Summary
This is a Public Notice. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.
This position is located within the Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Office of the Under Secretary (UNSEC), Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Enforcement Section with one (1) vacancy located in Gloucester, MA.
Duties
As an Attorney-Advisor in the NOAA Office of the General Counsel, Enforcement Section:
The Attorney Advisor will join a national team of civil enforcement attorneys who are charged with protecting ocean ecosystems, living marine resources, and marine sanctuaries. The work of the Attorney Advisor will be diverse and complex. The Attorney Advisor will work with federal and state law enforcement agencies to investigate violations of marine resource conservations laws such as the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Lacey Act. The Attorney Advisor will be responsible for all phases of civil administrative litigation including charging decisions, discovery, motions practice, and trial practice.
In addition, the Attorney Advisor will provide guidance on legislative and regulatory issues; work with the Department of Justice on criminal cases; and provide training to federal and state law enforcement partners. The Attorney Advisor may also serve as a legal advisor to U.S. delegation to various international fisheries management meetings, working with the NOAA Fisheries Office of International Affairs, Trade and Commerce and the Department of State to develop effective enforcement positions in the international arena to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Finally, the Attorney Advisor may contribute to capacity building efforts internationally on issues related to fisheries enforcement and prosecution. For additional information about the General Counsel Enforcement Section, see https://www.noaa.gov/general-counsel/gc-enforcement-section.
The attorney(s) will be hired at the GS-12 through GS-15 grade levels, depending on experience. The promotion potential for this position is GS-15 level.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Conditions of employment:
- The incumbent is required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450), within 30 days after entrance-on-duty date, and annually thereafter.
- This position is designated as Position Sensitivity 5, Moderate Risk, and is subject to all requirements applicable to that designation.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Key Requirements:
- Position is in excepted service.
- Payment of relocation/recruitment expenses or incentives is not authorized.
- Applicants must successfully complete a background security investigation.
- Applicants must be suitable for Federal employment.
- Applicant must be a US citizen or National to apply for this position.
- Applicants must complete a 2 year trial period.
- Applicants must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
- This position is in the bargaining unit.
- A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
- Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.
Qualifications
This position has positive education requirements. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement:
- Applicants must be law school graduates with LL.B. or J.D. degrees. (Copy of Transcripts MUST be provided with your application package to receive further consideration.) AND
- Applicants must be an active member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar. (Certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing is required prior to receiving a job offer. Failure to provide your certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing will result in lost consideration.)
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Specialized Experience for all grades:
- NOAA seeks attorneys with a comprehensive knowledge of Federal environmental statutes and conservation laws, as well as laws and regulations related to the implementation and oversight of large-scale natural resource restoration projects.
- Applicants must have a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing and to identify and resolve complex legal issues.
- Applicants also must demonstrate the ability to manage large projects independently, assimilate large amounts of materials quickly, balance a large and diverse workload, and work effectively in a team with other attorneys and support staff.
- Significant academic achievement in law school (such as top 20% class ranking, graduation with honors, judicial clerking experience, or participation in moot court or law review) or experience practicing environmental law will be favorably considered.
The career ladder for attorney positions in OGC is generally GS-12 to GS-15. Applicants may be hired at any of the grades shown in this announcement, commensurate with the candidate's experience and qualifications. You are encouraged to identify the grade level(s) or salary for which you wish to be considered. The minimum qualifications for hiring at each grade level (or equivalent) are as follows:
To qualify at the GS-12 level:
Holds a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited law school; and
Must be an active member in good standing of a State bar, the bar of the District of Columbia, the bar of a U.S. territory, or the bar of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
To qualify at the GS-13 level:
Holds a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited law school;
Must be an active member in good standing of a State bar, the bar of the District of Columbia, the bar of a U.S. territory, or the bar of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and possess a minimum of twenty four months of relevant legal experience.
To qualify at the GS-14 level:
Holds a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited law school;
Must be an active member in good standing of a State bar, the bar of the District of Columbia, the bar of a U.S. territory, or the bar of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and possess a minimum of three years relevant legal experience.
To qualify at the GS-15 level:
Holds a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited law school;
Must be an active member in good standing of a State bar, the bar of the District of Columbia, the bar of a U.S. territory, or the bar of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and possess a minimum of four years relevant legal experience.
Education
Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited law school. Official or unofficial law school transcripts must be submitted with your application package.
Note: Your law school transcript is used to verify successful completion of a degree, or college course work. An official law school transcript will be required before you can report to duty.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website. You MUST provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in lost consideration. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation.
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.
Applicants will be evaluated based on their education, experience, demonstrated legal research and writing abilities, and performance during the interview process. Basis for evaluation: If eligible and meeting basic qualifications, your application package will be evaluated in conjunction with your resume and supporting documents.
Please be advised that NOAA Attorney positions are in the Excepted Service. As such, these positions are not covered by the usual civil service hiring procedures.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications stated herein. We will perform an initial review of applications to determine basic eligibility and minimum qualifications for the position and numeric scores will not be assigned.
There are no numerical rating systems through which to apply veterans' preference; however, the Office of the General Counsel favorably considers veterans preference eligibility in hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume. If selected, additional information may be required.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete application package by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to submit documentation may result in not receiving consideration for this position. A complete application consists of the following:
- Cover letter. Address demonstrated interests and qualifications as it relates to the position.
- Resume showing relevant experience. Your resume should list your educational and work experience, including the dates (mm/dd/yyyy) and provide the hours per week, if less than 40. For work in the Federal Service, please include the pay plan and grade level for the position(s).
- Copy of law school transcript. (Unofficial copy is sufficient, but official copy must be submitted before appointment). You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
If you are a current or former Federal employee, please submit the following by the closing date of this announcement:
- A copy of a recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level, step and salary; and
- Your most recent performance appraisal (if you do not have your most recent performance appraisal, please submit an explanation as to why it is unavailable)
Failure to provide documents, if selected, may result in lost consideration.
Please DO NOT put your SSN on pages within your application package. Privacy Act - Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.
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
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING RESUMES AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION: Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Please send the following documents to gc.attorney.vacancy@noaa.gov with Subject Line: "Attorney-Advisor - Enforcement Section"
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Official or unofficial transcripts
For instructions on submitting your application in an alternate format, please contact the Agency Contact listed in this vacancy announcement.
Contact Address: NOAA, Office of the General Counsel, 14th & Constitution Avenue NW Washington DC 20230
Next steps
Once your application is received we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your eligibility. You will only be contacted if you are found eligible and if you are selected for an interview. Applicants selected for interviews may be requested to provide a legal writing sample.
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for OGC to share your application with others in OGC for similar positions.
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed.
After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).