Attorney Advisor (Investigative Counsel) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. 2025-19 Department Federal Maritime Commission
Salary $84,601.00 to $156,755.00 Grade 12 to 15
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/9/2025 Close Date 9/22/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The position is located in the Federal Maritime Commission, Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations, and Compliance. The incumbent of this position serves as an Investigative Counsel relating to investigations and related enforcement actions pursuant to the Shipping Act of 1984 as amended, 46 U.S.C. § 40101, et seq. and the implementing regulations.

Duties

The duties of an Investigative Counsel include a broad legal practice including executing and advising on the legal implications of Commission rulemakings, and providing legal advice on matters before the Commission, administrative agencies, and the courts.

As an Investigative Counsel you will:

  • Provide expertise in investigation and potential litigation conducted under the Shipping Act.
  • Investigate and litigate legal and factual allegations made in Shipping Act violations investigations, by participating in discovery, including depositions and pre-trial proceedings involving expert witnesses; and participate in motions practice and briefing before administrative law judges and the Federal Maritime Commission.
  • Conduct investigations of potential violations of the Shipping Act and implementing regulations, conduct fact-finding and non-adjudicatory investigations, including developing investigative plans, preparing for and conducting interviews of witnesses and subjects, and reviewing emails and other documentary evidence.
  • Prepare legal documents and other materials in connection with ongoing investigations, including subpoenas and document requests, analytical memoranda, and reports of interview.
  • Conduct legal research and advises Bureau leadership on substantive legal matters encountered during investigations, including determining legal precedent applicable to investigations, applying criminal, civil, and administrative laws to specific fact patterns, and assessing sufficiency of evidence following investigative activities.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Trial Period: A 2-year trial period may be required.
  • Background Suitability Investigation: Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability or security clearance. Please note: If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.
  • 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/
  • Required to participate in the Direct Deposit program.
  • 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

In addition to the above minimum requirements, you must meet the following:

GS-12: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D) or the second professional law degree (LL.M.); AND specialized professional legal experience in excess of two (2) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position, or two years of judicial clerkship.

GS-13: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D) or the second professional law degree (LL.M.); AND Specialized professional legal experience in excess of two (3) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position, or two years of judicial clerkship.

GS-14: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D) or the second professional law degree (LL.M.); AND Specialized professional legal experience in excess of three (4) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. The quality of the individual's background may be evidenced by the relatedness of his or her specialization.

GS-15: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D) or the second professional law degree (LL.M.); AND Specialized professional legal experience in excess of three (5) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. The quality of the individual's background may be evidenced by the relatedness of his or her specialization.

Specialized experience is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience include conducting complex and sophisticated investigations as they relate to the regulatory, enforcement, and administrative responsibilities of the FMC. Investigations involve major worldwide coverage with international implications upon the U.S. foreign ocean borne trades, both import and export.

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.

Qualifications for the GS-12 and above: In addition to meeting the education requirements, applicants applying for the one or more of these grade level(s) must possess professional law experience and specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade, outlined under the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section.

Education

Applicants must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. You must submit a copy of both your law school and college transcript with your application. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.

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; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

  1. Minimum educational requirements include a professional law degree (LLB 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.

Additional information

The Commission encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the FMC mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

This is appointment in the excepted service and will be filled on a full-time permanent basis. Employees hired under an Excepted Service appointment are required to serve a two (2) year trial period, unless already completed. Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. This position does not confer non-competitive conversion to the competitive service. Acceptance of an excepted service appointment from applicants in the competitive service will require a written statement of understanding when voluntarily leaving the competitive service.

This position may be filled at the GS-12, GS-13, GS-14 or GS-15 grade levels. If selection is made at the GS-12, GS-13 or GS-14 level, promotion to the next higher levels may occur without further competition.

The agency may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.

Federal employees are required to adhere to the 14 Principles of Ethical Conduct.

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Reasonable accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the contact listed on the vacancy announcement. The decision to grant a reasonable accommodation is made on a case-by-case basis

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.

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.

A review your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted to determine that you possess at least one year of professional, specialized law experience relative to the grade you are applying. Please ensure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position.

Rating: Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), and the result of the online assessments required for this position. Subject matter expert(s) may evaluate your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the specialized experience (under the qualifications section).

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.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)), you must be assigned to the Well Qualified category or better to receive special selection priority.

Required Documents

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

  1. A resume (of no more than 2 pages).
  2. Cover letter (of no more than 2 pages) that clearly indicates your relevant experience in rulemaking, litigation, and/or antitrust and competition review.
  3. Law School Transcript (official or unofficial).
  4. An SF-50 that shows your title, series, grade/step/salary, if applicable.
  5. A copy of the most recent final performance appraisal (elements and standards for achievement, if not indicated clearly on the annual performance appraisal), if applicable.
  6. A recent writing sample of no more than 10 pages reflecting your ability to clearly state, analyze, and discuss complex factual and legal issues.
  7. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50. Please Note: Cash award, Details, and Realignments are not acceptable SF-50s.
Education Documentation:
  • An official transcript may be 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.
Notice of Veterans Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Federal Maritime Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documents (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must 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 Human Resources
800 North Capitol Street, NW
Suite 1028
Washington, DC 20573
US

Next steps

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best-qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information." We expect to make a job offer within several weeks after the deadline for applications. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. View more information on applying for federal employment.

FMC uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about e-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. Any Offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Personnel Management guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

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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