Duties

The major duties of this position are researching and drafting decisions in formal proceedings before the Board.

The Board adjudicates, among others, the following types of proceedings: complaints of unreasonable railroad rates or practices; declaratory orders; licensing of rail line constructions, acquisitions, or abandonments; railroad mergers or acquisitions; and proceedings under the Board's limited jurisdiction over motor carriers, water carriage in the noncontiguous domestic trade, and certain pipelines.

In preparing draft decisions, the selected attorneys will review the record before the agency and apply the relevant statutes, regulations, policies, and case law. Board decisions include summaries of relevant evidence, analysis of salient legal issues, and findings of fact, conclusions of law, and determinations of actions to be taken by the Board.

The selected attorneys will lead meetings with staff from other offices within the Board to develop recommendations for resolving Board proceedings, lead briefings of the Board members to present staff recommendations, and draft legal memoranda, correspondence, or other materials as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

U.S. Citizenship is required.

All qualification requirements must be met by 10/20/2022. Your application package will not receive consideration if it lacks any of the required documents under the "Required Documents" tab.

Trial Period: Two-year trial period may be required.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/

Background Suitability Investigation: Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability or security clearance. If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

Qualifications

The Office of Personnel Management has not issued qualification standards for attorney positions. However, successful candidates must possess the following minimum qualifications before the closing date of this posting:

• A professional law degree (LL.B, J.D., LL.M.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA);
• Current membership in good standing of the bar of a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia. Proof of bar membership will be required before entering on duty.

All candidates being considered must demonstrate through their application documents: excellent research and writing skills, incisive legal analytical ability, strong oral advocacy and presentation skills.

GS-11 candidates must possess their first professional law degree and a record of the first professional law degree demonstrating superior law student work or activities (e.g., superior academic standing, significant achievement in law school activities, or other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement i.e., law clerk experience or work experience significant to law school of record).

GS-12 candidates must have one year of professional legal experience: analyzing statutes, regulations, and decisional law, and presenting those analyses and relevant legal or policy issues for decision. Federal clerkships count towards creditable experience.

GS-13 candidates must have two years of professional legal experience: analyzing statutes, regulations, and decisional law, and presenting those analyses and relevant legal or policy issues for decision and resolving disputes. Federal clerkships count towards creditable experience.

GS-14 candidates must have three years of professional legal experience: analyzing statutes, regulations, and decisional law; presenting those analyses and relevant legal or policy issues for decision; resolving disputes, and must possess a legal background in transportation, economics, administrative law, or government regulation. Federal clerkships count towards creditable experience.

GS-15 candidates must have four years of professional legal experience: analyzing statutes, regulations, and decisional law, and presenting those analyses and relevant legal or policy issues for decision and resolving disputes in support of an efficient, competitive, and economically viable surface transportation network. Candidates at this level will also have experience providing advice on complex technical issues concerning rail transportation. Federal clerkships count towards creditable experience.

A writing sample is to be submitted with application package.

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

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 an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at U.S. accredited college or university. For further information visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

This position is eligible for telework in accordance with STB's telework policy.

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. The STB will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation may be needed.

Fitness Center: STB employees, at no cost, have access to the fitness center conveniently located in the building; and

A monthly transit subsidy for a portion of your commuting costs to help defray the commuting costs of employees who use mass transportation, including commuter bus, Metrorail or Metrobus, or commuter rail systems.