General Attorney Job

Vacancy No. 25-GC-00393-12589923-EX Department Department of Energy - Agency Wide
Salary $82,764.00 to $181,216.00 Grade 11 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/7/2024 Close Date 11/20/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DCLocation Negotiable After Selection


Summary

**Remote Restricted - Washington, DC**

This position is in the Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Legislation, Regulation, and Energy Efficiency which is responsible for overseeing the Department of Energy's (DOE) legislative and regulatory programs, and legal matters related to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); the State and Community Energy Program (SCEP); and the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP).

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals; No prior Federal experience is required.

Duties

Duties assigned to this position could include:

Provide legal analysis and advice on matters and problems that arise in the development of highly visible legislative and regulatory proposals, focused on energy conservation standards for residential appliances and commercial equipment.

Advise program offices on rulemaking requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act and compliance with applicable enabling statutes, Executive Orders, and other statutes governing the regulatory process.

Develop, draft, review, participate in negotiations, and provide comment on legal documents primarily concerned with DOE's responsibilities in this area.

Coordinate with the Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Litigation and the U.S. Department of Justice to defend against legal challenges to energy conservation standards issued by DOE.

Provide legal analysis and advice as program counsel for certain other programs within DOE. This analysis and advice will span several statutory authorities and will require coordinating legal advice among several offices within DOE's Office of the General Counsel.

Review and advise program offices on the development of regulations, directives, reports, guidance, correspondence, and other agency documents, and ensuring compliance with applicable enabling statutes, Executive Orders, and other requirements.

Participate in the development of pending legislation, draft legislative proposals and supporting documents, obtain interagency clearances from the Office of Management and Budget, review bill comments, and provide technical drafting assistance to Congressional committees.

Review and comment on rulemaking and regulatory/deregulatory activities of DOE or other agencies to ensure adequate consideration of DOE concerns, and to assess the impact of those activities on DOE's statutory missions or policies.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • 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 www.sss.gov.
  • If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • If selected, you may be required to complete a two year trial period.
  • GS-13 and above are required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, Executive Branch Personnel Confidential
  • If selected, you must self-identify if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a Schedule A, Schedule C, or non-career SES political appointee as OPM approval is required prior to finalizing your selection.
  • Proof of current active member in good standing in the bar of a State, District of Columbia, territory of the United States, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
  • Employees must maintain active bar membership while employed as an attorney with DOE.
  • This position is included in a Bargaining Agreement.
  • If selected, occasional travel will be required.

Qualifications

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Basic Requirements:
All applicants MUST:
  1. Meet the minimum education requirements of successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) with a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); AND
  2. Must be a current, active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

GS-11 Qualifications:

  • Advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform legal work and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar. The educational background should include course work beyond the first professional degree in a field directly related to the work for which he/she is being considered.
GS-12 Qualifications:
  • One year of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work. The educational background should include course work beyond the first professional degree in a field directly related to the work for which he/she is being considered.

GS-13 Qualifications:

  • One year of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work.; AND
  • One additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service.

GS-14 Qualifications:

  • Three years of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work.; AND
  • One additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service.


"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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

Attorney positions do have an education requirement.

ALL Candidates must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association with a:

  1. Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree; OR
  2. Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) degree.

For positions with an education requirement, you MUST submit:

  1. A copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.; AND
  2. You must provide proof of bar or your bar number.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

  • Your position may be eligible for workplace flexibilities which may include remote work or telework options, and/or flexible work scheduling. These flexibilities may be requested in accordance with the DOE Workplace Flexibilities policy.
  • New employees to the Department of Energy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
  • Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
  • If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • A trial period of up to 2 years for the purpose of assessing the ability of an individual to adequately perform in an attorney position will be established for appointments under these authorities. Previous Federal experience in like positions MAY count toward the completion of this requirement.
  • Your performance appraisal and incentive awards will be given due consideration in the selection process based on their relation to the duties of the position and the consistency with which they may be considered in evaluating you against other candidates.
  • Hiring incentives may be authorized in accordance with agency policy and if funding is available.
  • EEO Policy: https://www.energy.gov/justice/eeo-complaint-process
  • Reasonable Accommodation Policy: https://https://www.energy.gov/hc/department-energy-reasonable-accommodation-program
  • Veterans Information: https://https://www.energy.gov/careers/veterans-military-spouses
  • Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/
  • The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged noncompliance by completing the Fair Chance Act Intake Form and submitting it to the Administrative Investigations Program at AdministrativeInvestigations@hq.doe.gov.

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.

Your evaluation involves determining the relevance and quality of your experience and education and whether you meet the minimum qualifications as required. You will be evaluated for this job based on the qualifications above, your Writing Sample that shows your knowledge level and ability to put that into words showing your technical abilities, and your Cover Letter (no more than 3 pages) that describes your interest in this role at the Department of Energy and describes your experience. When describing your experience, please give examples that demonstrate the complexity of the knowledge you possess, the level of the people with whom you interacted, and the sensitivity of the issues you handled. Describe your applicable experience, if any, that touches on the following range of tasks:

  • Undertake legal research and provide written legal analysis, advice, and recommendations on complex legal and policy matters.
  • Prepare and review rulemakings, orders, Federal Register notices and responsive comments, public filings, policy statements, reports to the President and Congress, and congressional testimony. Review and comment on legislation to determine the potential impact on client activities, and draft amendments.
  • Represent clients in meetings, hearings, and other proceedings.
  • Support litigation efforts, including the preparation and filing of motions and other documents, in federal and state regulatory proceedings.
  • Support transactional work, including the preparation of agreements and performance of due diligence and compliance review.


Minimum Requirements: Your application must show that you meet all requirements, including the education and/or experience required for this position. You will be found "not qualified" if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position. If your application is incomplete, we will rate you as ineligible.

Referral: Since this is an Excepted Service position, a non-rated method of evaluation will be used. We will evaluate your application by comparing your description of your work experience, level of responsibility, and accomplishments with the requirements of the position to determine whether you meet all the qualification requirements. Although competitive examining rules for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply, veteran's preference will be considered as a positive factor. Candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements will be referred to the selecting official for consideration and possible interview.

Required Documents

Please note that if you fail to provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

RESUME WITH 3 REFERENCES: This can be done by either creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of your choosing. Applicants will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their resume. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.

COVER LETTER: This should be no more than 3 pagesthat describes your interest in this role at the Department of Energy and describes your experience.

WRITING SAMPLE: A writing sample should besufficiently complex in nature to demonstrate the applicant's skills in the qualifications of this position.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans' preference, you may provide a DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active-duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.

ACTIVE BAR MEMBERSHIP: You must submit evidence of an Active Bar Membership as described in the Qualifications Section of this announcement.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. Unofficial law school transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements of this position. 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 page. 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.

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CTAP) / INTER AGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ICTAP): If applicable this would include Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.

CURRENT OR FORMER POLITICAL APPOINTEES: If this is applicable, please note on your resume and attach an SF-50. 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 or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the hiring manager and HR office.

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

  1. Click the Apply Online button.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
  3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on 11/20/2024.

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 verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; 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/.

If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots, if possible, to aid technical support.

Agency contact information

Thomas Allred
Address
Office of the General Counsel
Department of Energy
Human Capital Shared Service Center
1000 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20585
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once you submit your online application, you will receive a confirmation notification by email that your submission was successful. After the closing of the announcement, we will review applications. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. We will notify you of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.



Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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