Minimum Requirements
Applicants must have attained the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited law school and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or a U.S. territory. Applicants must demonstrate excellent writing skills and be able to work effectively with other people, exercise sound judgment, and exhibit a strong interest in the work of the agency.
Additional Requirements
GS-15 PositionsFor attorney appointments: active member of the bar in good standing and 60 months of legal experience after graduation from law school.
To qualify for the GS-15 level: In addition to a law degree and active bar membership, you must have 60 months of legal experience after graduation from law school to qualify for the GS-15 level. At least 18 months of your legal experience after graduation from law school must be comparable to the GS-14 level.
Qualifying experience at the GS-15 level include examples such as conducting excellent legal research and writing abilities, strong organizational and analytical skills in presenting written arguments and excellent oral communication skills. They must also exercise sound judgment, supervise, work well with, and motivate others, and make decided contributions to the work of the office. They must function independently and their work should not require close supervision or substantive review. The supervisor must have complete confidence in their judgment. At this level, they should be recognized for their competence. They should be able to represent the agency before any group or in any setting, and to effectively manage the preparation and trial of virtually any major case, all stages in the appeal of such a case, or conduct evaluation and analysis of the most complex cases of major significance for which little if any precedent exists.
Note: Legal and nonlegal experience gained in the Federal Government before completing law school does not satisfy post law school experience requirements.
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