Summary
The mission of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is to protect market participants and the public from fraud, manipulation, abusive practices and systemic risk related to derivatives – both futures and swaps – and to foster transparent, open, competitive and financially sound markets.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Applications accepted from all US Citizens.
Duties
The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is the principal legal advisor to the Commission and to leadership in divisions and offices within the agency on a variety of issues involving the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), the regulations promulgated thereunder, and other federal statutes and regulations having implications for the work and administration of the agency, such as the Administrative Procedure Act, bankruptcy laws, federal securities and banking laws.
The incumbent serves as an Attorney-Advisor for OGC and is supervised by the Associate General Counsel leading the General Law Branch’s Ethics Team.
Typical Duties Include:
- Carrying out all aspects, programs, and activities of the CFTC's ethics program. Concerning financial disclosures, the incumbent's responsibilities include reviewing both public and non-public financial disclosures, conducting conflicts analyses concerning CFTC employees' interests, and certifying financial disclosure reports.
- Providing legal counsel on all relevant ethics authorities, including 18 U.S.C. §§ 201 et seq., 5 C.F.R. §§ 2634 et seq., the CFTC's supplemental ethics regulations, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, the Hatch Act, the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, and 31 U.S.C. § 1353. Cultivating a positive relationship with clients and serves as a resource for them. This includes providing training on all aspects of the ethics program.
- Providing comprehensive and timely responses to questions. In order to ensure continuity of operations, incumbent complies with all knowledge management and document retention practices.
- Performing legal services in support of the General Law Branch, which may include analysis and guidance on matters concerning the Privacy Act, FOIA, fiscal law, employment law, and other administrative law areas.
- Serving as a work leader or project coordinator in specific matters, directing, guiding, coordinating, and reviewing the work of other attorneys and coordinating the work of analysts, economists, or accountants attached to other Offices or Divisions, assigning to them the several tasks to be done and presenting their products.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship
- Favorable Background/Security Investigation
- Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered for Selective Service
- May be subject to a two-year trial period.
- You must be an active member of the bar in good standing.
Bar Membership: Currently an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Applicants are responsible for citing minimum qualifications such as JD and/or LLM and Bar membership information (institution name, state for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes. Failure to supply details will result in an incomplete application.
Qualifications
CT-14 Level: You must have a J.D. Degree, bar membership and four years of relevant of legal practice experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of a legal position. Relevant experience is defined as an attorney, law clerk, or other legal experience which was obtained subsequent to graduation from law school.
Qualifying experience may include: Providing legal counsel on all relevant ethics authorities, Performs legal analysis and guidance on matters concerning the Privacy Act, FOIA, fiscal law, employment law, and other administrative law areas.
Education
Successful completion of a full course of study (J.D.) in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
To be creditable, education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. You must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criterion, see www.ed.gov.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
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.
This job is being filled under a Schedule A hiring authority 5 C.F.R. § 213.3102 and is excepted from the competitive civil service. You will be evaluated and deemed either eligible or ineligible based on the relevance and quality of your experience and education, bar membership, and desired qualifications described above. These positions are not covered by the usual civil service hiring procedures. There is no numerical rating system through which to apply veterans' preference; however, CFTC considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume, and to attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD Form-214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions. All eligible applicants will be further evaluated by subject-matter experts.
Your resume will be referred to the selecting official if you have submitted a complete application package to include resume, bar membership details, and any applicable transcripts. This does not mean you are considered qualified for the position. A qualification analysis will be conducted by the HR Specialist to ensure the selectee meets all requirements, including education and minimum qualifications listed on the vacancy announcement. A complete application package is required to be considered qualified and eligible for selection. Please review the "Requirements" section of the vacancy announcement to understand the list of require documents for a complete application package. Additional information may be requested later in the recruitment process. You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
- Resume showing all relevant and related experience (cover letter optional). If selected, your resume will be used to determine your initial pay setting decision;
- JD/Transcripts (unofficial copy is accepted for application package, but an official copy with date degree was awarded is required prior to firm offer letter being extended);
- Bar membership details;
- Writing sample demonstrating analysis of complex legal issues (optional)
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
YOU MUST APPLY ONLINE: Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. You must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at USAJOBS.GOV. To begin, click the Apply Online button within the vacancy announcement and follow the prompts to create an account using LOGIN.GOV, if you have not done so already. LOGIN.GOV will walk you through each step of the account set-up and will automatically link your USAJOBS profile to LOGIN.GOV. Once you have established an account using LOGIN.GOV, you will then go back to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV username and password to answer the questions and submit all required documents. If you already have established an LOGIN.GOV account or want to return to your saved application, go to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV username and password to apply or view your profile. If you have problems completing your on-line application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please contact the Help Desk by e-mail at mgshelp@monster.com or phone at 1-866.656.6831. The help desk is available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Next steps
For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
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.
|