how difficult is it to get an attorney advisor position abroad with us government?

by Jakob Batz 4 min read

What is the role of the Office of legal adviser?

Jan 14, 2022 · October 11, 2021. The Attorney-Advisor (GS-905) job occupation is prevalent in all parts of the Government. The federal government employs 35,640 attorneys of which 393 are stationed in US Territories or in foreign countries. The Department of Justice is the largest employer with 10,265, the Department of Homeland Security has 2,088, and the Department of …

What is the Office of the state Attorney General's Office?

Sep 25, 2018 · Job Description: The Attorney Advisor serves as a member of the Immigration Court team composed of judicial law clerks, paralegals, and other professional and support staff in one or more Immigration Courts. The Attorney Advisor performs professional, legal analysis work in the review of case files for proper legal procedure, admissibility of ...

Does the US Department of State work in foreign countries?

Jan 24, 2020 · Required Qualifications: Interested applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing. Grade Specific Qualification:. To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, applicants must have at least …

Where can I work as an attorney on the hill?

Oct 08, 2020 · This position serves as a staff attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel (CC), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Department of Justice (DOJ). The staff attorney is assigned to the Associate Chief Counsel, General Law and Information Division and primarily provides legal advice to ATF officials in the area of general ...

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Do international lawyers work for the government?

Career Paths and Entry Salaries The available career paths for an international lawyer can be broken down into law firms, federal government, corporate counsel, international organizations and nonprofit groups.

Can us in house lawyers work in other countries?

Multijurisdictional practice rules present an obstacle not only for in-house attorneys licensed out- of-state, but also for foreign attorneys authorized to practice in another country who seek to work in-house in the United States. ... There are few exemptions permitting pro bono practice by foreign in-house lawyers.

What is a federal attorney advisor?

The Attorney-Advisor (GS-905) job occupation is prevalent in all parts of the Government. ... All of the cabinet level and large agencies employ substantial numbers of attorneys in multiple areas. Duties. Advises and provides legal counsel to officials relevant to studies, reports, analysis prepared by program offices.Oct 11, 2021

How can I be an international lawyer?

Eligibility Criteria to study International Law:Qualifying exam: A LLB degree or equivalent exam from a recognized university.Minimum marks: The NLUs require a minimum of 50% marks or its equivalent for general/PwD categories; SC/ST categories need 45% marks.Mar 31, 2020

Can an attorney live abroad?

Yes, but you should consider whether this person will be able to manage your financial affairs or health and welfare matters if he or she does not live in this country. If you were to appoint more than one Attorney, and they were to act 'Jointly' it may prove difficult for all Attorneys to be present when required.

Where is the best country to practice law?

Top Countries to Study Law inUnited States. The United States is one of the best countries to study law in. ... United Kingdom. Another excellent country to study law is the United Kingdom. ... Australia. Australia makes an excellent destination for a Law degree. ... Singapore. ... Canada.Nov 21, 2020

What does a g11 make?

The GS-11 pay grade is generally held by white-collar employees in mid-level positions. Starting salary for a GS-11 employee is $53,062.00 per year at Step 1, with a maximum possible base pay of $68,983.00 per year at Step 10.

What is an attorney in the UK?

What's a counsel? A solicitor would be the UK equivalent of the US attorney-at-law. Counsel usually refers to a body of legal advisers but also pertains to a single legal adviser and is a synonym for advocate, barrister, counselor, and counselor-at-law. As to the abbreviation 'Esq.Oct 7, 2015

Is international law hard to study?

Even on a domestic basis it is a very hard subject, possibly almost to geek grade. My interest falls into business crime and corruption, fascinating subject with a few solid international treaties behind it. International law is complicated by the court and tribunal systems and how judgements are reached.

Is public international law hard?

It is fairly heavy and obscure. Though no doubt you will heard bits in the news, but the news is talking about outcomes and not the why which the law bothers itself with. It is almost entirely a novel concept when you come to study it.

