Summary

This position of Attorney-Advisor is located in the Executive Office of the President (EOP), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). CEQ has statutory responsibility for assisting Federal agencies in implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

**Notice: More than one selection may be made within 90 days of the issuance of the certificate, if additional vacancies occur.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.

Clarification from the agency

Excepted service employees and United States Citizens

Duties

As a Attorney-Advisor (General), GS-0905-13, your typical work assignments may include the following:

Researches, interprets, and applies federal statutes, regulations, and case law to complex legal and policy questions to support CEQ operations. Provides clear oral and written legal advice. Assists in the developing and revising of agency standards, policies, and internal operating procedures.

Supports the Chief FOIA Officer in implementing the agency's FOIA program, including reviewing and responding to FOIA requests and administrative appeals and coordinating with program staff, as appropriate. Manages multiple projects and competing priorities.

Assists in defending the agency in litigation including by reviewing and drafting briefs; identifying, gathering, and organizing administrative records; coordinating with the Department of Justice; and related activities.

Assists in coordinating agency review of regulations, guidance documents, and policy proposals circulated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), to ensure compliance with the law and policy.

Works alongside the Designated Agency Ethics Official to serve as a point of contact for ethics advice. Assists in providing briefings for new and departing employees, conducting annual training, reviewing financial disclosure forms, analyzing potential conflicts of interest, and advising on gift regulations.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. citizen or national
Selective Service registration if a male born after December 31, 1959
Subject to pre-employment and random drug tests
Direct Deposit is required
RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE PAID
Suitability for Federal employment
You may be required to complete a one-year trial/probationary period if not previously completed in a competitive or excepted service position.
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
This is a Drug Testing Designated Position (DTDP) and is covered by the Executive Office of the President Drug-Free Workplace Program.
More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: All applicants must meet the qualification requirements outlined below to be considered minimally qualified for this position. The qualification requirements are in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Qualification Standards.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have a minimum of one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility comparable to the next lower grade or comparable pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector.

ALL QUALIFICATIONS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must meet one of the following criteria listed below in order to meet the basic requirement for Attorney-Advisor (General), 0905.

Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Law (LL.M), or Bachelor of Law (LL.B) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member of the bar in good standing to practice law as an Attorney in any state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar. (Include in your resume the month and year in which you obtained your degree and the name of the College or University from which it was conferred/awarded.) AND

You may qualify at the GS-13 level, if you meet the following minimum qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent in the private sector that demonstrates the following: 1. Conducting complex legal analysis and drafting legal documents as an attorney in one or more of the following practice areas: environmental law, administrative law, and/or ethics and compliance

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service program (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.

Education

Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Law (LL.M), or Bachelor of Law (LL.B) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member of the bar in good standing to practice law as an Attorney in any state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar. (Include in your resume the month and year in which you obtained your degree and the name of the College or University from which it was conferred/awarded.)

Additional information

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx).

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/index.cfm

Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Main_Page

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternative Application.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

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.

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Reasoning Skills
Decision-Making Ability
Math Skills
Reading Comprehension
Soft Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Stress Tolerance
- Accountability

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12927908

Required Documents

Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Resume: For qualification determinations, your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Your resume must include detailed information as it relates to the responsibilities and specialized experience for this position. Evidence of copying and pasting directly from the vacancy announcement without clearly documenting supplemental information to describe your experience will result in an ineligible rating. This will prevent you from receiving further consideration. Note: If you upload more than one resume, the last resume received will be the one utilized for consideration. Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

2. A complete application Questionnaire

3. Transcripts/Registration/License: If qualifying on education/position requires education, you must submit copies of your transcripts and if required for the position, submit an active, current registration/license. If your education was completed outside of the U.S., you must submit a transcript or an official evaluation of your education (e.g., from a NACES accredited organization) that is in English.

4. Other Optional supporting documents:

Cover Letter
Most recent Performance Appraisal
Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment Eligible: Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).
Certain Military Spouses Eligible under E.O. 13832: Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, that lists you as authorized to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents contain personal information such as SSN and DOB and some documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove said personal information before you submit your application.

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

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. If an application limit has been reached, the vacancy may close prior to the stated closing date.

Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

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/. To ensure full consideration of your experience and education we encourage you to use the USAJOBS resume builder to prepare your resume or to guide you in preparing your resume. See http://www.usajobs.gov/Content/pdfs/Tutorials-Resume.pdf for more information.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.

Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.

Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail or e-mail. All resumes/applications received at the addresses listed in the Contact Information or Agency Information will not be considered for this vacancy announcement.

Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12927908.

Agency contact information

Client Services EOP - OA

Email: EOPJOBS@OA.EOP.GOV

Address: Council on Environmental Quality
725 17th Street
Washington, DC 20503
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

After a tentative job offer, we will conduct a security background investigation and drug screening. If the drug screening is negative and security background is cleared, then a formal job offer will be extended to candidate.

Attorney-Advisor (General) Job in Washington, DC