Summary
In this position, you will serve as an Attorney in the Litigation Division in the Office of General Counsel at the Federal Election Commission. You will participate in all phases of cases in exercising the Commission's independent litigation authority before federal district and appellate courts. Litigation Attorneys are expected to handle all aspects of district court and appellate court litigation, Many of the cases deal with cutting edge First Amendment issues.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
This announcement is open to all U.S. citizens
Duties
Salary Ranges by grade:
GS-12: $99,200 - $128,956
GS-13: $117,962 - 153,354
GS-14: $139,395 - $181,216
As the Litigation Attorney Adviser in this position, you will:
- Communicate regularly with senior level staff, opposing counsel, and others.
- Work on both individual and team cases in support of the mission of the agency.
- Handle all aspects of district court and appellate court litigation including taking and defending depositions, managing written discovery, conducting legal research and analysis, writing briefs and other documents, attending court conferences, arguing motions, conducting trials, and presenting oral arguments.
- Participate in all aspects of important, challenging cases, including development of strategy and legal research.
- Draft briefs, complaints, answers, motions, and other documents necessary to represent the Commission in court, frequently including sophisticated dispositive motions involving complex constitutional and administrative-law issues.
- Take depositions, handle written discovery, present oral argument, and draft and negotiate settlements.
- Provide advice to the Commission and appear before the Commission to report on assigned litigation matters.
- Provide assistance to the United States Solicitor General in representing the Commission and addressing questions before the Supreme Court that impact the agency's programs.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
- You must be able to pass a background investigation.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see Legal and regulatory guidance below).
- You may be required to serve a 2 year probationary period.
- Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
- You must meet qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the Basic Requirements and the Experience Requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. A copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.
Basic Requirements (applicable to all grade levels):
A. Education: Possess a J.D., LL.B., or higher degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. (If selected, you must submit a copy of your official transcripts.)
AND
B. Bar Membership: Licensed and in good standing to practice law as an Attorney under the laws of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or territory of the United States.
In addition to meeting both of the Basic Requirements above, you must meet the experience requirements for the applicable grade level.
Experience Requirement for the GS-12 Level:
You must have at least 1 year of progressively responsible professional experience working as a practicing attorney. This experience must be comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 federal grade level, which involves completion of projects providing legal advice, analysis, research, or work involving litigation skills of average difficulty under continued supervision. This must include activities such as: (1) drafting briefs, motions, or other legal documents in preparation for trial or administrative hearing; (2) conducting legal research; (3) developing strategies and plans to prioritize, organize, and manage cases; and (4) assisting with written discovery, assisting with taking or defending depositions or otherwise making preparations for fact or expert witness testimony, negotiating settlement agreements, and/or assisting with or making oral argument in a court or administrative hearing.
Experience Requirement for the GS-13 Level:
You must have at least 2 years of progressively responsible professional experience working as a practicing attorney. At least one year of this experience must be comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 federal grade level, which involves completion of projects providing legal advice, analysis, research, or work involving litigation skills of average difficulty with some supervision. This must include activities such as: (1) drafting briefs, motions, or other documents in preparation for trial or administrative hearing; (2) conducting legal research; (3) developing strategies and plans to prioritize, organize, and manage cases; or (4) handling written discovery, assisting with taking or defending depositions or otherwise making preparations for fact or expert witness testimony, negotiating settlement agreements, and/or assisting with or making oral argument in a court or administrative hearing
Experience Requirement for the GS-14 Level:
You must have at least 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience working as a practicing attorney. At least one year of this experience must be comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-13 federal grade level, which involves providing legal advice, analysis, research, and/or work involving litigation skills of average and above average difficulty with only moderate supervision. This must include activities such as: (1) drafting briefs, motions, or other documents in preparation for trial or administrative hearing; (2) conducting legal research; (3) developing strategies and plans to prioritize, organize, and manage cases; or (4) handling written discovery, assisting with taking or defending depositions and otherwise making preparations for fact or expert witness testimony, negotiating settlement agreements, and/or assisting with or making oral argument in a court or administrative hearing.
In addition, you must provide a cover letter summarizing your evidence of the following competencies:
- Legal Writing: Writes clear, concise, persuasive legal documents.
- Legal Analysis: Researches, analyzes, and explains complex legal issues such as constitutional, jurisdictional, and administrative-law topics.
- Planning and Coordinating: Plans and organizes projects or cases; gathering information and examining facts for investigations or research; develops strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of matters.
- Litigation: Participates in court proceedings or other forums requiring comparable skills, including by making preparations for fact and expert witness testimony; handling written discovery; drafting filings; assisting with taking and defending depositions; negotiating settlements; and assisting with or making oral argument in a court or administrative hearing.
We recommend your cover letter include examples that are clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the functions, activities, or services you delivered; level of contacts; the sensitivity and criticality of the issues you addressed, and the results of your actions.
Part-time or unpaid experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.
Volunteer work experience: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Promotion Potential: If you are selected at the GS-12, you may be promoted without further competition to the GS-13 level once you have served 12 months at the GS-12 level and met performance requirements. If you are selected at the GS-13, you may be promoted without further competition to the GS-14 level once you have served 18 months at the GS-13 level and met performance requirements. Selection at either the GS-12 or the GS-13 level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Education
If selected, you must submit a copy of your official transcripts, conferring a J.D., or LL.B., or higher degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
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 announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications.
If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process which will determine the best qualified candidates.
Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package including the documents listed below. We strongly encourage applicants to doublecheck that all required items are properly submitted to ensure consideration.
- Your Resume listing hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year) and duties performed for each position held.
- Cover Letter addressing the competencies in the Qualifications section above.
- Unofficial law school transcripts to verify you meet the educational requirements of this position. All applicants are required to submit unofficial law school transcripts prior to the closing of this announcement. If selected for this position you will be required to submit official law school transcripts upon entry into duty. Only transcripts from accredited law school websites will be accepted.
- Bar License to verify you are licensed and in good standing to practice law as an Attorney under the laws of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or territory of the United States. You must submit a copy of your current Bar card, or letter of good standing.
- Writing sample of a legal brief, memorandum, or letter of which you were the primary drafter, not to exceed 15 pages.
- Veterans documents (if applicable): DD-214 including character of service, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days, and if applicable, SF-15 Form, VA letter, or other documentation required by that form.
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 section.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/15/2024 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, 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 Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Additional phases of the review process will determine the best qualified candidates, and whether or not your application is referred to the selecting official. You will be contacted directly if further evaluation or an interview is required. You will receive notifications by email about the status of your application throughout this process.
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