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This position is in Region 8, Office of Regional Counsel. About Region 8: Region 8
This is an office-centered position*--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis.
*EPA offers work-from-home and work schedule flexibilities as described in the Benefits section.
12/12/2024 to 12/20/2024
$80,665 - $125,685 per year
Salary will be based on the grade level for which you are selected.
GS 11 - 12
No
Yes—NOTE: If you are an EPA employee who currently works at a remote work location (i.e., full-time telework), your approval for remote work does not transfer to this position.
Occasional travel - You may be required to travel for this position
No
Term - .Temporary not-to-exceed 1 year. You will be expected to commit to the full term of the appointment, which is expected to be a total of 2 years or less]
Full-time
Excepted
12
No
No
EPA-X8-OAE-2025-0002
823356000
At the entry level of this position, you will:
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. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level.
One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position.
If you have not yet passed the bar exam, offer of employment will be contingent upon admission to the bar and licensure/authorization to practice as an attorney.
You must self-certify annually and in writing that you hold an active bar membership.
#LI-Onsite
If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter.
This position is designated as Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date.
If you are selected, you may be required to complete a one-year trial period.
This position is in the bargaining unit.
If you are selected, your appointment may be extended beyond the initial not-to-exceed date to a maximum of two years.
NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement.
In addition to the educational requirements, you must meet the minimum grade-specific qualifications as described below:
To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must have either:
-an LL.M. degree
OR
-at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level defined as Up to three years post-law school paid and/or unpaid legal and/or public service experience in some combination of litigation (civil, criminal, or commercial), judicial clerkship, providing legal advice to agencies or clients in private practice; drafting or reviewing legal memoranda, legal opinions, or other legal documents; interacting with clients, other attorneys, investigators, prosecutors, agency representatives, or other stakeholders in performing their legal functions. The candidate must have exceptional written and oral communication skills, the ability to manage a busy case docket, and a strong interest in practicing environmental law, public service, and EPA’s mission of protecting public health and the environment.
OR
-completed superior law student activities while earning a J.D. degree. Superior law student activities include:
(A) Academic standing in upper third of law school graduating class;
(B) Work or achievement of significance on law school’s law review;
(C) Special high-level honors for academic excellence, such as election to Order of the Coif;
(D) Winning of a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team representing the law school in competition with other law schools;
(E) Full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program or significant summer law office clerk experience; or
(F) Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement, as determined by the hiring office and documented in writing for the case file.
To qualify for the GS-12 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level defined as excellent legal research and writing skills, oral and written communication skills, and collaborative work skills as demonstrated through academic courses and activities or other experience; knowledge of environmental law or administrative law as demonstrated through academic courses and activities or other experience; and either:
- A legal clerkship, either administrative or judicial, at the state or federal level.
OR
- A position as a licensed attorney or, if you have already taken a state bar exam but have not yet been admitted to the bar, a position working under the supervision of a licensed attorney:
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.
*If you have part-time work experience, read this: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
You must:
(1) possess a J.D. or LL.M. degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university or equivalent apprentice experience as allowed per state law; and
(2) be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia; and
(3) be an active member of the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction in good standing.
NOTE: Bar membership and licensure are not required at the time of application, but you must be admitted to the bar and obtain your license before entry on duty.
For information about accreditation requirements, visit EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
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 Legal Careers at EPA Webinar.
About the Office of Regional Counsel, Region 8: EPA’s Rocky Mountain Region (Region 8) implements and enforces federal environmental laws in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 28 Tribal Nations. Region 8’s Honors Attorney Fellowship is designed for recent law school graduates with excellent academic credentials and a strong interest in an environmental law career and service in the public sector. It provides an opportunity for entry-level attorneys to practice law in a leading governmental environmental organization and to receive extensive training in, and exposure to, environmental law and policy work in the public sector. Region 8 offers new attorneys significant responsibility, including the opportunity to handle a varied enforcement caseload. Extensive training and mentoring for the Fellow will be provided by dedicated attorney colleagues with recognized expertise. EPA’s Office of Regional Counsel is responsible for developing and prosecuting administrative, judicial, and criminal cases against alleged violators of federal environmental laws. In addition to bringing enforcement actions, the office defends agency actions and provides advice on the legal sufficiency of permits, program delegations to the states, grants, Freedom of Information Act issues, general law issues, administrative law issues, and ethics. The Office of Regional Counsel also provides legal interpretations and support for the implementation of statutes under EPA’s jurisdiction and the Agency’s regulations.
If you have questions about this position, contact Brian Joffe at joffe.brian@epa.gov
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.
This position is excluded from provisions of the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP).
Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status.
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 in the Overview section.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Applications will be evaluated against the basic qualifications, and then may be subject to additional assessments (e.g., technical writing sample or other work sample, job knowledge test, case scenario analysis, scientific data assessment, structured interview, etc.).
EPA considers veterans’ preference as a positive factor. Applicants who have veterans’ preference are encouraged to include their information in their cover letters or resumes and attach supporting documentation to substantiate their preference.
Excepted service positions are not covered by regular civil service hiring procedures.
Required documents to be submitted online:
ALL APPLICANTS
In your cover letter or resume, please explain how your skills and experience meet the qualifications listed for this position, and any experience or interest you have with:
APPLICANTS QUALIFYING BASED ON SUPERIOR LAW STUDENT ACTIVITIES
APPLICANTS CLAIMING VETERANS’ PREFERENCE
Separated veterans claiming 5-point preference:
Separated veterans claiming 10-point preference based on compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more:
Other separated veterans claiming 10-point preference OR spouses, widows/widowers, or mothers claiming 10-point derived preference:
Active duty service members:
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.
You are strongly encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application for this position.
To begin the application process, click the Apply button to the top right on this screen, follow the prompts to log-in/register, submit all required documents, and complete the assessment questionnaire. To be considered, you must submit a complete application package by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the day the announcement closes.
All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS document portfolio feature (see How to Upload Documents).
If you cannot apply online, you must contact the Human Resources Office listed below for assistance no later than two 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 welcomes applications from persons with disabilities. Through the reasonable accommodation process, we provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment that persons without disabilities enjoy. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done. An accommodation removes workplace barriers and enables an applicant with a disability to have an equal opportunity to participate in the application process, be considered for a position, and, if hired, perform the essential functions of their job.
The EPA National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators will provide assistance to you, the Human Resources Office, and/or the hiring official as needed. For more information, refer to EPA’s Reasonable Accommodation website. Below is more detailed information about how to request a reasonable accommodation during the application, selection, and hiring process:
Please note: Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
You can track the progress of your application via your USAJOBS account by clicking the Track This Application link. Through your USAJOBS account, you will be notified of the status of your application at four touch-points (some of these notifications may be combined): (1) when your application is received; (2) when we conduct an eligibility and qualification review of your application package; (3) when applications are referred (or not) to the hiring manager; (4) when a selection is made (or not) for the position or the job is canceled. It is your responsibility to check your USAJOBS account for this application status information. In addition, you will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the human resources office posting this announcement.
NOTE: We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses through reference and/or background check, and/or verification of your education. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration.
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/823356000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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