Law Clerk (Trainee) (Honors Law Clerk)

About the role

This position is established as part of the National Labor Relations Board Honors Program. The Honors Program supports positions working in three different program areas: Board, General Counsel-Headquarters, and General Counsel-Field. This position is specifically for the General Counsel-Headquarters program area.

The purpose of this position is to provide experience that exposes the employee to the full range of agency legal practices.

What you will do

• Drafting district court and appellate briefs - with assistance as needed; and Drafting memoranda recommending whether to issue complaint in complex cases - with assistance as needed; and Assisting attorneys with investigations, preparing for trials and trials involving all aspects of civil and criminal contempt proceedings of court judgments and litigation in aid of enforcement of judgment - with assistance as needed; and Drafting various motions and other pleadings and participates in settlement and mediation sessions - with direct supervision; and Performing in-depth legal research to uncover applicable Court and Board decisions and/or any prior determinations of the General Counsel, as well as pertinent adjudications of other Federal and State administrative agencies - with assistance as needed.

Education

Applicants must have successfully completed a full course of study in a law school accredited by the ABA and have their first professional law degree (J.D. or LL.B).

OR Applicants must be currently in process of obtaining an advanced law degree (LL.M or J.S.D) from a law school accredited by the ABA.

You must meet all qualification requirements.

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see *** All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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 accredited U.S. education programs; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

For further information, visit Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.

How you will be evaluated

Once the application process is complete, your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies: Influencing/Negotiating Oral Communication Problem Solving Research Written Communication Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: *** In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. For evaluating the quality of applicants for referral to the selecting official, a multi-phased process will be used.

Phase 1: Applicants' resume and supporting documents will be reviewed by Human Resources (HR) to determine whether they meet the minimum qualification requirements. Phase 2: Applicants who are minimally qualified may be advanced to a Structured Resume Review assessment conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel.

SMEs may review applicants' resumes to evaluate technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Phase 3: Applicants who successfully pass the Structured Resume Review assessment may be advanced to a Writing Sample Review conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel.

SMEs may assess applicants' ability to demonstrate the required competencies for the position. Phase 4: A final score, which may combine the results from one or more assessments, may be used to identify the top-rated applicants.

Applicants meeting the established cut-off score may be referred to the selecting official for consideration and may be required to participate in one or more additional interviews as part of the hiring process. THE RULE OF MANY The NLRB uses the Rule of Many which ranks job applicants numerically and allows for selection from a broader, top-ranked pool.

Applications will be evaluated and rated using the Rule of Many procedures under 5 C.F.R. §332.402 based on a set number, score or percentage of highest ranked eligibles. Preference eligibles will receive 5 or 10 points added to their score based on the adjudicated preference.

All eligibles at or above the pre-determined number, score or percentage, including any preference eligibles with a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more, at any score, will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

For this job opportunity announcement applicants will be referred to the selecting official using the Rule of Many under 5 C.F.R. §332.402 based on a predetermined score.

Documents you must provide

• Please submit the supporting documents outlined below for your claimed eligibility status.
• Resume In compliance with Executive Order 14170, Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service resumes must not be longer than two pages in length.
• The resume must address minimum qualifications and other requirements listed in the job announcement.
• If the two-page resume criteria and/or the resume formatting requirement is not met, candidates will be rated as ineligible and will not be referred for hiring consideration.
• Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below: Contact Information: Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number.
• Relevant Work Experience Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions) Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 -08/2022 or present) The number of hours you worked per week Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications.
• Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement.
• Transcript An unofficial copy of your transcript and/or letter from an education institute stating that you have met all degree requirements is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required prior to entering on duty.
• The information presented in the transcript must be verifiable.
• At the minimum, the transcript and/or letter from the education institute should contain the name of the institution, applicant's name, list of completed courses, semester hours, and GPA/class rank - if the law school assigns grades or class rank.
• If selected; prior to the date of hire, you must submit your most recent official transcripts.) Legal Writing Sample Legal Writing Sample of applicant's choice (preferably no more than ten pages).
• Personal Statement Describe why you would like to work for the NLRB (preferably no more than one page).
• Other documents - if applicable.
• For more information, please click on the applicable link.
• Proof of Enrollment Applicants must demonstrate proof of enrollment for the Fall 2026, by submitting an official proof of enrollment letter from a qualifying educational institution or a transcript indicating courses to be taken in the Fall 2026.
• Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Individuals with Disabilities Veterans Disabled Veterans Certain Military Spouses Family Member Preference (Derived Preference) Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position.
• Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents.
• Uploading documents to USAJOBS does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system.
• You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.
• All materials must be received by 11/13/2026 to be considered for this announcement.

What to expect next

Once your application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated. You will receive another notification about the status of your application, and a final notice once a selection has been made.

Additional information

The General Counsel-Headquarters program area of the Honors Program is also accepting applications for a Law Clerk (Trainee) GS-0904-11 (Notice of Vacancy NL27EX13100785ZA) and General Attorney (Labor) (Honors Attorney) GS-0905-12 (Notice of Vacancy NL27EX13100787ZA).

Additionally, the Board and General Counsel-Field (Regional Offices) have postings for their respective program areas. We encourage those who are interested to review the applicable postings to determine qualifications and/or eligibilities. Please visit the NLRB's Honors Program webpage for additional information.

SUPPLEMENTARY VACANCIES Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/REASONABLE ACCOMODATION The National Labor Relations Board is an equal opportunity employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for appointment without regard to race; color; religion; sex; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.

Applicants with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Agency's Selective Placement Coordinator by email here. NLRB offers a wide array of reasonable accommodations and programs for individuals with disabilities.

(Note: For additional information for job seekers with disabilities, please click on the following website here.) PLACEMENT POLICY The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position will be filled by a new appointment.

TRIAL PERIOD As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: Your performance and conduct; and The needs and interests of the agency; and Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. ALTERNATE APPLICATION INFORMATION Applicants may contact the Office of Human Resources.

The National Labor Relations Board offers career opportunities that feature competitive starting salaries and the potential for performance-based increases, flexible hours, and the ability to achieve and maintain a balanced lifestyle.

You will enjoy a range of comprehensive and competitive employment benefits that include Work/Life Balance Programs (Alternative Work Schedules, Telework, Employee Assistance Program, and the Child Care Subsidy Program), the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance, Thrift Savings Plan, and the Transit Benefit Program.