Duties

Summary

The Office of the Solicitor is looking for a talented and motivated attorney to join the FOIA and Information Law Counsel Area in the Division of Management and Administrative Legal Services. The person selected provides legal advice to senior officials and leadership within DOL on a broad range of Federal government information law issues. In addition, the attorney will litigate FOIA, Privacy Act, and 3rd party subpoena matters when necessary.

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Responsibilities

The selected attorney will be assigned to the Management and Administrative Legal Services Division. The attorney will provide oral and written legal advice to senior officials and leadership within DOL on matters dealing with IT modernization and other emergent IT legal issues. In particular, issues related to a broad range of Federal government information laws including: the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, as well as other IT related statutes and OMB and NIST IT polices and guidance. The attorney will also advise on the FOIA, Privacy Act, the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act, and the Department's third-party subpoena regulation. In addition to someone with experience in the areas discussed above, we are looking for an attorney who is interested in, and has experience with, e-discovery issues and familiarity with e-discovery software solutions such as Relativity or Concordance.

As needed, the attorney will work with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to defend DOL in cases involving the FOIA and Privacy Act as well as preparing responses to requests or demands for records or testimony of DOL officials in cases where DOL is not a party and, when necessary, work with DOJ to defend these responses. In these instances, the attorney serves as agency counsel in litigation arising under the FOIA, the Privacy Act and the Department's third party subpoena regulation, assisting DOJ attorneys in litigation and preparing pleadings, motions, memoranda of law, and briefs. In litigating responses to requests under FOIA and the Privacy Act, the trial attorney also coordinates and reviews responses from DOL component agencies and provides legal advice on related issues.

This position is located in the Division of Management and Administrative Legal Services Division (MALS) in the Office of the Solicitor. In addition to FOIA, the Privacy Act, FACA, and e-governmental laws, the Division is also responsible for providing legal advice and guidance to the Department as a whole under various governmental administrative mandates and statuses, including appropriations law, procurement law, and internal labor and employment relations law.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and supervisor's recommendation to the next grade.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• U.S. Citizenship.
• Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Applicants must possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.). 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-12, one (1) year post J.D of progressively responsible legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform the work at this level.

GS-13, two (2) years post J.D 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.

GS-14, three (3) years post J.D of progressively responsible legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform the work at this level. At least two years of qualifying experience, at this level, must be specialized experience as defined below.

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

Specialized experience is defined as:

Experience researching and analyzing legal issues involving one or more of the following functional areas: Federal government information laws, including FISMA, FITARA, FOIA and the Privacy Act; and

Experience effectively communicating, both orally and in writing, accurate legal advice on one or more of the following functional areas: Federal government information laws, including FISMA, FITARA, FOIA and the Privacy Act.

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

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:

Ability to advise clients and establish and maintain effective working relationships with high level departmental officials, supervisors, agency staff and the general public.

Prior substantive legal experience relevant to the position, such advising on FISMA, FITARA and related policies. Direct experience related to FOIA, Privacy Act, FACA or other federal information law matters and experience with e-discovery software solutions such as Relativity or Concordance are a plus.

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

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

Demonstrated ability to plan and conduct litigation, such as developing case strategy, preparing persuasive documents, working with clients and other counsels, conducting hearings and discovery, and negotiating settlements. Experience litigating federal information law matters is a plus.

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

INFORMATION FOR CTAP/ICTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under CTAP or ICTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. CTAP/ICTAP eligible(s) who are placed into Category [INSERT WELL-QUALIFIED CATEGORY] or higher will be considered "well-qualified." Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility Questions #24 to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or 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
Not Required

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.

- A Resume that includes the information described in the "How To Apply" section below.

- 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 required, but strongly encouraged. The cover letter, which should not exceed two single-spaced pages, should describe how your background and qualifications make you well suited for this position as a General Attorney.

- Writing Sample: Should you be selected for an interview you will asked to provide a brief writing sample.

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.