Do international lawyers make good money?

As an international lawyer, one's earning potential is quite good – with an average annual salary of between $110,000 – $131,000, international lawyers tend to earn just as much as most other high-profile attorneys, and are able to secure a steady stream of cases most of the time. ...

What are the duties of a special master?

The Criminal Division seeks experienced attorneys to advise and assist the Special Master on matters including the Fund's claims administration and carrying out all aspects of the program. The Attorney Advisor will support the Special Master by assisting in: 1 Administering the Fund in accordance with the Act including establishing and implementing procedures for filing applications, determining eligibility, and determining payment amounts. 2 Adjudicating applications, holding any required review hearings, and rendering decisions in writing. 3 Preparing reports to Congress required by the Act. 4 Coordinating with other Department of Justice components and other departments, as necessary, to implement the Act.

Is the Department of Justice Equal Opportunity Employer?

Equal Employment Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, pregnancy, status as a parent, or any other nonmerit-based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.

What is the job of a staff attorney?

The staff attorney is assigned to the Associate Chief Counsel, General Law and Information Division and primarily provides legal advice to ATF officials in the area of general criminal law matters and matters involving disclosure and/or protection of information.

What is a PGA attorney?

The attorney serves as legal advisor to Public and Governmental Affairs (PGA) management officials, to include the Assistant Director (AD) and Deputy Assistant Director (DAD), PGA and all PGA divisions’ management staff including the Chief of the Legislative Affairs Division, Chief of the Public Affairs Division, Chief of the Disclosure Division, and Chief of the Intergovernmental Affairs Division. The attorney also provides expert legal advice on complex and difficult issues relating to drafting, interpretation, application of legislation, regulations, orders, decisions or other legal instruments and/or matters pertaining to the Bureau’s legislative and public affairs programs; Disclosure (Freedom Of Information Act and Privacy Act) program and activities. The attorney also advises on legal substance pertaining to the Bureau’s intergovernmental affairs program and activities.

How long does it take to become a GS-15?

GS-15: Applicants must have in excess of six years commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. The attorney also serves as lead attorney on extremely complex legal issues where there is little or no precedent. This includes cases referred to the office on alcohol, tobacco, firearms, explosives and arson matters, including litigation, as required. The specialized experience must be providing legal advice in connection to extensive understanding of all Federal laws, including the Federal firearms and explosive laws; as well as other Federal regulations used by ATF.

Is the Department of Justice Equal Opportunity Employer?

Equal Employment Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, pregnancy, status as a parent, or any other nonmerit-based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.

What is the Office of Legal Counsel?

By delegation from the Attorney General, the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) provides legal advice to the President and all executive branch agencies. The Office drafts legal opinions of the Attorney General and provides its own written opinions and other advice in response to requests from the Counsel to the President, the various agencies of the Executive Branch, and other components of the Department of Justice. Such requests typically deal with legal issues of particular complexity and importance or those about which two or more agencies disagree. The Office is also responsible for reviewing and commenting on the constitutionality of pending legislation.

Is the Department of Justice Equal Opportunity Employer?

Equal Employment Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, pregnancy, status as a parent, or any other nonmerit-based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.

How competitive is it to get a job in the SEC?

Attorney’s Office or at the SEC is extremely competitive. A single opening might attract hundreds of applications, many of them from candidates with judicial clerkships and Biglaw stints on their résumés. So if you don’t get hired the first time you apply, don’t give up; as you gain more experience, you’ll become a more compelling candidate.

What is the role of a public servant?

As a public servant, you will be assigned to where the powers that be think you can best serve the public. So you might want to work on white-collar cases but get assigned instead to drug cases, and there’s not much you can do about that. 6. Don’t stress too much about exit opportunities; it’ll all work out.

What is the most popular office for lawyers?

