System name: OGC-Attorney Applicant Files, HHS/OS/OGC.
Security classification: None.
System location: See Appendix on the Administrative Claims System – 09-90-0062.
Categories of individuals covered by the system: Current Attorney Applicants for Positions in the Office of the General Counsel.
Categories of records in the system: The Attorney Applicant system consists of a variety of records relating to persons applying for attorney positions. These records contain information about an individual's birth date; home address; telephone number; social security number; educational
background (e.g., law schools attended and Grades); past work experience; writing samples furnished on request; recommendations from past employers and academic officials.
Authority for maintenance of the system: 5 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.
Purpose(s):
To maintain current information concerning individuals interested in employment with the Office of General Counsel.
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and the purposes of such uses:
Disclosure may be made to a congressional office from the record of an individual in response to an inquiry from the congressional office made at the request of that individual. In the event of litigation where the defendant is (a) the Department, any component of the Department, or any employee of the Department in his or her official capacity; (b) the United States where the Department determines that the claim, if successful, is likely to directly Affect the operations of the Department or any of its components; or (c) any Department employee in his or her individual capacity where the Justice Department has agreed to represent such employee, the Department may disclose such records as it deems desirable or necessary to the Department of Justice to enable that Department to present an effective defense, provided such disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records were collected.
Records may be disclosed to student volunteers, individuals working under a personal services contract, and other individuals performing functions for the Department but technically not having the status of agency employees, if they need access to the records in order to perform their assigned agency functions.
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, and disposing of records in the system:
Storage: These records are maintained in file folders, alphabetized by name, and in some cases the records are separated by individual law school affiliation and by the date the application is received. In some instances records are located in lockable conserva-file cabinets and in a locked secured room with access limited to those officials whose duties require access. In other instances records are maintained in file rooms or with other Office of the General Counsel files.
Retrievability: these records are retrievable by name.
Safeguards: Access is limited to those HHS officials whose duties require access.
Retention and disposal: These records are retained in a current system for one year, and In some instances two years, after which time they are discarded.
System manager(s) and address: The agency official responsible for the systems policies and practices outlined above is: the General Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the General Counsel, Humphrey Building, Room 722A, 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201.
Notification procedure: Any inquiries regarding these systems of records should be addressed to the System Manager.
Record access procedures: Same as notification procedures. Requesters should also reasonably specify the record contents being sought. (These access procedures are in accordance with Department Regulations (45 CFR 5b.5(a)(2)) Federal Register, October 8, 1975, page 47410).
Contesting record procedures: Contact the official at the address specified under System Manager(s) and Address above, and reasonably identify the record and specify the information to be contested and corrective action sought with supporting justification. (These procedures are in accordance with Department Regulations (45 CFR 5b.7) Federal Register, October 8, 1975, page 47411).
Record source categories: Information in this system of records comes from the individual to whom it applies law school officials and past employers.
Systems exempted from certain provisions of the act: None.