General Attorney (Admin Law) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. PRC03-25 Department Postal Regulatory Commission
Salary $99,200.00 to $153,354.00 Grade 4 to 4
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/1/2024 Close Date 11/30/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

The Postal Regulatory Commission, Office of the General Counsel (OGC) has an exciting opportunity for highly motivated, organized, detail-oriented entry & mid-level attorneys interested in regulatory law related to the postal sector. This 2-year term position may be renewed or converted to a career ladder position, depending on funding availability. Upon successful probationary period completion & conversion to a career ladder position, the position offers full promotion potential up a PRC-7.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

OPEN TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS

Duties

A General Attorney is expected to complete assignments in accordance with deadlines and expectations provided by the General Counsel and Senior Counsel in the area of General law. The attorney is expected to handle routine assignments independently and, when necessary, seek guidance and advice from a more senior attorney. This position will provide advice on a variety of administrative legal matters typically experienced by a federal agency, which may include: contracts and procurement, employment law, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Privacy Act of 1974, the E-Government Act of 2002, the Federal Records Act of 1950, and the Sunshine Act, as well as the applicability of Executive Orders or other laws or compliance documents to the Commission.

A General Attorney, PRC-4:

  • In coordination with and at the direction of the General Counsel or the Senior Counsel provides legal advice to the Commission (including Chairman, Commissioners, Secretary, other Office Heads and employees) relevant to the Commission's statutory responsibilities and other federal laws, guidance and policy.
  • Reviews draft documents developed by staff, including rules and regulations, resolutions, policies and other legal or quasi-legal papers; approves legality and form of such writings, in areas of assigned responsibilities
  • Reviews proposed legislation, as well as draft Commission responses to inquiries from Congress, members of the public and other interested parties
  • Coordinates and/or prepares written and oral reports (e.g., Annual Report) based on legal research and technical analyses as may be required to fulfill the Commission's responsibilities within areas assigned
  • Works collaboratively with all Commission offices within areas assigned
  • Works with Commission offices to ensure the legal sufficiency of responses to the inquiries from Congress and members of the public
  • Works collaboratively with all Commission offices to develop, review and make recommendations on policies with respect to legal sufficiency and consistency.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Relocation expenses are not authorized.
  • Employees are required to participate in direct deposit.
  • You will be required to serve a probationary period of 1 year.
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Status: Exempt
  • You must be a U.S. citizen or national to be eligible for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  • This position may require you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) upon entry and annually thereafter.
  • The Postal Regulatory Commission 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.

Qualifications

All of the following qualifications must be demonstrated in your resume and cover letter:
  1. A professional law degree (LLB or JD) from a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
  2. Membership in good standing of the bar of a state, a territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. If recent law school graduate, applicant must obtain membership in good standing of the bar of a state, a territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico within one year of the date of employment.
Critical Competencies include:
  • The ability to effectively identify and communicate issues both orally and in writing
  • The ability to conduct legal research on issues within Commission precedent
  • The ability to identify and discuss quantitative or technical concepts
  • The ability to work with technical staff to apply a legal framework to quantitative or technical facts
  • The ability to independently manage workload and to allocate time among a number of competing assignments
  • The ability to independently track status of multiple assignments on an on-going basis
  • The ability to develop administrative law interpretations within a complex environment where there may not be an established answer or precedence.
Prior Experience:
A minimum of 2 years of legal experience as an attorney practicing in Federal Administrative law. Specific experience should be in one or more of the following areas: Information Law (Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act/records), Federal Employment Law including EEO litigation, Federal Acquisitions, or Fiscal law.

Education

  1. A professional law degree (LLB or JD) from a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
  2. Membership in good standing of the bar of a state, a territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. If recent law school graduate, applicant must obtain membership in good standing of the bar of a state, a territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico within one year of the date of employment.

Additional information

Work Environment

This position is in the OGC whichdirects and coordinates the functions of the OGC and is directly responsible for providing all legal services within the Commission. The General Counsel is designated by the Chairman to serve as the Commission's Designated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO) and administers the Commission's ethics program.The General Counsel provides legal advice to each Commissioner, including the Chairman, & other office directors on a wide variety of legal and policy matters that come before the Commission. The Office advises the Commission on the legal aspects of proposed legislation and rulemaking, and on general administrative legal issues including procurement, personnel, FOIA and the Privacy Act & other internal legal questions. The Office works together with the Department of Justice in litigating matters before the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C., the venue of the majority of Commission appeals. The Office also supports the Federal Government's Pro Bono Program which allows Commission attorneys and support personnel to staff legal aid clinics and to represent pro bono clients, consistent with the Office's Pro Bono Policy.

