Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Benefits Review Board. The Board, consisting of Members appointed by the Secretary of Labor, has nationwide jurisdiction to consider and decide appeals raising substantial questions of law or fact arising under the Black Lung Benefits Act or the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act and its extensions. The incumbent serves in a key advisory role to the Board and is responsible for providing general and administrative direction to staff attorneys.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Provides review of all cases assigned to senior attorneys in the proposal and final disposition phases of case development, including those of a precedential nature; those involving new or novel issues; those with conflicting evidence; or those affected by changed legislation.

Ensures that all points and issues have been addressed, that matters not previously considered by the Board are adequately researched, and that proposed dispositions are soundly reasoned and consistent with the applicable statute and regulations, as well as appellate court and Board precedent.

Performs review of other cases to assess the state of development of GS-11/12/13 staff attorneys and adherence to Board policy and requirements.

Provides first level management review and approval for most personnel actions involving assigned attorney staff, including performance ratings, performance improvement plans, awards, promotions through the GS-14 level and disciplinary actions short of removal.

Ensures consistent and responsible application of Board policy on such matters as performance, production, and personal and professional ethics.

Listens to and resolves individual and group problems of the staff within the scope of assigned authority and recommends action on matters beyond that authority. Recommends disposition on major matters and takes direct action on minor concerns.

Coordinates on matters of like concern with other supervisory attorneys, such as adjustments in case processing to better meet Board policy and production goals.

Discusses various possible interpretations on new or novel issues and possible treatment of issues on which U.S. Circuit Courts have issued differing decisions.

Actively seeks reasonable interpretations of current issues to maintain Board consistency where practicable.

May be assigned continuing responsibility to act in the absence of the General Counsel in managing the activities of Board staff.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
Yes

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

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
• Requires supervisory probationary period if requirement has not been met.
• Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
• Writing Sample

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

Qualifications

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

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.

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: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-14. Specialized experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position at a level close to the work of this job that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform.

Specialized experience is described as having a working knowledge of the Black Lung Benefits Act, Title IV of the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, 30 U.S.C. §901 et seq.; or the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, 33 U.S.C. §901 et seq., and its extensions; or similar litigation experience through appellate or federal law, such as workers' compensation experience. Candidates will have demonstrated the ability to lead subordinate staff; apply analytical, research, and writing skills; evaluate and review cases; and provide advice and recommendations to Board Members or equivalent on the appropriate adjudication of cases.

Note: An LL.M may be substituted for a maximum of one year experience.

Education

To qualify for an attorney position, applicants must possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.).

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

Position Telework eligibility is determined by management based on position duties during the recruitment process. Employee participation in telework on a routine or situational basis is determined by management primarily based on business needs. Employees participating in telework are subject to the terms and conditions of the Department of Labor's Telework Program.

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 researching and preparing well-written, organized and persuasive legal documents.

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

3. Ability to establish and maintain effective liaison with high level departmental officials, Board Members, fellow supervisors, other agency staff 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.

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

Individuals who meet eligibility requirements for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility/Core Questions #24 and 27 to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP/CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

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).

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Credentialing

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.

- Resume: You are required to provide a resume by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of your choosing. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list month, year, and the number of work hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to the vacancy questionnaire.

- 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: You may provide a copy of your official or unofficial transcripts reflecting that you have received your first professional law degree (J.D.) in your application. Applicants who claim substitution of education for experience with an LL.M must submit a copy of their official or unofficial transcripts for verification in their application. Should you be selected for this position, you will be required to submit official documentation verifying that you have completed your first professional law degree or LL.M.

-Writing Sample: Applicants must submit a writing sample. Some examples of documents demonstrating writing skills are briefs, legal memoranda, and opinion letters. These examples should total no more than 10 pages in length. Extracts of selected sections of larger documents are acceptable. This work must be your own, not edited by someone else.

- 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.