acquisition laws, regulations and policies; the oversight and administration of employee associations at posts abroad; grant and cooperative agreement law, regulations, policies and administration. Office of Consular Affairs (L/CA): Provides legal advice and representation relating to the performance of consular functions by the Department of State. These functions include: adjudication and revocation of visas and passports; the protection of U. S. L/CA’s roles include negotiation and implementation of international agreements on consular relations, information sharing and prisoner transfers; working on proposed immigration- related legislation; drafting Department regulations and guidance; participating in interagency initiatives; interpreting U. S. Government and its personnel in litigation abroad; and legal issues relating to the status of international organizations, including the U. N. Office of Economic and Business Affairs (L/EB): Provides legal advice and support in international negotiations, development of U. S. Acts as counsel to U. S. Provides legal advice and support throughout the Department on asylum and refugee law, and human rights issues ranging from torture, genocide, and arbitrary detention to freedom of movement, assembly and expression. Office of International Claims and Investment Disputes (L/CID): Provides general legal advice and representation with respect to all aspects of international claims and investment disputes, including claims under international law by U. S. Negotiates lump sum settlements with foreign governments, and represents the U. S. Claims Tribunal in The Hague, the U. N. Compensation Commission in Geneva, arbitral tribunals under Chapter 1. NAFTA and other international, arbitral bodies. Covers issues from inception through settlement, including questions of domestic and international law, standards of compensation, and promotion of international dispute settlement machinery. Office of Law Enforcement and Intelligence (L/LEI): Coordinates international extradition and promotes mutual legal assistance in criminal and other law enforcement matters; negotiates treaties; manages the international extradition caseload; coordinates U. S. Addresses legal issues arising in negotiating, implementing and verifying compliance with a wide range of bilateral and multilateral agreements, including: the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties (START 1 and II); the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty; the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions; and the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty. L/NPV has been directly involved in: implementing Libya’s renunciation of WMD; efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programs; actions regarding Iran at the IAEA and U. N.; implementing the U. S.- India nuclear cooperation initiative; dismantling the A. O. Khan nuclear black market network and Iraq’s residual nuclear and missile programs; and helping Russia dispose of and protect its nuclear inventory. Office of Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (L/OES): Provides legal advice on matters relating to development, negotiation and application of international and domestic law relating to oceans, including law of the sea, maritime boundaries, maritime drug interdiction, navigation and over flight freedoms; environment and conservation, including marine pollution, transboundary air pollution, biodiversity, ozone depletion, biotechnology, desertification, trade and environment, environmental impact assessment, endangered species, liability for environmental damage; scientific and technological affairs, including technology transfer and intellectual property rights; outer space, including the Space Station agreements; and polar affairs, including all matters related to the Antarctic Treaty system. Office of Political- Military Affairs (L/PM): Provides legal assistance in matters relating to global military and political- military activities, base rights and status of forces agreements; foreign military claims and suits against U. S. Armed Forces; munitions control; use of force and war powers; and laws of war. Office of Private International Law (L/PIL): Deals with the development and implementation of treaties and other international efforts to unify and harmonize private law, including U. S. Provides legal advice on international information programs conducted pursuant to the Smith- Mundt Act, in particular on the dissemination abroad of information about the U. S., its people and policies; and on public affairs matters domestically. Counsels on matters pertaining to the protection of the cultural patrimony of other countries in jeopardy of pillage, and assists with the drafting and negotiation of bilateral cultural property agreements; counsels on requests for immunity from judicial seizure with respect to foreign art objects imported for temporary exhibition in the U. S. Handles residual problems of World War II involving certain Holocaust era assets. Office of Treaty Affairs (L/T): Advises the Department and other U. S. Oversees compliance with the Circular 1. Secretary of State authorizes the negotiation and conclusion of U. S. Reviews the transmittal of treaties to the Senate for advice and consent to ratification. Responsible for registering international agreements with the U. N. Approximately 1. New hires are drawn from third- year law students, judicial clerks, and practicing attorneys from other Federal agencies and the private sector. The office also hires approximately twelve summer interns, as well as 2. Outstanding academic performance, analytical ability, writing skills, special honors, or achievements, professional experience, publications, and relevant extracurricular activities are important considerations in all selections. International legal training or experience and knowledge of a foreign language are not mandatory. The Office encourages applications from persons with an interest or experience in general government work.
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