Ethics Requirements
The Commission is committed to government ethics. As a Commission employee, you will be subject to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch and the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Commission employees are also subject to Commission-specific ethics rules (39 C.F.R. subpart A of part 3001 and supplemental standards of ethical conduct [5 C.F.R. part 5601]). The supplemental standards prohibit Commission employees, as well as their spouses and dependent children, from owning any securities issued by entities that are identified on the Commission's annually published prohibited securities list. As an employee of the Commission, you must complete initial ethics training within three months of your appointment and, depending on your position, complete required financial disclosure forms within 30 days of your appointment.

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. The Commission may offer Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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.

You will be evaluated by a screening panel based on evidence of your ability to successfully perform the duties of the position according to the qualifications outlined in this announcement. The panel will forward the appropriate candidates to the General Counsel for further consideration and possible interview.

To be eligible for consideration, your application materials must demonstrate that you have experience that has equipped you with the ability, skill and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of the position described above. Typically, experience will be related to legal or regulatory work at a level similar to this position and may encompass paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work. Volunteer work can help to 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.

Required Documents

In order for your application to be considered complete, the following documents mustbe submitted:

    1. Cover Letter (no more than two pages)
    2. Resume showing relevant experience; (If you are claiming veteran preference, you must indicate the type of veteran preference you are claiming on your resume)
    3. Provide documentation of active membership in good standing with the bar of any U.S. state, territory, or the District of Columbia. This can be in the form of an official certificate or letter from the bar association verifying current membership status. Failure to provide this proof will result in disqualification from further consideration.
    4. A copy of your most recent SF-50 (if a current federal employee)
    5. A minimum of two professional references (at least one of whom has directly supervised the applicant)
    6. Undergraduate or graduate/law transcript if you are relying on your prior education to fulfill the mandatory qualifications of the position
    7. Five-point veterans must submit a DD214
    8. Ten-point veterans must submit the following:
      1. A copy of your DD214
      2. Application for 10-point veteran preference, SF-15 http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf
      3. A copy of the official letter from VA, dated 1991 or later, certifying the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of disability
      4. If you're currently serving on Active Duty: submit a statement of service from your unit identifying the branch of service, period(s) of service, campaign badges or expeditionary medals earned, type of discharge, character of service, and the date you will be separated or be on approved terminal leave. If you supply a statement of service at this stage, your preference/eligibility will be verified by a DD214 (Member 4 Copy) upon separation from the military.
To gain access to your DD214 online, please visit: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/.
Failure to provide this documentation will result in your application not receiving 10-point preference.

Additionally, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit:
Optional Form 3046-0466, Demographic Information on Applicants (voluntary) http://www.prc.gov/sites/default/files/job-openings/OMB_FORM_3046-0046.pdf

How to Apply

You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions, and submit all required documents.

If you already have a USAJOBS account, click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to attach any additional documents that may be required.

Reasonable Accommodation
If you need reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the Commission's HR office at HR@prc.gov or Sherri Proctor at 202-789-6869. If you have a hearing impairment, you may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800- 877-8339 for assistance in contacting the person named above.

EEOPolicyStatement
The U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Veteran Information
The Commission does not use a formal rating system for applying veteran preference to attorney appointments; however, the Commission does consider veteran preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veteran preference and who wish the Commission to consider it must include that information in their resumes and attach supporting documentation (e.g. DD-214 or other substantiating documents) to their applications. Without this documentation, applicants will not receive veteran preference.

Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail, email, or fax. All applications must be received by 11:59 pm on November 1, 2024.

This vacancy announcement will be open from November 1, 2024 to November 30, 2024 or until 100 applications have been received, whichever occurs first. Complete application packages must be submitted at the time that you apply to receive consideration. Additional documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.

Agency contact information

HR Office
Address
Postal Regulatory Commission
901 New York Ave NW
Washington, DC 20268
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Appropriate candidates will be referred to the General Counsel for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome.

Prior to any interview, you will be requested to provide a writing sample that demonstrates your ability to describe legal and/or technical concepts clearly, understandably, and persuasively.


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


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