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OGC EMPLOYEES ONLY
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), Civil Rights and Finance Law Office (CRFLO), Assistance Law Practice Group and the Claims Property, and Appropriations Law Practice Group (ALPG/CPAL): For more information on this office, visit website: http://www2.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-general-counsel-ogc. CRFLO is looking to fill 1 position.
Learn more about this agency03/03/2023 to 03/10/2023
$94,199 - $122,459 per year
GS 12
1 vacancy in the following location:
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - You may be required to travel less than 1 to 5 days per month.
No
Agency Employees Only
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-2023-0011
710360700
Current excepted service federal employees.
Current federal employees of this agency.
Open to Office of General Counsel Employees Only
About the Civil Rights and Finance Law Office (CRFLO)
CRFLO is one of seven law offices that comprise OGC and consists of four practice groups. The office provides legal counsel and legal services to EPA programs with respect to civil rights, equal employment opportunity, contracts, claims by and against the Agency, real and personal property, financial assistance awards, interagency agreements, delegations, appropriations law and several other areas. CRFLO provides legal counsel related to expenditure of agency funds including issues that arise under grants and cooperative agreements as well during formulation of the Agencyʼs budget. CRFLO provides legal advice during all phases of the administrative employment discrimination complaint process and provides advice to the Agencyʼs External Civil Rights Compliance Program which is responsible for ensuring that recipients of the Agencyʼs financial assistance do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. CRFLO also provides critical support to various Agency program offices and all ten regional offices related to legal review of procurement- related documents including solicitations, source selection documents, competitive range documents, and justifications for other than full and open competition. As well, CRFLO represents the Agency in complex bid protests filed with the U.S. Government Accountability Office and in claims filed pursuant to the Contracts Disputes Act before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.
CRFLO is divided into four practice groups, each of which is led by an Assistant General Counsel:
Assistance Law Practice Group
Civil Rights Law Practice Group
Claims, Property and Appropriations Law Practice Group
Procurement Law Practice Group
In this position, the Attorney Adviser: Will be assigned to the Assistance Law Practice Group (ALPG) and the Claims Property and Appropriations Law Practice Group (CPAL).
The attorney adviser provides counsel on legal matters arising under grants and cooperative agreements authorized by EPA’s annual appropriation acts and several environmental statutes and their amendments, including the Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; Safe Drinking Water Act; Solid Waste Disposal Act; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; Toxic Substance Control Act; and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act.
These issues often involve interpretation and application of authorities such as Title 31 of the U.S. Code, the Miscellaneous Receipts Act, the Anti-deficiency Act, the Budget Control Act of 2011, and decisions of the Comptroller General.
At EPA you will 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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Please identify in your written statement of interest/cover letter and resume any specialized experience in administrative and environmental law, 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.
The ideal candidate will have experience with counseling in grants and appropriations law 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.
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.
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:
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, equity, and inclusion are core values at EPA. Our excellence can only be fully realized by staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Agency’s workplace and mission. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. 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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=llqMjPj8Ku0&feature=youtu.be
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: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
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
This position is in the bargaining unit.
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 also 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 veteranʼs preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Office of General Counsel considers veteranʼs preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.
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.
Documents to be submitted online:
Documents to be submitted should be in PDF format only.
To learn more about submitting documentation, visit Uploading Documents to USAJOBS.
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 the entire announcement before applying. All required documents must be uploaded to this job vacancy announcement by 11:59 p.m. on the closing date of the announcement.
If you cannot apply online, you must contact the Human Resources Office listed below for assistance no later than three business days prior to the closing date of this announcement. You must provide complete application materials by the day the announcement closes.
For detailed instructions to assist you in ensuring your application package is received, go to EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
EPA provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. Decisions for granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.
The National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators will provide assistance to you, the Human Resources Office, and/or the hiring official as needed. For more information, see Reasonable Accommodation.
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/710360700. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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