Duties

Summary

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high-performing and diverse workforce in which employees' differences are respected. DOL's inclusive work environment promotes collaboration, flexibility, and fairness, allowing all employees to contribute to DOL's mission at their full potential.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of the Solicitor (SOL), Division of Black Lung and Longshore Legal Services (BLLLS). BLLLS represents DOL's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), in all legal matters arising under the Black Lung Benefits Act (BLBA) and the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA).

The Counsel for Enforcement and Administrative Litigation supervises a staff of attorneys and paralegals under the general direction of the Associate Solicitor and Deputy Associate Solicitor for BLLLS. The Counsel will serve as the leader of the Division's enforcement practice and co-leader of its administrative litigation practice.

The Division's enforcement practice focuses on protecting two government-administered trust funds that provide benefits to injured workers in the event of a default by the liable employer or insurer. The Division enforces benefits awards against employers and insurers, ensures that employers secure benefits payments, represents the trust funds in bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings, and provides a wide range of legal advice to OWCP. As the primary supervisor in this practice area, the Counsel is responsible for selecting appropriate cases to enforce, coordinating with Department of Justice and regional DOL attorneys, developing enforcement-related policies and procedures for SOL and OWCP, and serving as a legal advisor to agency leadership on these and related topics.

The Division's administrative litigation practice focuses on representing OWCP in appeals before the Department's Benefits Review Board in cases under the BLBA and LHWCA. These appeals involve a variety of regulatory, statutory, and constitutional issues. As one of two primary supervisors in this practice area, the Counsel is responsible for overseeing the work of Division attorneys in Board cases and advising OWCP on related matters. The Counsel also advises regional DOL attorneys on litigation before administrative law judges under the BLBA and LHWCA.

This position is excluded from the bargaining unit.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
15 - This position is at the Full-Performance Level (FPL).

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship or non-citizen as allowed by law.
• Requires completion of Supervisory probationary period.
• Relocation expenses will not be paid
• Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.

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-15, four (4) years of progressively responsible legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform the work at this level. At least one year of qualifying experience, at this level, must be specialized experience as defined below.

Specialized experience, for this grade level, is experience, for this position, consists of one (1) year of experience as a practicing attorney engaged in appellate or trial litigation.

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.

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. Demonstrated skill in performing thorough legal research and analysis.
2. Demonstrated ability to prepare well-written, organized, and persuasive legal documents.
3. Ability to make effective oral presentations in a clear and concise manner.
4. Substantial experience in litigation involving complex factual and legal issues, preferably in a regulated area, with knowledge of federal court practice and procedure.
5. Demonstrated comfort and ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

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 .

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.

- Cover Letters: Provide a cover letter not to exceed one page, summarizing your interest in and qualifications for this position.

- 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.

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.