Attorney-Advisor Job in Salt Lake City, UT

Vacancy No. OS-6082-25-EW-071(EXC) Department Office of the Secretary of the Interior
Salary $72,553.00 to $158,860.00 Grade 11 to 14
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:
Salt Lake City, UT


Summary

The Department of the Interior is devoted to protecting and preserving the natural resources of this great nation, including National Parks, Landmarks, and the well-being of communities, including those of Native American, Alaska Natives and affiliated Islanders.

This position is in the excepted service and not subject to competitive service procedures.
Merit promotion procedures do not apply.
This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

Duties

Note: This announcement has an application limit of 100 applicants. The announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on the posted closing date, or at 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on the day it reaches 100 applicants, which may be earlier than the posted closing date.

This is not a remote position. The selected candidate may be allowed to telework in accordance with agency policy, but will be expected to report to the duty station of Salt Lake City, UT.

The position is located in the Office of the Secretary, Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA), Departmental Cases Hearings Division (DCHD), located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Incumbent serves as an Attorney-Advisor to DCHD. DCHD Administrative Law Judges, with the support of DCHD Attorney-Advisors, conduct administrative proceedings under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

At the full performance level (GS-14) the major duties of this position include but are not limited to the following:

1. Incumbent provides support to DCHD ALJs for in-person or virtual hearings, ensures they are conducted in accordance with procedural requirements of the APA and specialized rules of practice of the Department and OHA.
2. Supports docket of cases and follows processes for case docket management; utilizes a control system to monitor the status of cases.
3. Provides support of ALJs and identifies issues needing attention to carry out duties that include: administering oaths and affirmations; issuing subpoenas; ruling on motions to revoke subpoenas; ruling on motions pertaining to the propriety or adequacy of the pleadings involved; defining legal and factual issues for the parties; ruling on motions to sever or consolidate proceedings; causing depositions to be taken; ruling on motions to sever or consolidate parties to the litigation; hearing testimony and rule on the admissibility evidence; ruling on motions involving questions of law and procedure; governing the conduct of witnesses, attorneys, and regulating the course of hearing; calling, examining, and cross-examining witnesses and introduce into the record documentary or other evidence as deemed necessary for the full development of the record; determining questions of credibility of witnesses; hearing oral argument of the parties and consider their written briefs and proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law; considering all evidence and serve on the parties in interest findings of fact and conclusions of law on each material issue; and ordering remedial action, where necessary, to effectuate the policies of the applicable statutes and regulations of the Department.
4. Performs factual and legal research on a variety of difficult issues in diverse subject areas, where precedents are sometimes not available, and drafts orders, legal memoranda, and decisions.
5. Implements and provides support of modernization efforts including fully implementing the use of electronic filing and case docket management system.
6. Serves as an expert on the electronic filing and case docket management system, is able to run the full range of reports the system provides and retrieve particular case information when requested.
7. Maintains the content on DCHD external websites, coordinating and requesting updates and postings from the Director's office.
8. Mentors interns, detailees, and legal support staff.
9. Utilizes collaborative and inclusive processes with other OHA units and the Director's Office to engage in strategic planning and review of workflows for modernization or other improvement. Supports the office's use of alternative dispute resolution by either becoming a trained mediator or assisting other attorney mediators or the ALJs as settlement officials.
10. Works on special projects other than casework, including but not limited to, regulatory revisions, improvements to guidance and office procedures, case docket management improvements, and/or establishing best practices.

At lower grade levels, the incumbent will not be expected to perform the full range of duties above, or will do so in a developmental capacity.

Salary Range Information:
GS-11: $72,553 - $94,317
GS-12: $86,962 - $113,047
GS-13: $103,409 - $134,435
GS-14: $122,198 - $158,860

First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  1. You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  2. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination.
  3. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
  4. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
  5. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.

Qualifications

You must have or be able to obtain a valid driver's license. You may be required to drive a car to travel to hearings in remote locations where public transportation is not available.

If invited for an interview, you may be asked to submit a writing sample.

GS-11
You must be a graduate (or graduating fall 2024) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association AND you must (1) have at least one year of professional legal experience following law school graduation, OR (2) have a second professional law degree, OR (3) meet one of the following criteria:
a. Academic standing in the top one-third of my law school graduating class.
b. Graduated with academic honors.
c. Significant participation on the law school's law review.
d. Significant participation in the law school's moot court competition.
e. Significant participation in a clinical legal aid program.
f. Significant summer law office clerk experience.
g. Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement.

Candidates who meet the GS-11 requirements, but are not yet members of a bar will be appointed to a law clerk position for a period not to exceed 14 months. A law clerk whose work is fully satisfactory will be converted to Attorney-Adviser status upon admission to the bar.

GS-12
You must meet the GS-11 qualification requirements, AND be an active member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar, AND have at least 1 year of professional legal experience.

GS-13
You must meet the GS-11 qualification requirements, AND be an active member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar, AND have at least 2 years of professional legal experience.

GS-14:
You must meet the GS-11 qualification requirements, AND be an active member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar, AND have at least 3 ½ years of professional legal experience.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Education: This position requires specific educational course work to qualify. You are required to provide law school transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.

Additional information

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

A preliminary background check must be completed before a new employee can begin work with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). The preliminary background check consists of a search of Office of Personnel Management and Department of Defense background investigation files and an FBI National Criminal History Fingerprint Check; it may take up to 3 weeks to complete. If selected for this position, you will be extended a tentative offer of employment pending a satisfactory background check. Current Federal employees or individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background check; these will be handled on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the Bureau security office.

Notice of Financial Disclosure Report Requirement: The position to which you will be appointed may be subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment.
Important Note: All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees are subject to the conflict of interest restrictions imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report. In addition, DOI employees, GS-15 and above, who work in the Office of the Secretary; along with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employees (at ALL grade levels), are further restricted concerning their interests in Federal lands and resources administered or controlled by the Department of the Interior. This includes holding stock in energy corporations which lease Federal lands (e.g.: oil, gas, coal, alternative energy resources, etc.). If you have any such investments you should contact the DOI, BOEM or BSEE Ethics Office before accepting employment. DOI employees are held to the highest level of integrity. Employees must be objective and impartial in the performance of their work. All potential issues (e.g.: work-related interactions with friends, family members, or previous employers) must be disclosed at the time of application or during the interview process.

NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.

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.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made.

Please note that all required documentation is required for consideration for this position. If you do not provide the necessary documentation, you will not be considered.

To preview the assessment questionnaire click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12650639

Required Documents

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. It is strongly recommended that you use the USAJobs Resume Builder as it was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is available at

https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/How_to_create_your_resume

Your application package must include:

(1) Resume showing relevant experience as written in your own words.

(2) Completed online Assessment Questionnaire;

(3) Law School transcripts for verification of qualifying education. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable;

(4) Bar membership (if applicable);

(5) Form DD-214, VA letter and Standard Form 15 (if applicable)

(6) SF-50 if you are a current or former federal employee.

How to Apply

Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at www.usajobs.gov. To begin, click the Apply Online button near the bottom of this screen and follow the prompts to register into your USAJOBS account, answer the questions, and submit all required documents.

To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account atwww.usajobs.gov and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select Apply Online to continue.

Agency contact information

Ericka Witham
Address
Office of the Secretary
45600 Woodland Road
Sterling, VA 20166
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgment from USAJobs that your submission was successful, once we have received your on-line assessment questionnaire, resume and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application via your USAJobs account after we conduct a qualification review of your complete application package. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.


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


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