TSA Attorney Advisor: 0905 Requirements, Practice Areas and Hiring
TSA Attorney Advisors provide legal counsel to the agency on transportation security, federal administration and the operation of a national security organization.
The position is classified in federal occupational series 0905, General Attorney. Unlike many General Schedule occupations, attorney qualification standards are established through agency legal-hiring requirements and the individual announcement rather than a single OPM competitive-service qualification table.
TSA publicly identifies Attorney, Attorney Advisor and Supervisory Attorney Advisor among its Mission Support legal careers. The attorney’s client is the United States and the agency—not individual employees, applicants, passengers or private companies.
Attorney Advisor at a Glance
| Topic | General current information |
|---|---|
| Occupational series | 0905 General Attorney |
| Career family | Mission Support legal |
| Professional degree | J.D. or qualifying law degree generally required |
| Bar membership | Active membership and good standing commonly required |
| Specialized legal experience | Required for many positions |
| Federal resume | Required |
| Writing sample | Commonly possible |
| Transcript | Commonly required |
| Bar documentation | Commonly required |
| Security clearance or sensitivity | Position specific |
| Financial disclosure | Possible |
| Telework | Vacancy specific |
| Law-enforcement authority | Not created by the attorney title |
Legal Practice Areas at TSA
An Attorney Advisor can work in one or more areas such as:
- administrative law;
- employment and labor law;
- disciplinary and adverse actions;
- equal employment opportunity;
- transportation-security regulation;
- aviation or surface-security law;
- enforcement actions;
- litigation support;
- procurement and fiscal law;
- ethics;
- privacy;
- Freedom of Information Act matters;
- civil rights and civil liberties;
- legislation and rulemaking;
- information-sharing agreements;
- national-security law;
- intelligence-related legal review;
- investigations;
- claims;
- training; and
- review of policy or operational programs.
The vacancy defines the legal portfolio. An employment-law position and a regulatory-enforcement position may share the same 0905 series while requiring very different experience.
What Attorney Advisors Do
Work can include:
- advising program officials;
- interpreting statutes, regulations and policy;
- researching legal questions;
- drafting opinions and memoranda;
- reviewing proposed rules or directives;
- representing the agency in administrative proceedings;
- coordinating litigation with the Department of Justice;
- reviewing contracts, agreements or acquisition matters;
- advising on personnel actions;
- evaluating legal risk;
- reviewing records for disclosure;
- training employees on legal obligations;
- negotiating with opposing counsel or stakeholders;
- preparing agency positions; and
- briefing senior leadership.
The attorney must provide objective advice even when the legal conclusion is inconvenient to a client office.
The Client and Professional Independence
A federal agency attorney represents the interests of the United States through the employing agency.
That means an Attorney Advisor must:
- identify the lawful option, not merely the preferred operational option;
- distinguish legal advice from policy preference;
- disclose material risk;
- preserve privilege and confidentiality;
- avoid conflicts of interest;
- follow professional-responsibility rules;
- escalate significant concerns appropriately; and
- decline to support unlawful conduct.
The role is not private representation for TSA employees. Employees with personal legal issues may need union, agency-designated or private counsel depending on the matter.
Education and Bar Membership
Current announcements commonly require:
- graduation from an accredited law school or another qualifying legal-education route;
- a J.D., LL.B. or equivalent degree recognized by the announcement;
- active bar membership;
- good standing in a state, territory, District of Columbia or other accepted jurisdiction; and
- documentation by the deadline.
Some announcements can specify:
- admission before appointment;
- a minimum period of professional legal experience;
- eligibility for a particular attorney grade or TSA band;
- proof of current good standing;
- law-school transcripts;
- class rank or academic information for entry-level pathways; or
- limits on substitutions.
Read the announcement carefully. Completing law school without bar admission may not satisfy the vacancy.
Specialized Legal Experience
Higher-level Attorney Advisor roles commonly require legal experience equivalent in complexity and responsibility to the level stated in the announcement.
Relevant experience can include:
- independently advising clients;
- researching novel legal issues;
- drafting legal opinions;
- handling administrative litigation;
- employment or labor counselling;
- regulatory interpretation;
- rulemaking;
- procurement law;
- privacy or FOIA work;
- ethics counselling;
- national-security or intelligence law;
- appellate or trial work;
- investigations; and
- negotiation.
A resume should show the legal problem, your role, complexity, level of independence, audience, written product and outcome without revealing privileged or protected information.
Federal Resume Evidence
Include:
- employer and legal office;
- attorney title;
- dates and hours worked per week;
- jurisdictions of bar admission;
- current bar status;
- practice areas;
- level of client advised;
- types of proceedings handled;
- writing and research responsibilities;
- negotiation or litigation experience;
- supervisory or lead duties;
- measurable workload; and
- outcomes where disclosure is appropriate.