The most popular Office for lawyers is the Office of Legal Adviser where approximately 175 permanent attorneys negotiate, draft and interpret international agreements and resolve international issues involving human rights, political and military affairs, legislation and foreign assistance, international disputes, trade, peace and security. The Office is organized into sections that roughly correspond with the Department of State’s various bureaus and regional offices and is divided into 23 sections, including the offices at The Hague and in Geneva. Generally only 2Ls are accepted for summer interns and only U.S. citizens can be considered as attorney-advisers.

What is the Office of Treaty Affairs?

The Office of Treaty Affairs advises on treaty law and procedure, including drafting, negotiating, applying, interpreting and publishing treaties and other international agreements of the U.S. Constitutional questions including the powers of the President and the Congress are also addressed.

What is the legislative branch?

The legislative branch offers several opportunities to work with international public interest issues. Some committees such as the Armed Services, Intelligence, and Judiciary cover international-related issues. However, the two international relations-focused committees are the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (SCFR) and the House Committee on International Relations (HCIR), each with one full committee and seven subcommittees. Despite the different names, both do essentially the same work. Each has a minority and a majority staff with one or more counsel positions for each full and subcommittee. You’ll work on a broad range of issues dealing with international law and affairs – some legal, some not. Committee counsel are influential in members’ policy decisions, however, votes are made by the members– not the staff. Those wishing to push their own agendas rather than that of a member may want to consider work with an NGO or a private firm.

What are the White House summer internships?

There are several White House offices that address foreign policy and international trade. Applications for summer internships can be addressed directly to the office of personnel. Though only a few positions exist for summer internships, if you have a strong interest in foreign policy or international trade the following opportunities should be explored: Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, the National Security Council, Homeland Security Council, President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), USTR, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The structure of these organizations can vary

How many foreign embassies are there in the US?

There are more than 170 foreign embassies located in Washington, D.C. and an almost equivalent number of foreign consulates located in several major cities including New York, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. Boston alone has more than 52 consulates and New York City has more than 100. The primary purpose of foreign embassies and consulates is to promote business interests and help foreign governments attract U.S. business opportunities. This is in contrast to U.S. embassies located in foreign countries where there is a slightly different mission as noted above. Despite the difference in the focus of U.S. and foreign embassies, both can be accessed through networking. Getting to know the consul general and economic consulates from countries where you would like to work is an excellent way to develop contacts and handle issues that arise in international work. Most foreign embassies and consulates will employ U.S. citizens if there is a specific need to fill that requires knowledge and experience of the U.S. government or the private sector. View a complete listing of foreign embassies, as well as selected embassy jobs in the U.S.

Who is Katharine Mueller?

Katharine Mueller (HLS ’99) served as Assistant General Counsel for the Office of the USTR in Washington, D.C. During her three years at USTR she has worked on a WTO dispute settlement, bilateral and unilateral trade negotiations, and trade policy formulation. Highlights of her time include developing and implementing legislation, granting trade preferences to countries in the Andean region, negotiating an agreement covering trade in textiles and apparel between the U.S. and Vietnam, appearing before the WTO Appellate Body in Geneva and serving as the chief lawyer for the Free Trade Agreement that the U.S. is negotiating with the Southern African Customs Union.

What are the agencies that are involved in international development?

The agencies and departments that play a critical part in international development include the USAID, the U.S. Department of State, U.S. embassies in developing countries, the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. USAID is the largest federal agency involved in international development, responsible for development assistance policies and programs in more than 100 countries, and subject to the foreign policy guidance of the President, the Secretary of State, and the National Security Council. In FY 2007 USAID OFDA responded to 77 disasters affecting more than 94Mpeople in 57 countries. New attorneys at USAID are generally assigned to work in Washington, D.C. with one or more senior attorneys advising staff of one of the four regional (Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Near East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Eurasia) or program-oriented (Legislative and Public Affairs; Global Health; Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade; and Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Relief) bureaus in the Agency. The Agency’s legal advisors provide advice with respect to programs in a particular area, as well as draft and interpret legislation, regulations and opinions relating to US foreign assistance programs.

Local Government Specialist

Zero to five years of attorney experience, ideally working with local or state governments.

