Commonly called the DOJ, the Department of Justice is a federal executive department in the United States.
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Its role is to enforce federal laws, promote justice, and advocate for public safety.
In 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law the Department of Justice.
The goal of this department was to centralize the enforcement of federal laws and handle the legal aspects of governance.
At this time, the country needed a more unified approach to law enforcement and legal representation federally.
According to the Department of Justice itself, its goal is to “enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law.”
Following this assertion, the DOJ’s main mission is to enforce federal laws.
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These laws include laws pertaining to civil rights, public safety, cybercrime, drug trafficking and much more.
The DOJ investigates and prosecutes both individuals and organizations who have committed federal crimes.
One of the DOJ’s most important responsibilities is to protect and uphold civil rights and liberties.
It is supposed to investigate and prosecute civil rights violations and provide resources to victims of discrimination.
It is also supposed to prevent abuse of power by law enforcement agencies and hold violators responsible.
Another one of the key missions of the DOJ is to represent the United States legally.
The DOJ is the legal counsel for the federal government and represents the interests of the country.
This representation extends to civil litigation, appellate cases, and giving executive branch agencies legal guidance.
The Attorney General, the chief law enforcement officer and the President’s legal advisor, runs the DOJ.
Subsections of the DOJ include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service, and more.
For interested applicants, there are many diverse roles within the Department of Justice.
There are specifically a number of jobs relating to law enforcement, the legal system, corrections, and various administrative positions.
The DOJ always needs more attorneys and legal professionals.
These legal professionals work as federal prosecutors, trial attorneys, and legal advisors.
The legal matters they deal with are extensive and include criminal prosecutions, civil litigation, appellate cases, and providing legal advice.
There are also vacancies for paralegals and legal assistants to support the multitude of attorneys.
Another role of service open in the DOJ is working as a special agent.
Special agents work under the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other DOJ law enforcement agencies to collect evidence, interview witnesses, and investigate crimes.
Forensic scientists are also in-demand at the DOJ.
These scientists can specialize in subjects like DNA analysis, firearms examinations, and forensic accounting.
Their analysis and testimony is often crucial to criminal investigations.
While these are a few roles essential to the DOJ, there are many other positions for those who want to work with the Department of Justice.
Before working for the Department of Justice, interested applicants must first make an account with login.gov and then make an account with USAJOBS.gov.
USAJOBS.gov is a federal website with all the positions the government needs to be filled.
As of June 2nd, 2023, there are over 680 job listings for work with the Department of Justice.
One interesting example is a request for a Clinical Psychologist (Staff Psychologist) who would work with the Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System and start with a salary of $69,107 per year.
That particular job example is open to the public, which means that anyone can apply. However, some of these jobs are restricted to current federal employees.
Once an applicant clicks on a listing they like, they need to click on the “Apply” button and type out all the requested information.
Anyone who wants to work for the Department of Justice will have to undergo a background check and likely submit additional paperwork.
Depending on the position, applicants may need to go through several processes of security clearance.
These checks change based on the agency, job title, and applicant. Applicants can upload and submit the necessary documents with the USA JOBS portal.
Depending on the job title and the employee in question, the Department of Justice will offer different benefits.
However, in general, the federal government provides all employees with some base level of benefits.
For one, federal employees all receive a comprehensive healthcare plan for their insurance needs.
This includes medical, dental, and vision coverage for themselves and their eligible dependents.
Additionally, federal employees get special retirement savings and investing plans, like the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).
For those unaware, the TSP is an investment plan that lets employees set aside part of their salary on a pre-tax basis to invest and the government may match their contributions.
Of course, the Department of Justice also provides paid vacation leave, sick leave, federal holidays.
Family, medical, or military leave is granted when needed.
Sometimes DOJ employees are eligible for transit subsidies as well, which compensates for their commute using public transportation.
All workers should check what their specific benefits are using official resources because the specifics are highly variable.
More than 680 separate positions are currently open for those who want to work for the Department of Justice.
It is easy to apply right now on USAJOBS.gov.