Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Division of Employment and Training Legal Services in the Office of the Solicitor of Labor (SOL). The Division provides legal advice, rulemaking, and litigation services required by: (1) the Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration under a wide variety of statutes/programs (2) the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training and (3) the Deputy Under Secretary for International Labor Affairs.

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Responsibilities

Incumbent provides legal assistance to: (1) the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) under a wide variety of statutes/programs, including: (a) the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), (b) the Wagner-Peyser Act, (c) the federal and federal/state unemployment compensation programs under various statutes including the Social Security Act and the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, (d) the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers program, (e) the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), (f) the Senior Community Service Employment Program under title V of the Older Americans Act, (g) the National Apprenticeship Act, and (h) grant administration advice under these and other statutes; (2) the Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) in connection with (a) employment and training programs for veterans and separating service members such as the Jobs for Veterans' State Grants program, the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program, and the Transition Assistance Program, (b) the HIRE Vets Act, (c) the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), and (d) the provisions of the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) relating to enforcement of Federal executive branch veterans' preference laws; and (3) the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) concerning all international labor activities of the Department, including responsibilities concerning the International Labor Organization, labor standards in free trade agreements, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and other programs and activities concerning international child labor, forced labor and core labor standards.

This position involves a variety of tasks, including drafting formal and informal legal opinions, providing oral legal advice, reviewing guidance and other agency documents, reviewing and/or drafting regulations and other rulemaking documents, drafting Federal legislation or furnishing technical and legal assistance to Congressional committees considering legislation, and representing the Department in administrative litigation. Incumbent also participates with and advises the client agencies in regard to a variety of other issues that arise in the administration of the client agencies' programs.

The position requires knowledge of or an interest in learning the programs administered by DOL in the aforementioned areas, knowledge of and experience with federal administrative law, experience in the federal rulemaking process, experience with federal grants law, and basic litigation skills. This position also requires the ability to work in a fast-paced environment and a strong dedication to public service. Incumbent exercises independent judgment and discretion in the discharge of duties, including providing advice directly to DOL officials and staff, subject to the overall supervision of a Division Counsel.

Incumbent from time-to-time meets with Federal officials in such agencies as the Department of Education, the Department of Justice, the Department of State, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Department of Defense, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Government Accountability Office.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the need for an employee promoted to the higher level, and supervisory approval.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
• U.S. Citizenship.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Relocation expenses are not paid.
• This position is inside the bargaining unit

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Qualifications

To qualify for an attorney position, applicants must possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); be a member in good standing of the bar of a court of general jurisdiction of a state, territory or possession of the U.S.; and have acquired the amount of experience indicated below for each grade level.

GS-13, two (2) years of progressively responsible legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform the work at this level.

GS-14, three (3) years of progressively responsible legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform the work at this level.

Education

For this position education is a requirement. You must have obtained a J.D. from a qualifying educational institution. You must submit academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements. If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation necessary to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.

College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education - The Department of Labor does not recognize academic degrees from unauthorized secondary schools or post-secondary institutions that are not accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Department of Education. Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information. Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Additional information

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees' differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION , ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION , FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements for this position will be further evaluated against the following evaluation factors. Current and/or past supervisors may be contacted unless specified otherwise. A panel and/or the selecting official or his/her designee may interview applicants.

Evaluation Factors:

1. Prior experience relevant to the position, particularly experience in complex Federal litigation and in providing advice to clients, drafting opinions, and drafting regulations or policy guidance on very difficult, highly complex and/or controversial questions involving problems of statutory construction and novel questions of law. Prior experience with the programs listed above will be a plus.

2. Ability to make effective oral presentations in a clear and concise manner.

3. Ability to advise clients and establish and maintain effective working relationships with high level departmental officials, regional program officials, supervisors, agency staff, officials and staff of other Federal agencies and the general public.

4. Ability to multi-task in a complex and fast-paced inter-disciplinary legal environment, entailing timely collections of facts, identification and resolution of issues, enumeration of options, and formulation of recommendations.

5. Demonstrated skill in researching and preparing well-written, organized and persuasive documents including briefs and other pleadings, legal memoranda, regulations and guidance documents, correspondence, pleadings and briefings

It is the responsibility of the applicant to supply sufficient information to provide a basis for rating each of the evaluation factors listed above.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). The examining Human Resources Office (HRO) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses. If not, the HRO may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume.
To preview questions please click here .

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Warning: If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission.
You are not required to submit a document if it does not apply to you.

- Bar Certification: Should you be selected for this position, you will be required to submit documentation verifying that you are an active member of the Bar in Good Standing of any State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court under the U.S. Constitution. This letter and/or certificate should be dated within the last six months of the closing date of this job announcement.

- Transcripts: Should you be selected for this position, you will be required to submit documentation verifying that you have completed your first professional law degree. Applicants who claim substitution of education for experience with an LL.M must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.

- Veterans Documents (if applicable):
Attorney appointments within the Department of Labor are positions in the excepted service, not the competitive service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference in attorney appointments; however, the Department of Labor considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. In order to receive positive consideration, you must indicate your eligibility, in response to the appropriate item on the vacancy questionnaire. Additionally, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD214 showing the type of discharge and dates of active duty and, if applicable, a VA letter certifying the present existence of the service-connected disability which indicates the percentage of your disability. (For active duty service members expecting to be honorably discharged or released within 120 days, click Active Duty ) Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's consideration. Additional information is available in the Vet's Guide .

You may also find more information on positive consideration for attorney hiring .

- Displaced Employee Placement Documents: These documents are only required if you are requesting priority consideration under ICTAP/CTAP Eligibility. Applicants with disabilities (SCHEDULE A) applying under the area of consideration must submit proof of certification by counselors, State vocational rehabilitation agencies or the Veterans Administration.

- Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience, but may be submitted.

Applicants selected for employment that are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, or non-citizenship as allowable in Excepted Service hiring through P.L. 112-10, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.