This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
Graduates of recognized law schools or persons having equivalent experience (see Qualifications and Education sections) and pending admission to the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction.
NOTE: You are not eligible for this Law Clerk position if you are admitted to the bar prior to onboarding. If you anticipate this occurring, we encourage you to apply to EPA-OAE-AO-26-12992421, or search for other Attorney positions on USAJOBS.gov.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
#LI-Onsite
You must be a U.S. citizen.
If you are selected, you may be required to complete a trial period (two years if you are not a preference eligible; one year if you are a preference eligible).
This position is designated as Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date.
REAL ID requirements became effective on 05/07/25. If you are selected for this position and plan to use your driver's license or identification card during the onboarding process (i.e., for employment eligibility verification or to obtain your EPA identification card), the document must be a REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver's license or identification card that includes the REAL ID-compliant star marking, or must be an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL). You will receive information about alternative acceptable documents (e.g., passport) prior to onboarding. For more information about REAL ID, see Dept. of Homeland Security and REAL ID FAQs.
If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter.
Qualifications
NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement.
In addition to the educational requirements, you must meet the minimum grade-specific qualifications as described below:
To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must have either:
-an LL.M. degree
OR
-at least one year of post J.D. legal experience with specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level defined as reviewing legal documents to provide recommendations to senior managers; and preparing legal documents for thorough review of accuracy and completeness;
OR
-completed superior law student activities while earning a J.D. degree. Superior law student activities include:
(A) Academic standing in upper third of law school graduating class;
(B) Work or achievement of significance on law school's law review;
(C) Special high-level honors for academic excellence, such as election to Order of the Coif;
(D) Winning of a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team representing the law school in competition with other law schools;
(E) Full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program or significant summer law office clerk experience; or
(F) Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement, as determined by the hiring office and documented in writing for the case file.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (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.
*If you have part-time work experience, read this: Part-Time Experience.
Education
You must possess a J.D. or LL.M. degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university or equivalent apprentice experience as allowed per state law.
For information about accreditation requirements, visit Accreditation.
Additional information
This position is excluded from provisions of the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP).
Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status.
Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section.
This appointment is not-to-exceed 14 months pending admission to the bar and may not be extended beyond 14 months. Upon passing the bar exam, you will be eligible for a new appointment to an Attorney position not-to-exceed 2 years with the possibility of extension up to a maximum of four years.
You must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks) to be eligible for promotion to the next higher grade level; i.e., to be appointed to an Attorney position at the next higher grade level or to be promoted to the next higher grade level after appointment to an Attorney position (time-in-grade in both the Law Clerk and Attorney positions may be credited).
EPA participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. For additional information: E-Verify.
If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.
This position is not in the bargaining unit.
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.
Join EPA in protecting human health and the environment and enjoy many work life quality options! Working for the EPA offers you a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. To learn more about us, visit Life and Careers at EPA.
If you are selected for this position, situational telework may be approved by your supervisor if you meet eligibility requirements, as allowable by agency policy and/or applicable collective bargaining agreement. EPA policy only allows telework to be approved situationally. Situational telework is for work or assignments of specific limited duration on an occasional, emergency, or ad hoc basis.
NOTE: If you are an EPA employee who currently works at a remote work location (i.e., full-time telework), your approval for remote work does not transfer to this position, subject to Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act.
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.
Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Applications will be evaluated against the basic qualifications, and then may be subject to additional assessments (e.g., technical writing sample or other work sample, job knowledge test, case scenario analysis, scientific data assessment, structured interview, etc.).
EPA considers veterans' preference as a positive factor. Applicants who have veterans' preference are encouraged to include their information in their cover letters or resumes and attach supporting documentation to substantiate their preference.
Excepted service positions are not covered by regular civil service hiring procedures.
Required Documents
ALL APPLICANTS
- Cover letter expressing your interest in the position and explaining how your qualifications meet the requirements of the position.
- Resume clearly stating your experience related to this position as described in the Duties section and Qualifications and Education sections--include specific dates (MM/DD/YY - MM/DD/YY) so we can determine that you have the required amount of experience (if applicable). In describing your experience, you need to be clear and specific (we may not make assumptions regarding your experience). Resume must not exceed 2 pages. If you do not submit a resume that is 2 pages or less, you will be ineligible for further consideration. See How to Apply section for more information.
- Name, address, and telephone number of three references, including a current or former employer.
APPLICANTS QUALIFYING BASED ON EDUCATION
- Law school transcripts - unofficial or official transcripts or a list of courses that includes school(s) attended, school address, course title, grades earned, completion dates, department, and quarter or semester hours earned. NOTE: Official educational transcripts are not required at the time of application; however, if you are selected, you must provide official transcripts before you start work with EPA. IF EDUCATION WAS COMPLETED AT A FOREIGN INSTITUTION: You must submit an equivalency evaluation with your application as described here: Accreditation.
APPLICANTS QUALIFYING BASED ON APPRENTICE EXPERIENCE
- Documentation of apprentice experience equivalent to possession of a J.D. degree.
APPLICANTS QUALIFYING BASED ON SUPERIOR LAW STUDENT ACTIVITIES
- Proof of completion of superior law student activities as described in the Qualifications section.
APPLICANTS CLAIMING VETERANS' PREFERENCE
To be eligible for veterans' preference, you must claim preference in your USAJOBS account; you must also submit proof of eligibility as indicated below.
Separated veterans claiming 0-point preference:
- DD-214 Member 4 copy (or other copy indicating character of service) or other official document/statement from the Armed Forces showing separation, discharge, or release from active duty; document must show separation is under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge) and that the release or discharge was due to sole survivorship
Separated veterans claiming 5-point preference:
- DD-214 Member 4 copy (or other copy indicating character of service) or other official document/statement from the Armed Forces showing separation, discharge, or release from active duty; document must show separation is under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge)
Separated veterans claiming 10-point preference based on compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more:
- DD-214 Member 4 copy (or other copy indicating character of service); document must show separation is under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge); and
- VA letter stating overall/combined disability rating (percentage); and
- SF-15 (use current version: SF-15 Form)--see page 2 for documents that can be submitted in lieu of the DD-214 and VA letter
Other separated veterans claiming 10-point preference OR spouses, widows/widowers, or mothers claiming 10-point derived preference:
- SF-15 (use current version: SF-15 Form); and
- Other required documentation indicated on the SF-15
Active duty service members:
- Certification from the Armed Forces (Statement of Service) documenting active duty dates, expected discharge/release date, campaign medals/badges, and character of service (a certification is any written document from the Armed Forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged/released from active duty service in the Armed Forces under honorable conditions (Honorable or General Discharge) within 120 days after you submit the certification)
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.