Attorney Advisor Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. 2025-12-E Department Federal Maritime Commission
Salary $82,764.00 to $122,343.00 Grade 11 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/19/2024 Close Date 1/3/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The incumbent serves as Attorney-Advisor in the Office of the Secretary (OS) at the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC or Commission). As the focal point for all matters submitted to and emanating from the members of the Commission, the OS is the main public contact point with the FMC.

Duties

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-13. You will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

As an Attorney Advisor, you will:

  • Review, and issue legal documents (i.e., orders, decisions, or other notices), pursuant to actions of the Commission.
  • Conduct comprehensive legal research with minimal guidance, including examination of applicable laws, statutes, regulations, administrative and court decisions, and other materials necessary for ensuring and supporting sound decisions resolving factual and legal issues that may affect the Office of the Secretary.
  • Review formal and informal complaints for legal sufficiency and compliance with statutory requirements and the Commission's Rules of Practices and Procedure.
  • Compile, edit, and publish the official reporter of actions and final decisions of the Commission.
  • Administer the agency's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act programs to process all FOIA and Privacy Act requests and consultations and complete all required reporting.
  • Conduct legal research and provide recommendations regarding Privacy Act Systems of Records Notices (SORNs), the Congressional Review Act (CRA), the Government in the Sunshine Act, and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • A 2-year trial eriod may be required (unless already completed).
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a background investigation.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • FMC participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
  • May be required to obtain and use a government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • May be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.

Qualifications

Candidates for all grades must meet the following by the close of the announcement:
  1. Minimum educational requirements include a professional law degree (LL.B or J.D.) from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school. NOTE: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. An ABA-approved law school may allow students to receive credit for law study or activities at a foreign institution and grant credit for the J.D. degree if those studies or activities are approved in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Criteria adopted by the ABA's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.
  2. Current active membership in a bar of any State, territory, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia. Active bar association and a certificate that the member is in good standing will be verified prior to appointment and employees must maintain active bar membership in good standing while employed as an attorney with the FMC.
  3. Applicants must possess excellent research and oral and written communication skills.
In addition to the above minimum requirements, you must meet the following:

GS-11: You must have one year of professional law experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09grade level in the Federal service.
OR
You have the experience required above plus a second professional law degree that requires one full year of graduate study
OR
You possess the first professional law degree and your record shows superior law student work or activities.

GS-12: You must have professional law experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience include conducting civil litigation including discovery and of trial practice; and providing legal guidance to attorneys and other professionals.

The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.

It is your responsibility to ensure your resume states complete information for each job entry. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year (MM/YYYY), and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume. If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package may be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.

Education

Education Documentation:

  • Law school transcripts are required at the time of application (unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but an official transcript is required if you are selected.)
  • A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation website.
  • If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

Additional information

  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • We may fill like positions within 12 months of the close of the announcement.
  • Federal employees are required to adhere to the 14 Principles of Ethical Conduct.
  • This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Benefits

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.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine that you possess at least one year of professional, specialized law experience. Please ensure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position.

Professional law experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position being filled. Law clerk experience (post J.D.) can be considered professional law experience if the candidate performed attorney duties.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.

Required Documents

A complete application includes:

  1. A resume
  2. A cover letter (of no more than 2 pages)
  3. Law School Transcript (official or unofficial)
  4. SF-50 that depicts your title, series, grade/step/salary (if applicable)
  5. A copy of the most recent final performance appraisal if previously employed in Federal service (elements and standards for achievement, if not indicated clearly on the annual performance appraisal)
A writing sample may be requested if you are interviewed.

Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or will not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

  • The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon EST on the announcement's closing date.
  • To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  • Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
  • To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • To return to saved application at a later date, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

Cassie Hayden
Address
Office of the Secretary
800 North Capitol Street, NW
Suite 1046
Washington, DC 20573
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS My Account tab and clicking on Application Status. For a more detailed update of your application status, you may click on more information.

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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