Duties

At the entry level of this position, you will:

• Collaborate regularly with regional legal and enforcement staff, the EPA Office of General Counsel, and offices and state and local regulatory agencies in pursuit of common interest in ensuring compliance with environmental requirements by the regulated community. Represent OECA in development of new regulations, policies, and guidance.

• Draft, prepare formal comments, or otherwise make substantive recommendations with respect to proposed legislation, prepare summaries of relevant statutes and regulations enacted by Congress and state or municipal legislatures and relevant opinions of a court, commission or board.

• Perform legal research, develop legal memos and write briefing papers, including analyzing matters of first impression, to advise Agency decision makers in enforcement matters and policy decisions.

• Draft responses to inquiries by external stakeholders including: members of Congress, Trade Associations, press, community groups and other members of the public. Interact with senior attorneys and program staff. The position is developmental in nature, therefore at this level, the incumbent has limited contact with regulated community and the public.

• Conduct investigations into potential violations of various environmental statutes and related regulations. Collect and analyze documentary evidence of violations; develop the record to support enforcement actions including information requests, orders, complaints and other similar actions

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).

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• If you are selected, a pre-employment background check is required.
• You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section.
• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• An LL.B. or J.D. is required.

Current Bar membership in good standing/law license is required. You must self-certify annually and in writing that you hold an active bar membership.

If you are selected, you will be required to complete a one-year trial period.

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 will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

#LI-Onsite

Qualifications

You 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.

In addition, the following specialized training or experience is desired:

To qualify for the GS-11 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-09 level defined as experience researching, analyzing and managing diverse legal issues, or projects; and providing legal counsel at federal, state, local agencies, and/or private practice..

In addition, the following specialized training or experience is desired: 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.

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 .

The ideal candidate will have excellent interpersonal, communication and analytical skills, and a strong desire to learn and grow within the organization. In addition, 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 .

Education

A J.D. from a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association is required.

Additional information

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.

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.

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 .

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, 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.