Summary

This position is located in the Office of the Deputy Secretary, Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ). This office is responsible for conducting adjudicatory hearings and issuing decisions for the Department of Labor under more than 70 different laws and executive orders.

This position is inside the bargaining unit.

This job is open to

Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Clarification from the agency

This is an Excepted Service position and is open to all Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) employees within the Department of Labor. This position will be filled through an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service.

Duties

Major Duties:

The Attorney Advisor serves as an attorney to either the District Chief ALJ or, in the Headquarters Office, to an Associate Chief ALJ or the Chief ALJ. However, the incumbent may be assigned to perform work for any ALJ. The incumbent serves as a senior attorney with specialized knowledge concerning the numerous statutes, regulations, and procedures governing cases adjudicated by the OALJ. The incumbent is responsible for providing a full range of advice on program issues and drafting decisions and orders in pending cases before the office.
The incumbent conducts the highest level of research on the most complex and difficult legal issues, both substantive and procedural, arising under any case area and particularly under prominent case areas such as the Black Lung Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, Permanent Alien Labor Certification Appeals and the whistleblower statutes under OALJ's jurisdiction. Reviews the work of externs, law clerks, and less experienced attorney advisors, including examining pertinent laws, regulations, administrative and court decisions, and other materials necessary for ensuring that rulings issued by ALJs are legally sound.
Conducts comprehensive legal research to assist one or more ALJs, a District Chief ALJ, an Associate Chief ALJ, or the Chief ALJ by, including examining pertinent laws, regulations, administrative decisions from the DOL appellate authorities and Federal court decisions nationwide, and other materials necessary for ensuring that the rulings issued by ALJs are legally sound and which can be the basis for wide-ranging precedent. The research typically includes analyzing and summarizing the relevant facts and law, then explaining the basis for the conclusions or recommendations.
Provides technical guidance to ALJs regarding the legal implications and legal sufficiency of decisions, orders, and other communications issued by OALJ. The incumbent makes revisions to draft decisions, orders, and other communications or recommends revisions to ensure those documents conform to legal requirements and reflect the most recent precedents.
Drafts orders and decisions in both routine and significant cases or the signature of the ALJ. The incumbent's writing often requires a high degree of original and creative analysis of complicated facts and complex statutes, regulations, and decisions by Federal courts and the Department's appellate authorities. The process requires the incumbent to evaluate conflicting evidence, review testimony, briefs or legal memoranda filed by the parties, medical records or other exhibits, the entire hearing record, and all relevant legal authorities. Without further technical review, submits proposed decisions and orders directly to the ALJ. These proposed decisions and orders should require little substantive revision by the ALJ before issuance.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be at least 16 years old.
Must be a U.S. Citizen.
Requires a trial period if the requirement has not been met.
Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.

Qualifications

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

To qualify for an attorney position, applicants must possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); be a member in good standing of the bar of a court of general jurisdiction of a state, territory or possession of the U.S.; and have acquired the amount of experience indicated below for each grade level.

For GS-13 grade level, applicants must have two (2) years of post-law experience progressively responsible legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform the work at this level.

Specialized Experience: two (2) years of post-J.D. specialized experience at or equivalent to, the GS- 12, in or directly related to this position. Two (2) years of specialized experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position at a level close to the work of this job that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform.

NOTE: A LL.M. may be substituted for a maximum of one year of experience.

Transcripts: You must provide a copy of your law school transcript to be considered for this position. Verification of your academic degree(s) is necessary to determine your qualifications or eligibility for this position. Unofficial transcripts may be submitted during the application phase of the process, although you will be required to submit official transcripts for verification purposes before you are hired. Please note that you must earn a J.D. or L.L.B degree before you can begin working.

Writing Sample: In addition to your transcripts applicants must also provide an unedited legal writing sample that is no more than ten (10) pages long with your application in order to receive further consideration. The writing sample can a portion of a brief or memorandum.

Status Federal Employees: If applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service, please provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" which shows your appointment eligibility for the position for which you are applying. Your SF-50 must identify the highest grade you held on a permanent basis, Pay Plan/Pay Schedule, Series, Grade/Pay Band, and career status. Multiple SF-50 may be submitted to demonstrate your highest previous rate and eligibility.

*WARNING: An award SF-50 (ex. cash or time off award) may not indicate grade, step, and competitive status. For current DOL employees, an award SF-50 DOES NOT indicate grade and step.

Education

A LL.B or J.D. is a requirement for this position. If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation necessary to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the Required Documents section for additional requirements.

This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.

Click for Career Ladder Promotion Information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

Click for Telework Eligibility Information

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act.

Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be serving in a position in Schedule Policy/Career of the excepted service. You will obtain competitive status after two years of service in this position, if applicable. Your employment in this position will be at-will. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals of adverse actions concerning performance, discipline, and other matters arising under chapters 23, 43, and 75 of title 5, United States Code, will not be available to an individual serving in this position. Prohibitions on prohibited personnel practices will be enforced by the Office of General Counsel [or agency equivalent position] and not the Office of Special Counsel.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This is an Excepted Service position and is open as well to Non-Citizens as allowed by law. This position will be filled through an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service.

Applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements for this position will be further evaluated against the following evaluation factors. Current and/or past supervisors may be contacted unless specified otherwise. A panel and/or the selecting official or his/her designee may interview applicants.

Evaluation Factors:

1. Demonstrated skill in researching and preparing well-written, organized, and persuasive legal documents.

2. Ability to make effective oral presentations in a clear and concise manner.

3. Ability to establish and maintain effective liaison with high-level departmental officials, regional program officials, supervisors, agency staff, and the general public.

