Federal Position Descriptions
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Assistant Attorney General Legal Policy

Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy, Department of Justice
Responsibility
Management Scope

The assistant attorney general has three or four deputy assistant attorneys general and manages about 30 people in the Office of Legal Policy.

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversees the vetting process for federal judicial nominees, mostly, and coordinates the judicial appointment process with the White House and the Senate
• Develops and implements the department’s significant policy initiatives
• Handles special projects that implicate the interests of multiple department components
• Coordinates with other interested department components and executive branch agencies
• Serves as an important policy advisor to the attorney general, deputy attorney general and associate attorney general
• Reviews and coordinates all regulations promulgated by the department and its components2

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Law degree
• Capitol Hill experience (helpful)
• Experience in the Department of Justice (helpful)

Competencies

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to handle sensitive matters
• Ability to work under pressure
• Excellent negotiation and diplomacy skills to effectively navigate the various Department of Justice agencies with their different positions to find common ground
• Integrity

Past Appointments
  • Christopher H. Schroeder (2010 to 2012): Chief Counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee; Professor of law and public policy studies and Director of the Program in Public Law, Duke University3
  • Elisebeth C. Cook (2008 to 2009): Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy, Department of Justice; Senior Counsel, Office of Legal Policy, Department of Justice; Associate, Cooper & Kirk, PLLC4
  • Rachel Brand (2005 to 2007): Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy, Department of Justice; Associate Counsel to the President; Lawyer, Cooper, Carvin & Rosenthal5
AGENCY

Department of Justice

Mission: The mission of the Department of Justice is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law, ensure the public against foreign and domestic threats, provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime, seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior, and ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.

COMPENSATION

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)1

REPORTS TO

Attorney general, deputy attorney general and associate attorney general

SENATE COMMITTEE

Judiciary

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Footnote
  1. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.
  2. OPM
  3. https://law.duke.edu/fac/schroeder/
  4. Leadership Directories: https://lo.bvdep.com/PeopleDocument.asp?PersonId=-1&LDIPeopleId=616777&Save=1
  5. https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/government/rbrand-bio.html
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