Duties

An appointment as an Attorney Advisor to the Office of General Counsel Administrative Law Division's Agenda Review Team offers unique and challenging work for highly-motivated individuals. The incumbent is responsible for providing well-reasoned and consequential legal advice on complex and cutting-edge legal issues (sometimes of first impression) to senior Commission staff. As explained below, this attorney plays a critical role in ensuring that the Commission's rules and orders comply with applicable laws and policies and can withstand judicial scrutiny.

Incumbent reports directly to the Deputy Associate General Counsel for Agenda Review, Administrative Law Division, and participates as a member of one of several Division teams of "agenda review" attorneys. Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides legal advice to all the Commission Bureaus and Offices and to the Chairman and Commissioners regarding proposed policy initiatives and proceedings, subject to supervision and review by the Deputy Associate General Counsel; provides substantive legal analysis and advice in one or more of the following subject matter areas: wireline, wireless, media, international, public safety and homeland security, engineering and technology, enforcement, and consumer and governmental affairs.
  
  
• Monitors and analyzes the trend of communications and administrative law to determine its effect and/or potential impact on Commission actions; prepares legal advice on the basis of legal research and consultation with appropriate experts on important and/or novel jurisdictional, statutory, or regulatory problems/issues in one or more of the following areas of law: communications law, administrative law and procedure, constitutional law, environmental and historic preservation law, homeland defense and cybersecurity law, privacy law, ex parte rules, use of government information, international laws and treaties, preemption law, and coordination with federal, state and/or local authorities.
  
  
• Reviews and drafts regulatory initiatives as directed by the Deputy Associate General Counsel; prepares draft opinions, recommendations, and legal memoranda for review by the Deputy Associate General Counsel; and represents the General Counsel's Office at internal Commission meetings and in agency meetings with outside
  
  
• Coordinates with and advises OGC's Litigation Division to the extent matters may result in administrative or judicial litigation; serves as one of the principal legal advisors concerning these projects in the Office of General Counsel. Performs such day-to-day duties under a minimum of supervision and direction.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Bar Membership Documentation Required Upon Selection.
• Education-Transcripts Required Upon Interview
• US Citizenship.
• Suitable for employment as determined by a background investigation.
• Serve a probationary period of one year, if applicable.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.
• Financial disclosure statement may be required upon assuming the position.
• Current FCC employees must provide SF-50 verifying grade & status.
• Current/former federal employees must provide SF-50 to verify grade, status

Please note your resume must thoroughly support your responses to the vacancy questions. Your resume is an integral part of the process for determining if you meet the basic qualifications of the position and determining if you are to be among the best qualified.

ALL CURRENT/FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CURRENT FCC EMPLOYEES MUST provide a legible Personnel Action, SF-50, that verifies your status and highest permanently held grade. If an SF-50 is not submitted, the application will be rated as ineligible.

CURRENT FCC EMPLOYEES-To request a copy of your SF-50 please send an email to PersonnelRecordsRequest@fcc.gov

Qualifications

Applicants must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Professional law experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

In order to be deemed as "BEST QUALIFIED" candidates must meet both the educational requirements AND the Specialized Experience.

A. Education

You must meet the minimum basic educational requirements for Attorney positions. Education requirements include: a professional law degree JD, LL.B., and/or LL.M.

NOTE-If you do not provide a transcript at the time of application, a transcript will be required to be provided prior to selection.

AND

B. Specialized Experience

To Qualify for the GS-14: Applicant must possess at least three years of professional law experience and at least one year of that experience must be specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal Service.

For this position, specialized experience includes the following: Experience interpreting and applying federal statutes and regulations; skill in analyzing complex legal and technical issues; experience preparing comprehensive legal documents; the ability to communicate and interact with individuals at varying levels of authority.

To Qualify for the GS-15: Applicant must possess at least four years of professional law experience and at least one year of that experience must be specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal Service.

For this position, specialized experience includes the following: Experience researching, interpreting and applying federal statutes and regulations to novel questions; skill in analyzing complex legal and technical issues and providing recommendations or solutions; experience preparing comprehensive legal documents; the ability to communicate and interact with individuals at varying levels of authority both orally and in writing.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: 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.

Education

Refer to Educational requirements outlined within the "Qualifications" section.

Additional information

EEO Policy Statement

Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement

Veterans Information

Legal and Regulatory Guidance

Before hiring, an agency will ask you to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. The agency will also ask you to sign and certify the accuracy of all the information in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or you may be fined or jailed. If you are a male over age 18 who was born after December 31, 1959, you must have registered with the Selective Service System (or have an exemption) to be eligible for a Federal job.