4. Ability to multi-task in a complex and fast-paced inter-disciplinary legal environment, entailing timely collections of facts, identification and resolution of issues, enumeration of options, and formulation of recommendations.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to supply sufficient information to provide a basis for rating each of the evaluation factors listed above.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings.

??????? When Office of the Secretary of Labor completes its hiring, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with additional federal agencies. You will have the opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application materials, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with additional agencies. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. You are not required to submit a document if it does not apply to you.

Resumes: Required and applicants must provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
Bar Certification: You must provide proof that you are a member in good standing of the bar of a court of general jurisdiction of a state, territory or possession of the U.S.
Transcript(s): You must provide a copy of your law school transcript to be considered for this position. Verification of your academic degree(s) is necessary to determine your qualifications or eligibility for this position. Unofficial transcripts may be submitted during the application phase of the process, although you will be required to submit official transcripts for verification purposes before you are hired. Please note that you must earn a J.D. or L.L.B degree before you can begin working.
Writing Sample (If Applicable): Applicants must submit a writing sample. Some examples of documents demonstrating writing skills are briefs, legal memoranda, and opinion letters. These examples should total no more than 10 pages in length. Extracts of selected sections of larger documents are acceptable. This work must be your own, not edited by someone else.
Veterans Documents (If applicable): Attorney appointments within the Department of Labor are positions in the excepted service, not the competitive service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference in attorney appointments; however, the Department of Labor considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. In order to receive positive consideration, you must indicate your eligibility, in response to the appropriate item on the vacancy questionnaire. Additionally, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD214 showing the type of discharge and dates of active duty and, if applicable, a VA letter certifying the present existence of the service-connected disability which indicates the percentage of your disability. (For active-duty service members expecting to be honorably discharged or released within 120 days, click Active Duty) Without this documentation, you will not receive the veteran's consideration. Additional information is available at Feds Hire Vets - Veterans Preference
Status Federal Employees: If applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service, please provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" which shows your appointment eligibility for the position for which you are applying. Your SF-50 must identify the highest grade you held on a permanent basis, Pay Plan/Pay Schedule, Series, Grade/Pay Band, and career status. Multiple SF-50 may be submitted to demonstrate your highest previous rate and eligibility.

*WARNING: An award SF-50 (ex. cash or time off award) may not indicate grade, step, and competitive status. For current DOL employees, an award SF-50 DOES NOT indicate grade and step.

You may also find more information on positive considerations for attorney hiring.

Cover Letter(s) are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted.

Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, or non-citizenship as allowable in Excepted Service hiring through P.L. 112-10, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 year probationary during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your 1 year probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.

To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, including submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section.

Your application and ALL required supplemental documents MUST be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the vacancy closing date to receive consideration.

Paper applications and supplemental documents submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the vacancy contact will not be considered. Click here for information on Reasonable Accommodations.

Important - Save your information before the 30 minute system timeout! For help, go to USAJOBS Help Center.

STEP 1 - Create USAJOBS Account on www.usajobs.gov, including Resume and Saved Documents. Your resume must provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the self-assessment vacancy questions. If not, HR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the competency indicated by resume content. For each employment period, include start/end month & year and note full-time or part-time (if part-time, include # of hours worked per week) otherwise, your application may be considered incomplete.

NOTE: In alignment with the Presidential Memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, applicants may only submit a resume limited to two (2) pages. Only the résumé uploaded under the 'Resume" document type in USAJOBS will be reviewed. If the resume submitted exceeds two (2) pages, the application will be deemed ineligible for further consideration.

STEP 2 - Complete the 1st part of the application process (USAJOBS). Once you have identified a job on USAJOBS that you wish to apply for, click on the job title and then click the Apply button. For questions about the vacancy, contact the Agency Contact at the bottom of the announcement. Proceed through the steps noted at the top of the USAJOBS page. You will be able to select a resume and documents from your USAJOBS Account that you can submit as a package as part of your DOL application. In the final step, once you have certified your application, click the Continue to agency site button.

STEP 3 - Complete the 2nd part of the application process (DOL). On the Department of Labor (DOL) page, create a DOL Account if you have not already and click Apply to this vacancy. Continue through the progress steps at the top of the DOL page. The 2nd progress step is where you answer the vacancy-specific questions. The 3rd progress step Documents is where you submit the required documents (only if applicable to you) specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy.

STEP 4 - On the Review and Submit step, verify each section of your application is complete and correct. In order to submit your application, you must have a check mark next to each section listed. If there is an X, return to the appropriate section and follow the prompts. When it is ready for submission, certify your application and click the Submit Application button.

STEP 5 - Edit Application as needed by 11:59 pm Eastern Time of Closing Date by returning to USAJOBS, clicking the vacancy, thenUpdate Application.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

For more detailed information on applying for positions with DOL click here to view the U.S. Department of Labor, How to Apply website.

Agency contact information

William Berenato

Phone: 215-861-5031
Email: berenato.william.h@dol.gov

Address: Office of the Secretary of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20210
US

Next steps

Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and refer candidates for selection consideration. Candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. You will be notified of the outcome. A selection is expected to be made within 30 calendar days from the issuance date of the certificate.

For instructions on how to check the status of your application, go to USAJOBS Help Guide.

USAJOBS will no longer send status alert email notifications. You can check your application status in the TAS by logging into USAJOBS and in the Applicant Dashboard, click the hiring agency Talent Acquisition System (TAS). If the TAS does not provide application tracking information, contact the agency's point of contact on the job announcement.

Additional locations

Pittsburgh, PA

Newport News, VA

Attorney Adviser Job