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The U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of the General Counsel seeks applications for its 2025 Attorney Honors Program. Honors Attorneys provide legal advice to help the Department meet its strategic goals, promoting U.S. commerce at home and abroad. To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen graduating from law school in Spring 2025 or a recent law school graduate completing a clerkship or fellowship in Summer 2025.
Please read this Public Notice fully before submitting your application.
07/30/2024 to 09/13/2024
$82,764 - $128,956 per year
GS 11 - 12
6 vacancies 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
Yes
OS- OGC-PNF-24-12495510
802196200
Applications will be accepted from all U.S. Citizens.
The attorney(s) will be hired at the GS-11 or GS-12 grade level, depending on experience. The promotion potential following placement after one's participation in the Honors Program is to the GS-15 level.
GS-11 Level:
Performs a variety of legal duties such as: researching legal issues which are often factually complex; developing drafts of letters, memoranda, and legal documents for the use by a higher graded attorney; participating in administrative or judicial hearings; or engaging with other federal agencies in commerce-related matters.
GS-12 Level:
Performs a variety of legal duties such as researching legal issues which are often factually complex; developing drafts of letters, memoranda and legal documents for themselves or a higher graded attorney; participating in administrative or judicial hearings; or engaging with other federal agencies in commerce-related matters. The incumbent is expected to be able to independently present legal conclusions to adjudicatory authorities, high level organizational officials, as well as outside counsel and other interested groups.
Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/
Basic requirement for all grade levels upon commencement of the position:
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.
Minimum Requirements:
The career ladder for attorney positions in OGC is generally GS-11 to GS-15. The minimum qualifications for hiring at each grade level (or equivalent) are as follows:
To qualify at the GS-11 level:
At the time of entry into the program,J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in one of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. (The requirement that an applicant possess a J.D. may be waived if his or her bar membership is in a state that allows individuals to "read for the law" rather than pursue a formal academic degree).
To qualify at the GS-12 level:
GS-11 qualifications plus one year or more of post-J.D. legal experience. This includes clerkship or fellowship experience.
Applicants must either be a candidate for a Juris Doctor for the Class of 2025 from an accredited law school or possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited law school. Official or unofficial transcripts must be submitted with your application package.
This position does not confer non-competitive conversion to the competitive service. Acceptance of an excepted service appointment from applicants in the competitive service will require a written statement of understanding when voluntarily leaving the competitive service.
The Federal student loan repayment program permits agencies to repay Federally-insured student loans as a recruitment or retention incentive for candidates or current employees of the agency. The program implements 5 U.S.C. § 5379, which authorizes agencies to set up their own student loan repayment programs to attract or retain highly qualified employees. OGC participates in the Office of the Secretary's Student Loan Repayment through the Student Loan Repayment Program in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5379. The approval is determined by the supervisor and funding must be available to support the request. There is not any guarantee of this incentive to any requesting employee. For more information, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/student-loan-repayment/#:~:text=The%20Federal%20student%20loan%20repayment%20program%20permits%20agencies,programs%20to%20attract%20or%20retain%20highly%20qualified%20employees.
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. Applicants will be rated based on their education, experience, demonstrated legal research and writing abilities, and performance during the interview process. Basis for evaluation: If eligible and meeting basic qualifications, your application package will be evaluated in conjunction with your résumé and supporting documents for the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position:
Please be advised that Department of Commerce Attorney positions are in the Excepted Service. As such, these positions are not covered by the usual civil service hiring procedures. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications stated herein. We will perform an initial review of applications to determine basic eligibility and minimum qualifications for the position and numeric scores will not be assigned. There are no numerical rating systems through which to apply veterans' preference; however, the Office of the General Counsel favorably considers veterans preference eligibility in hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume. If selected, additional information may be required.
A complete application consists of the following:
Failure to provide documents, if selected, may result in lost consideration.
Please DO NOT put your SSN on pages within your application package. Privacy Act - Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.
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.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING RESUMES AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Submit required documents email to DOCHonorsProgram@doc.gov with the subject line Attorney Honors Program- [LAST NAME] and including at least the following information in the email's body:
[PERSON'S NAME]
[PERSONS' ADDRESS]
[PERSON'S PHONE NUMBER]
[PERSON'S EMAIL ADDRESS]
1. Cover letter
2. Resume
3. Copy of law school transcript
4. Writing sample
Once your application is received we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your eligibility. You will only be contacted if you are found eligible and if you are selected for an interview.
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for OGC to share your application with others in OGC for similar positions.
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed.
After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).
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/802196200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
The Department of Commerce's mission is to create conditions for economic growth and opportunity for all communities. The Department drives U.S. economic competitiveness, strengthens domestic industry, and spurs growth of quality jobs in communities across the country.
OGC's mission is to have a lasting impact on rules of commerce to revitalize the economy and lay a foundation for sustainable U.S. leadership in the global economy. OGC leads with a culture of excellence, service, and creative collaboration. It provides legal strategy and analysis for a range of complex, cutting-edge issues, including innovation, economic security, and national security.
The Honors Program is a unique two-year rotational program offering challenging assignments and broad exposure to Commerce's diverse mission and the work of a Cabinet-level agency. Honors Attorneys will work both programmatic and administrative offices. Programmatic Offices include the offices of the Chief Counsel for Semiconductor Incentives (implementing the CHIPS Act), Chief Counsel for Industry and Security (enforcing export controls that keep U.S. technology out of the wrong hands), Chief Counsel for the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (delivering on the promise of high speed Internet access to all), among others. Administrative offices provide counsel on contracting, and procurement; personnel law; appropriations; and ethics.
Successful honors attorneys will be permanently placed in an OGC office.