Useful evidence can include:
- advised senior officials on a complex issue;
- drafted a defensible agency decision;
- resolved a labor dispute;
- supported successful litigation;
- improved legal-review procedures;
- reduced recurring compliance risk;
- trained a workforce on a new legal requirement; or
- coordinated legal positions across agencies.
Do not identify confidential clients unnecessarily or include privileged legal advice, sealed information, protected personnel matters, Sensitive Security Information or classified content.
Writing Samples
A writing sample can be used to evaluate:
- legal analysis;
- organization;
- precision;
- citation quality;
- issue identification;
- judgment;
- tone; and
- ability to explain risk to a client.
Use a sample you are authorized to share. Redact confidential or identifying information appropriately and explain the nature of any redaction.
Do not submit a filing, memorandum or email merely because you wrote it if disclosure would violate privilege, a protective order, employer policy or professional obligations.
Interview Preparation
Prepare examples involving:
- advising a client who wanted a legally risky course;
- resolving conflicting authorities;
- working under an urgent deadline;
- explaining complex law to a non-lawyer;
- protecting privilege;
- identifying an ethics issue;
- handling an adverse decision;
- negotiating a resolution;
- correcting your own legal analysis;
- coordinating with another agency or counsel; and
- balancing legal risk with mission urgency.
A strong answer explains:
- the legal issue;
- the governing authority;
- the client’s objective;
- the risks identified;
- the advice or representation provided;
- the result; and
- what you learned.
Attorney Advisor Versus Legal Assistant
| Attorney Advisor | Legal Assistant |
|---|---|
| Provides professional legal advice | Provides legal and administrative support |
| Usually series 0905 | Commonly a support series such as 0986 |
| Requires law degree and bar admission under the announcement | Does not perform attorney functions |
| Exercises independent legal judgment | Organizes records, filings and case materials |
| May represent the agency | Supports attorneys and legal processes |
Read the TSA Legal Assistant guide for the support pathway.
Attorney Advisor Versus Program Counsel or Ethics Counsel
Program counsel, employment counsel, procurement counsel and ethics counsel can all be Attorney Advisors. The title identifies the attorney occupation; the organizational assignment identifies the practice area.
Do not assume a general Attorney Advisor vacancy is entry level or that prior practice in one field automatically qualifies you for a specialized portfolio.
Security, Privilege and Sensitive Information
TSA legal work can involve:
- security procedures;
- law-enforcement matters;
- procurement-sensitive information;
- personnel records;
- medical information;
- investigative material;
- classified information;
- Sensitive Security Information; and
- attorney-client privileged communications.
Applications and interviews must remain detailed enough to prove experience without disclosing protected content.
Pay, Location and Telework
Pay depends on:
- TSA band or attorney level;
- legal experience;
- locality;
- supervisory responsibility;
- duty station;
- appointment authority; and
- the final offer.
Many legal roles are based at headquarters or major field offices. Some can be telework eligible, but hearings, secure matters, client needs and agency policy can require onsite work.
Telework eligibility does not mean that the position is fully remote.
Career Development
Possible progression includes:
- Attorney Advisor;
- senior counsel;
- lead attorney;
- deputy or assistant chief counsel;
- Supervisory Attorney Advisor;
- managing counsel;
- chief counsel leadership; and
- broader executive or policy roles.
Progression depends on legal expertise, performance, leadership, vacancies and competitive selection.
Common Application Mistakes
Applicants often:
- omit bar documentation;
- assume a J.D. alone is sufficient;
- provide no evidence of specialized legal experience;
- submit a privileged writing sample;
- describe subject matter without explaining personal responsibility;
- use a private-sector one-page resume that omits dates or hours;
- fail to identify jurisdictions of admission;
- disclose protected client or personnel information;
- assume every 0905 vacancy has the same practice area;
- treat telework as remote work; or
- claim that agency counsel represents individual employees personally.
Frequently Asked Questions
What series is TSA Attorney Advisor?
0905 General Attorney.
Is a law degree required?
Current attorney announcements generally require a qualifying professional law degree.
Is bar membership required?
Active membership and good standing are commonly required. Follow the vacancy’s exact rule.
Does OPM use the same qualification standard as ordinary administrative series?
Attorney hiring is governed through agency legal-hiring requirements and the announcement rather than one standard competitive-service table.
Is Attorney Advisor the same as Legal Assistant?
No. Attorney Advisors provide legal counsel; Legal Assistants support legal work.
Can an Attorney Advisor give advice a program office dislikes?
Yes. Objective and lawful advice is a core professional responsibility.
Exploring Mission Support roles?
Use the Mission Support careers hub to compare series and education requirements. When a vacancy opens, apply through the TSA application guide and track progress with the application status guide. Many candidates start as TSOs — review the TSA test-prep hub and optional JobTestPrep TSA PrepPack.