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Attorney-Adviser

Employer
USAJobs
Location
District of Columbia, D.C
Closing date
Oct 2, 2020
Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Pesticides and Toxic Substances Law Office, Washington, DC. For more information on this office, visit their website: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-general-counsel-ogc#pts .

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The Pesticides and Toxic Substances Law Office (PTSLO) in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is seeking applicants to serve as Deputy Associate General Counsel, a supervisory position. The Deputy Associate General Counsel will work with the Associate General Counsel to supervise three assistant general counsels, roughly 25 attorneys, and one professional staff member.

The PTSLO Deputy will assist the PTSLO Associate by providing legal counsel, opinions, litigation support, and legal services with respect to areas in PTSLO's portfolio. The Deputy will also exercise supervision over PTSLO staff. PTSLO attorneys advise the highest levels of Agency managers, and it is not uncommon to be managing high profile, critically sensitive issues.

Responsibilities of the Law Office

The Law Office provides legal counsel to the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), Regional Offices, and other EPA offices regarding implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, section 313 (Toxic Release Inventory) and several other statutes to include the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA).

The Law Office develops the legal support for, and assists in implementation of, national rules. PTSLO also works closely with regional offices on state-specific regional actions involving pesticide and toxic substance issues. PTSLO coordinates with the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) on certain enforcement matters, particularly appeals of decisions in enforcement cases. PTSLO provides critical support to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in defending in court both national and regional actions.

PTSLO is divided into the following three practice groups, each of which is led by an Assistant General Counsel:
      • Pesticides Practice Group (conventional pesticides)
      • Pesticides (biopesticides), Toxic Substances (new chemicals), and Toxic Release Inventory Practice Group
      • Toxic Substances Practice Group (existing chemicals)

Responsibilities of the Deputy Associate General Counsel

Assists the PTSLO Associate in working with attorneys in the Office to provide legal counsel to client offices on matters related to: planning the development and execution of new or revised rules, policies, practices, and/or programs; implementing existing authorities and programs; working with Department of Justice attorneys to defend Agency actions before federal district and circuit courts; determining the effect on EPA of proposed legislation, new or proposed program requirements, etc.

Assists the PTSLO Associate in supervising the Office: plans and assigns work and establishes priorities, as needed; addresses matters related to time and attendance, including approving leave requests and time cards; counsels and instructs subordinates; interviews candidates for positions and recommends personnel actions; identifies training needs and provides for employee development; hears and resolves complaints; effects minor disciplinary measures and recommends actions in more serious cases; collaborates with managers in other law offices to coordinate the work of PTSLO; and ensures resources are used effectively. Assists the PTSLO Associate in the development of awards, recognition, and performance evaluations.

Mentors and coaches PTSLO attorneys and Assistant General Counsels.

Works closely with the senior leadership in OCSPP, OECA, and the Regions to provide legal counsel in relevant substantive areas.

Represents EPA and OGC at meetings held with industry and foreign groups, staff offices of the President, other departments and agencies, the Government Accountability Office, Congressional members or their staff, state and local organizations, representatives of private industry, trade associations, and citizen groups.

Acts on behalf of the PTSLO Associate when the Associate is unavailable or as directed.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be required to travel 1 to 5 days per month.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment


  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
  • If you are selected, a pre-employment background check is required.
  • You must submit a resume and required documents (See How to Apply section).


Qualifications

Applicant must have an LL.B. or J.D. degree from an accredited law school; must be admitted to practice before the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Pico; and must maintain active status as a member of the bar in one of these jurisdictions. Applicants must have experience in providing legal advice and counsel at EPA, other federal, state or local agencies or courts, non-governmental organizations, or in private practice.

To qualify for the GS-15 level, you should have five (5) or more years of post-J.D. legal experience, at least one of which included specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level or higher. Please explain any specialized experience working under the statutes for which PTSLO provides counsel in your written statement of interest, if applicable.

The ideal candidate will have excellent interpersonal, leadership, communication and organizational skills, a strong customer service ethic, and an eagerness to teach and mentor attorneys in the Office.

If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Form prior to your first day of employment and annually thereafter.

This position is designated as a Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation.

Education

Additional information

This position is in the excepted service. Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status. However, this position is covered for the purpose of federal retirement and benefits.

If you are selected, you will be expected to report to work as soon as practical but no later than thirty (30) days from the date you receive a final job offer. Extension of this reporting requirement may be granted only under extraordinary circumstances.

Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed above.

If you are selected, you must complete a one-year trial period.

EPA participates in e-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. For additional information, visit https://www.epa.gov/careers/epa-job-vacancy-announcements-policies-and-procedures .

If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.

This position has portable work and the selectee may be eligible to telework as determined by agency policy.

It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual's employment experience will be used only to determine the person's qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual's personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination. For more information, visit https://chcoc.gov/sites/default/files/Mythbuster_on_Federal_Hiring_Policies_0.pdf

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above and based on the information contained in your resume packet. If an interview is granted, you will be evaluated based on the responses you provide during an interview. In responding to interview questions, you should be sure to cite specific examples of experience, explain exactly what you did and the outcome.

There is no numerical rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Office of General Counsel considers veteran's preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

Documents to be submitted should be in PDF format only:
  • Resume (submit a separate business style resume; do not rely upon the automated USAJobs resume)
  • Written statement (no more than two single-spaced pages) specifically addressing your qualifications for this position
  • References (names and contact information of three professional references)
  • Copy of law school transcript (unofficial or official)
  • Copy of bar certification
  • Veterans' Preference Documents - DD-214 Member 4 copy (or other copy indicating character of service), VA letter stating overall/combined disability rating (percentage), and SF-15, if applicable; active duty service members: submit certification from the armed forces documenting active duty dates, expected discharge/release date, campaign medals/badges, and character of service (a certification is any written document from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged/released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions within 120 days after you submit the certification).


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.

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