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EPA’s Office of General Counsel invites talented and diverse attorneys to apply for an Attorney-Adviser position. This position is located in the Office of General (OGC), General Law Office (GLO), Information Law Practice Group (ILPG), Washington, DC. For more information on this office, visit their website: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-general-counsel-ogc#glo.
Learn more about this agency04/14/2021 to 04/28/2021
$72,750 - $113,362 per year
GS 11 - 12
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - You may be required to travel less than 1 to 5 days per month.
No
Permanent
Full-time
Excepted
14 - When entering a Federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses.
No
No
OGC-2021-0003
598275500
About the General Law Office
The GLO is one of several law offices that comprise OGC and consists of the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center and four practice group areas, two of which focus on information law, one of which focuses on employment and labor law, and one of which focuses on information security, intellectual property and privacy law.
In this position, you will:
Under the administrative supervision of the Associate General Counsel and Deputy Associate General Counsel, provide legal advice to Agency managers and client offices on information law issues arising under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act, Federal Records Act, Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Trade Secrets Act, and EPA’s Confidential Business Information (CBI) Regulations and other laws and regulations. Specific responsibilities include:
- assisting with litigation under the FOIA, the Federal Records Act, and the Privacy Act;
- providing counseling and training on a host of information law issues;
- counseling on Privacy Act matters, including on System of Records Notices and other documents;
- counseling on regulations implementing the information law requirements of TSCA;
- counseling on eDiscovery and other information technology law issues;
- drafting CBI determinations, including determinations arising under TSCA;
- drafting administrative appeals under the FOIA;
- responding to appeals of fee waiver and expedited processing determinations under the FOIA;
- reviewing guidance documents and rulemakings on information law issues;
- addressing records management issues; and
- processing of initial requests under the FOIA and the Privacy Act.
Work closely alongside others with different viewpoints and social identities from your own (including race, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and genetic information).
Conditions of Employment
Qualifications: Applicant must have an LL.B. or J.D. degree from an accredited law school; must be admitted to practice before the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and must maintain active status as a member of the bar of one of these jurisdictions. Incumbent should have experience in providing legal advice and counsel at EPA, other federal, state or local agencies, or courts, non-governmental organizations, or in private practice.
If you are selected, you must complete a one-year trial period.
The ideal candidate will have a very strong academic and employment record, including evidence of nuanced legal analysis with respect to both statutory construction and applicable case law, excellent research and writing skills, superior oral and written communication, strong interpersonal skills, initiative and self-motivation, the ability to work effectively in a team and independently, a commitment to public service, and mature judgement and the ability to work with diverse persons and perspectives. Knowledge and relevant experience in administrative law, environmental law, information law, litigation or some combination thereof, preferred but not required.
Please identify in your written statement of interest/cover letter and resume any specialized experience in administrative law, environmental law, information law and litigation, if applicable. Note: Applicants must include a separate business-style resume with your application in lieu of the automated USAJobs resume. This document should be uploaded as part of your complete application packet described below under the Supporting Documentation Tab.
To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, applicants must have an LL.M degree or at least one year of post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-9 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: law clerk experience at the Federal, state or local level, performing legal analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers; composing pleadings, briefs, and other court documents involving legal issues in counseling or litigation.
Applicants who meet the GS-9 requirement and in addition have superior law student activities while earning a JD degree. Superior law student activities include:
To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, applicants must have at least two years post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-11 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: performing legal analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers; composing pleadings, briefs, and other court documents involving legal issues in counseling or litigation.
Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Environmental Protection Agency considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
More information on GS levels for the 0905 Attorney position are available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/classifying-general-schedule-positions/standards/0900/gs0905.pdf.
If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Form prior to your first day of employment and annually thereafter.
This position is designated as a Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation
Diversity and Inclusion
At EPA, diversity is a vital element in bringing a balance of perspectives to bear on every challenge we face. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce because we know that the individual strengths and abilities of our employees make us a stronger organization. The more inclusive our employee base is, the greater the variety of ideas that are generated, and the more representative we are of the nation we serve. To learn more about how EPA values and supports our diverse workforce, visit Equal Opportunity Employment at EPA. You can also hear a diverse group of attorneys talk about their careers at EPA on the Legal Careers at EPA Webinar.
It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual’s employment experience will be used only to determine the person’s qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual’s personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination. For more information, visit https://hru.gov/Studio_Recruitment/tools/Mythbuster_on_Federal_Hiring_Policies
These positions are in the bargaining unit.
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: http://www.epa.gov/careers/epa-job-vacancy-announcements-policies-and-procedures.
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.
Position has portable work and selectee may be eligible to telework.
This position is in the excepted service. Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status; however, this position is covered for the purpose of federal retirement and benefits.
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 above.
If you are selected, you will be expected to report to work as soon as practical but no later than thirty (30) days from the date you receive a final job offer. Extension of this reporting requirement may be granted only under extraordinary circumstances.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Initially, you will be evaluated based on the information contained in your resume packet. If an interview is granted, you will be evaluated based on the responses you provide during an interview. In responding to interview questions, you should be sure to cite specific examples of experience, explain exactly what you did and the outcome.
There is no numerical rating system for applying veteran’s preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Office of General Counsel considers veteran’s preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.
Documents to be submitted should be in PDF format only:
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.
Please completely read through this announcement before applying. Please do not mail in your information. All required documents must be uploaded to this job vacancy announcement by 11:59 p.m. on the closing date of the announcement.
The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 60 days of the closing date of this announcement. You will be notified of the outcome.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/598275500. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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