General Attorney (Public Notice Flyer)

About the role

This vacancy is for a General Attorney (Public Notice Flyer) in the Office of the Secretary within the Department of Commerce.

What you will do

• The Office of the General Counsel ("OGC") is seeking highly qualified candidates to fill numerous vacancies, across multiple practice areas, within the Office of the Deputy General Counsel for Administration ("DGCA"): Employment Litigation and Information (ELI) is responsible for all litigation brought by or against the Department and oversees matters involving information law.
• The office is comprised of three divisions: the Employment and Labor Law Division, the General Litigation Division, and the Information Law Division.
• Ethics Law and Program (ELP) is accountable for administration of Commerce's government ethics program.
• This encompasses all bureaus and offices.
• The primary mission is to prevent conflicts of interest arising for Commerce personnel, through rigorous training, financial disclosure reviews, and advice and counsel activities.
• ELP supports departmental risk mitigation and provides support related to guidance on the Hatch Act.
• Common guidance areas include financial and personal conflicts of interest, outside activities, gifts, and post-employment restrictions.
• Legislation and Regulation (L&R) manages the Department's legislative and regulatory legal functions.
• L&R oversees the Department's legislative review process, reviews and clears rulemaking proposals prepared by bureaus and offices, and serves as the Department's liaison with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on legislative and regulatory matters.
• The office consists of the Legislative Division and the Regulatory Division.
• Office of Accountability (OA) is responsible for ensuring that the Department maintains the highest standards of performance and conduct across its 40,000+ person workforce.
• OA attorneys investigate instances of serious misconduct and poor performance and initiate appropriate corrective action.
• OA attorneys work on high-profile, sensitive personnel matters that threaten the Department's mission.
• Transactions and Program Management's (TPM) three divisions provide legal services and guidance to the Department's senior leadership and bureau program offices regarding procurement, real property, financial assistance, interagency, and other special agreement transactions with outside parties and represents the Department in any litigation arising from procurement and real property matters.
• The office also provides legal advice on areas of environmental compliance and regulation, and general administrative law and agency operations not covered by other components of OGC, including fiscal law, trademark and copyright law, directives management and delegations of authority, personal property law, and travel and transportation law, among other issues.
• This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other General Attorney (Public Notice Flyer) GS-0905-11/12/13/14/15, FPL GS-15 positions within the Office of the Secretary in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
• A trial period may be required.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see ***) If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Drug Test Required: No License required: No Pre-employment physical required: No Bargaining Unit Position: No Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): No Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: Will not be paid

Education

See Qualifications Above.

How you will be evaluated

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 resume and supporting documents for the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position: Knowledge of research strategies and techniques sufficient to research the most complex legal issues.

The issues researched are almost always factually complex and are in areas of the law which are often in a continual state of evolution, thus requiring atypical and innovative research strategies.

Ability to communicate effectively with diverse clients and constituencies on varied and complex topics in writing clearly, concisely, and persuasively, with particular emphasis on the ability to analyze and explain complex legal issues.

Ability to communicate effectively orally with diverse clients and constituencies on varied and complex topics and independently present legal conclusions to adjudicatory authorities. Ability to maintain effective working and reporting relationships with professional peers, support staff, and management officials.

Ability to organize work effectively to meet established deadlines and priorities related to legal cases and matters. 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. 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.

Documents you must provide

• A complete application consists of the following: Cover letter.
• Address demonstrated interests and qualifications as it relates to the position.
• Resume showing relevant experience.
• Your resume must not be more than 2 pages and should list your educational and work experience, including the dates (mm/dd/yyyy) and provide the hours per week, if less than 40.
• For work in the Federal Service, please include the pay plan and grade level for the position(s).
• Copy of law school transcript.
• (Unofficial copy is sufficient, but official copy must be submitted before appointment).
• You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
• Certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing.
• Prior to receiving an offer, you will be asked to provide a certificate of bar membership and proof of good standing. *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.

What to expect next

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. Applicants selected for interviews may be requested to provide a legal writing sample.

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.).

Additional information

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.