Consolidated Legal Center (CLC) Attorney

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System•Federal Medical Center Carswell, TX

21d•Onsite

About The Position

The Consolidated Legal Center (CLC) Attorney provides legal, technical, and advisory services to the Regional Counsel, Regional Director, and staff at multiple correctional institutions in Texas. The practice focuses on correctional law and litigation, relying heavily on constitutional, tort, and administrative law. It is primarily civil in nature and includes extensive litigation support to U.S. Attorney’s Offices, as well as advice to institution staff at all levels, including senior leaders. The attorney communicates with defense attorneys, prosecutors, federal courts, and other agency officials, and may need to appear in District Court on short notice to explain and advocate the agency’s correctional-management decisions. The legal issues may include inmates’ access to courts and legal materials, conditions of confinement, medical care, diet and religious accommodations, housing, hygiene and sanitation, discipline, civil commitments, sentence computations, and First Step Act eligibility determinations. The position works closely with medical staff and the U.S. Attorney’s Office on mental health matters under 18 U.S.C. §§ 4241–4247. The CLC serves the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth; Federal Medical Center Carswell; and Federal Correctional Institutions in La Tuna, Big Spring, Bastrop, and Seagoville, Texas. This is a primary law enforcement position. Duties may involve direct contact with people in confinement and may require performing correctional-officer functions during training, emergencies, staff shortages, or other institutional crises. Such duties may include custody and supervision of inmates, responding to emergencies and disturbances, fog and escape patrols, assuming correctional officer posts, shakedowns and visual searches for contraband, and using physical control when necessary. The appointee must complete Introduction to Correctional Techniques, Phase I locally and satisfactorily complete the mandatory Phase II course at the Staff Training Academy.

Requirements

J.D. degree.
Active membership in the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction.
U.S. citizenship is required.
Must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years, subject to stated exceptions.
Must successfully complete required pre-employment and panel interviews, urinalysis, physical examination, background investigation, NCIC and credit screening, and review of income tax filing history.
Must satisfactorily complete Introduction to Correctional Techniques, Phase I and Phase II.
Must be able to perform the position’s correctional law-enforcement duties, which may include custody and supervision, emergency response, searches, and physical control when necessary.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in correctional law is highly desired.

Responsibilities

Provide legal, technical, and advisory services to the Regional Counsel, Regional Director, and regional and institution staff.
Advise staff at all levels, including senior leaders, on legal aspects of correctional administration and agency policy and practice.
Handle correctional-law matters through administrative and litigation channels, including extensive litigation support to U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
Appear in District Court on short notice to explain and advocate the agency’s rationale for correctional-management decisions.
Work with medical staff and the U.S. Attorney’s Office on mental health matters under 18 U.S.C. §§ 4241–4247.
Communicate with defense attorneys, prosecutors, federal courts, and other agency officials.
Perform correctional law-enforcement duties when required, including inmate custody and supervision, emergency response, patrols, correctional posts, searches for contraband, and physical control in necessary situations.
Complete required correctional techniques training, including Phase I locally and Phase II at the Staff Training Academy.