Attorney Advisor

The incumbent serves as a Attorney-Advisor, responsible for providing legal support and advice to AmeriCorps on a broad range of legal matters involving the…

TOWN COUNSEL

Serves as legal advisor to various town boards and performs other duties as required by law and town charter.

Attorney Advisor (Labor)

In many cases, the incumbent will review the work of lower graded attorneys and provide preliminary approval of decisions or orders prepared by the lower graded…

Senior Attorney Advisor

The incumbent serves as a Senior Attorney-Advisor, responsible for providing legal support and advice to AmeriCorps on a broad range of legal matters involving…

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Attorneys Working in International Settings

  • Katharine Mueller(HLS ’99) served as Assistant General Counsel for the Office of the USTR in Washington, D.C. During her three years at USTR she has worked on a WTO dispute settlement, bilateral and unilateral trade negotiations, and trade policy formulation. Highlights of her time include developing and implementing legislation, granting trade preferences to countries in the …
See more on hls.harvard.edu

Capitol Hill and International Work

  • The legislative branch offers several opportunities to work with international public interest issues. Some committees such as the Armed Services, Intelligence, and Judiciary cover international-related issues. However, the two international relations-focused committees are the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (SCFR) and the House Committee on International Relat…
See more on hls.harvard.edu

Overseas Legislative and Administrative Experience

  • Working for an overseas legislative or administrative body is not out of the question and several HLS students have traveled overseas to work for foreign governments including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Koror State Government for the Republic Of Palau. Many African countries are desperately in need of good legislative and regulatory drafters that c…
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The White House and International Public Service

  • There are several White House offices that address foreign policy and international trade. Applications for summer internships can be addressed directly to the office of personnel. Though only a few positions exist for summer internships, if you have a strong interest in foreign policy or international trade the following opportunities should be explored: Foreign Intelligence Advisory …
See more on hls.harvard.edu

International Development Work

  • Although international development work can be obtained through various Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs), such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), exciting and challenging development opportunities exist in the government as well. The agencies and departments that play a critical …
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The U.S. Department of State

  • A legal career with the U.S. Department of State can take many forms including Foreign Service Officer, Foreign Service Specialist, Civil Service, Local Employment in U.S. Embassies and Consulates. The U.S. Department of State provides unique services in support of foreign policy at nearly 265 locations worldwide. U.S. citizens interested in working at a foreign post who are not …
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Office of The Legal Adviser

  • The most popular Office for lawyers is the Office of Legal Adviser where approximately 175 permanent attorneys negotiate, draft and interpret international agreements and resolve international issues involving human rights, political and military affairs, legislation and foreign assistance, international disputes, trade, peace and security. The Office is organized into section…
See more on hls.harvard.edu

Other State Department Offices and Bureaus

  • Due to the limited number of attorney slots available for summer internships and full time positions at the Office of the Legal Adviser excellent opportunities can be found as well in many other State Department Bureaus and Offices. As an example, last summer two HLS students worked in Riga, Latvia and Quito, Ecuador with the U.S. Department of State. Bureaus and Office…
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State Government and International Careers

  • For those who would like to stay close to home for the summer and still be involved in international work, there are a surprising number of opportunities. One of the most common areas in which states are involved internationally is international trade and commerce and foreign direct investment. Almost every state, particularly those with substantial foreign direct investment and …
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A Career in The Foreign Service

  • How Does One Become a Career Diplomat in The Foreign Service?
    Surprisingly, there are no specific requirements to become a career diplomat in the Foreign Service other than achieving a high score on the Foreign Service written exam and oral assessment. However, due to the competitive nature of the process, as noted by the Foreign Ser…
  • How Do You Prepare for the Foreign Service Exam?
    Jay Raman advises that the best way to prepare for the Foreign Service Exam is to read the State Department examination study guide, which provides examples of the type of questions on the test. If possible, try to talk with someone who has taken the exam. More important than the writt…
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