Duties

The General Attorney position at the GS-11 grade is an entry level position and duties may vary with increasing responsibilities according to the grade level. The following duties represent General Attorney positions at GS-15 level:

• Serve as Senior counsel and lead attorney on complex legal matters in the Employment Law and Labor Law Division.
• Provide legal advice, representation, and services to various bureaus within the Department of Commerce on complex and difficult questions of employment and labor law.
• Responsible for the analysis of legal issues in question, the development of the strategy to deal with legal issues, and the content and means of delivery of the completed analysis of legal issues.
• Decide on an array of procedural issues for an administrative board such as motions to amend pleadings, draft decisions for administrative bodies, and provide technical guidance to influence policies and to junior attorneys.
• Typically deals with top management or attorneys within other agencies or private and public organizations.

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other General Attorney GS-905-11/12/13/14/15 (Public Notice Flyer) positions within the Office of the Secretary in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• 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 of possession of drugs.
• A probationary period may be required.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/)
• 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.
• Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
• Drug Test Required: No
• License required: BAR Certification
• Pre-employment physical required: No
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): Yes
• Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: will not be paid.
• Federal Student Loan Repayment Incentive. Approval is determined by the supervisor and funding must be available to support the request but not guaranteed.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement is based on the Department of Commerce Attorneys and Law Clerks standards for Hiring and Advancement guidelines. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has no Group Coverage Qualification Standard for this series.

Basic Requirements for All Grade Levels:

1. EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Must be a law school graduate with a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and;

2. ACTIVE BAR MEMBERSHIP in good standing in one of the 50 United States, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Minimum Requirements

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Specialized experience equips applicants with particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. For this position, specialized experience includes knowledge of labor and employment law and/ or litigation experience. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to accurately identify and quickly analyze relevant and critical issues related to Employment and Labor Law. Applicants must also demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, good judgment and exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff and client bureaus.

The career ladder for attorney positions is generally GS-11 to GS-15 in the Office of General Counsel (OGC). The minimum required experience applicants must possess at each grade level (or equivalent) is as follows:

GS-11: Must meet six months of legal experience and the above Basic Requirements such as aJuris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing in one of the 50 States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. GS-12: Must meet the above GS-11 requirements plus one-year legal experience obtained after receipt of J.D. degree, or superior academic law school record, or an internship in Employment Law or Labor Law; or Doctoral degree. GS-13: Must have two (2) years legal experience obtained after receipt of J.D. degree in Employment Law or Labor Law or relevant professional non-legal experience as an Employee Relations Specialist. GS-14: Must have three (3) years of relevant legal experience obtained after receipt of J.D. degree in Employment Law or Labor Law. GS:15: Must have four (4) years of relevant legal experience obtained after receipt of J.D. degree in Employment Law or Labor Law.

Note: The General Counsel or designee retains the discretion to waive minimum qualifications as described above. The J.D. requirement may be waived if his or her bar membership is in a state that allows individuals to "read for the law" rather than pursue a formal academic degree).

Applicants may be hired at any of the grades shown in this announcement, commensurate with the candidate's experience and qualifications. You are encouraged to identify the grade level(s) or salary for which you wish to be considered.

To receive any credit for your experience, please indicate dates of employment with month and year, and indicate the number of hours worked per week on your resume.

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

Please see Qualifications and Required Documents section for more information.

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.