Duties

Summary

The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of the General Counsel is seeking attorneys to provide legal advice and counsel to DOE offices overseeing a wide range of electricity and fossil energy programs, including energy infrastructure security, grid modernization, natural gas and electricity exports, petroleum reserves, electric and natural gas rate litigation, and related research and development at the National Laboratories. Each successful applicant will be assigned to specific programs.

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Responsibilities

Attorney-Advisers in the Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Electricity and Fossil Energy (Office) will provide analyses, interpretations and opinions on issues that range from relativity straightforward to extremely complex, involving the issuance of DOE legal and policy documents which may substantially broaden or restrict DOE activities, or have a significant impact on major industries and the public. Other responsibilities may include the following:

Advise and provide legal counsel to officials within DOE's Office of Electricity; Office of Fossil Energy; Office of Policy; and Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response; and other program offices concerning electric, oil, natural gas, coal, and federal power marketing administration issues. Provide legal assistance and guidance to DOE officials concerning studies, reports, analyses, and agreements prepared by or for DOE program offices.

Advise DOE officials on pending and proposed legislation that significantly impacts relevant major energy and related industries, the general public, and DOE's responsibilities and authority. Advise on rulemakings, correspondence, comments, policy statements, speeches, and testimony of DOE officials, for presentation before congressional committees and other entities.

Represent the Office in meetings with federal, state, local, and foreign government officials and industry representatives to deliberate the legal and policy aspects of proposed legislation, regulations, and activities as they affect DOE, other governmental organizations, the energy industry, or the general public.

Represent DOE and other federal executive agencies before federal and state regulatory bodies involving the consumer interests of DOE or energy policy matters. Provide counsel on relevant Federal Energy Regulatory Commission opinions, rules, policies, and electric reliability standards. Assist in legal matters involving the federal power marketing administrations including review of rate filings.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - 5% or less.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Relocation expenses will not be provided.
• See "Other Information" section regarding Selective Service requirements.
• Background and/or Security Investigation is required.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

All candidates must meet the minimum education requirements of successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) with a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and must be a current, active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR THIS VACANCY:

A preliminary background investigation must be completed before a new employee can begin work. Current federal employees or other individuals with an existing completed background investigation may not be required to undergo another background investigation. If selected for this vacancy, you will be required to file the OGE Form 450 (Confidential Financial Disclosure Statement).

Qualifications

GS-11: Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform legal work.

GS-12: Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and one year of professional (attorney) legal experience and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work.

GS-13: Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and one year of professional (attorney) legal experience and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work and one additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled.

GS-14: Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and three years of professional (attorney) legal experience and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work, plus one additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled.

GS-15: Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and four years of professional (attorney) legal experience and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work, plus one additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled.

Education

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Specific experience is defined as professional legal experience, which enabled the candidate to acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the work relevant to a specific legal component.

Additional information

This is an excepted service position where appointees must serve a one-year trial period. Male applicants born after 12/31/1959, who are required to register with the Selective Service under section 3 of the Military Selective Service Act, must be registered (or must have registered at the time they were required to do so) in order to be eligible for appointment. For more informaton, visit the SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM web site.

Relocation expenses will not be provided.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

In addition to other application materials, provide a written statement answering the following questions:

1. What interests you about an energy practice?

2. Why do you want to work for the U.S. Department of Energy and, more specifically, this office?

3. What is your applicable experience that touches on the following range of tasks?

• (a) Undertake legal research and provide written legal analysis, advice, and recommendations on complex legal and policy matters.
• (b) Prepare and review rulemakings, orders, correspondence, comments, Federal Register notices, filings, policy statements, speeches, reports to the President and Congress, and congressional testimony. Review and comment on legislation to determine the potential impact on client activities, and draft amendments.
• (c) Represent clients in meetings, hearings, and other proceedings. Please provide examples of the organization level with which you have interacted (leadership or staff) in your most recent positions, the sensitivity of the issues you have handled, and the degree of supervision over your work.
• (d) Support litigation efforts, including the preparation and filing of motions and other documents, in federal and state regulatory proceedings.

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Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

You must have a professional law degree and be an active member of the bar in good standing in a state or territory of the United States. You do not need to provide official documentation at the time of application; official proof of bar membership and law degree will be requested if selected.

• 1. SUBMIT YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION and all required supplemental documents in order to be considered. A complete application should include a cover letter, a current resume, written answers to the questions in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section, 3 or more professional references from legal supervisors or clients, and a writing sample sufficiently complex in nature to demonstrate the applicant's skills in the qualifications for this position.
• 2. Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Energy considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their online application. If applicant is eligible to claim a 10-point preference, the applicant must also submit an SF-15 and any other proof that the applicant is eligible for a 10-point preference. If you are currently on active duty, you must submit an official statement of service from your command or other official documentation that proves that your military service was performed under honorable conditions. You can find additional information on veterans' preference at VET GUIDE

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.