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The Federal Trade Commission is the nation's premier consumer protection and antitrust enforcement agency. This position, in the Office of General Counsel, offers the opportunity to further those dual missions by representing the agency in the federal courts of appeals and district courts. Members of the OGC Litigation Division team handle cases, often of nationwide importance and involving cutting-edge legal issues, that span the full range of FTC activities.
Learn more about this agency03/03/2023 to 04/07/2023
$132,368 - $183,500 per year
GS 14 - 15
1 vacancy in the following location:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
No
Permanent
Full-time
Excepted
15
No
No
11859461-23-OGC
710357200
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
All U.S. Citizens
Litigation Division attorneys represent the Commission in the courts of appeals and provide legal counsel to the Commission, its operating bureaus, and other offices within the agency. Division attorneys also represent the agency in some district court cases and serve as the agency's point of contact with the Department of Justice in Supreme Court litigation, joint amicus pleadings, and matters in which the United States represents the FTC. The position requires a creative legal analyst with exceptional writing skills and sound judgment, who is articulate, rigorous, and can work independently with minimal oversight on issues of the highest complexity.
As a member of the Litigation Division, you will
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-14 Positions
For appointments to attorney positions: active member of the bar in good standing and 42 months of legal experience after graduation from law school.
For the GS-14 level: In addition to a law degree and active bar membership, you must have 42 months of legal experience after graduation from law school. At least 18 months of your legal experience after graduation from law school must be comparable to the GS-13 level. Qualifying experience at the GS-13 level includes examples such as independently plan, organize and conduct analysis of the matters on which you are working, based on preliminary background and policy information provided by the supervisor. Written work is expected to be technically correct and not require detailed review. At this level, attorneys are journeymen attorneys whose work entails demanding legal research and analysis; drafting and reviewing motions, subpoenas, complaints, orders, rule proposals, and memoranda; and, where appropriate to the office, participating in investigational hearings, negotiating settlements, and trials. Such attorneys contribute to the tactical and policy decisions inherent in various matters and, where appropriate, they should be able to assist in the trial of these matters. Attorneys at this level take charge of basic matters, moderately complex and novel matters, and make substantial contributions to the most complex, novel, or significant matters.
GS-15 Positions
For attorney appointments: active member of the bar in good standing and 60 months of legal experience after graduation from law school.
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. Qualifying experience at the GS-15 level includes examples such as being an outstanding writer and highly effective oral advocate. You must also exercise sound judgment, supervise, work well with, and motivate others, and make decided contributions to the work of the office. You must function independently and your work should not require close supervision or substantive review. Your supervisor(s) must have complete confidence in your judgment. At this level, you should be recognized for your competence. These attorneys 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.
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
This position has an education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcripts. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package; however, official transcripts will be required prior to receiving an official offer.
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: FOREIGN EDUCATION
This position is in the Excepted Service (Schedule A).
Individuals applying for this announcement are required to complete and submit an online application and all supporting documentation through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) application system, USAJOBS. Traditional rating and ranking procedures do not apply.
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated based on the overall strength of your credentials as demonstrated by your cover letter, resume, writing sample, and experience. The most qualified candidates will be selected for interviews, which will also be considered in making the final decision. Application of Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Federal Trade Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. If you are eligible for veterans' preference, you are encouraged to include that information in your cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214 or other substantiating documents) to your submission.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
2. Other supporting documents:
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your 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/.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Capital Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
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/710357200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a bipartisan federal agency with a unique dual mission to protect consumers and promote competition. For one hundred years, our collegial and consensus-driven agency has championed the interests of American consumers. We challenge anti-competitive mergers and business practices, and ensure that the market works according to consumer preferences. If you would like to become a part of an innovative, dynamic, team dedicated to advancing consumer interests while encouraging innovation and competition in our dynamic economy, then consider joining the FTC team! To learn more information about the FTC please visit https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc.
