Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (ASLBP)
The supervisor is Emily Krause, ASLBP Chief Counsel
This position is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

ASLBP law clerks have the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects and cases, and to serve with a variety of judges. Individual assignments are made by the Chief Counsel, who acts as a "gatekeeper" to help clerks manage their work load, as law clerks are generally assigned to several cases or matters at any given time. Typical assignments include drafting judicial decisions and orders, conducting legal research, preparing legal memoranda, and providing assistance to Licensing Boards during evidentiary hearings. Clerks are often assigned to work on a particular case for an extended period of time and therefore are involved in the development of a case from its earliest stages, including rulings on standing and contention admissibility, discovery disputes and, ultimately, conducting an evidentiary hearing and drafting merits decisions on those evidentiary presentations. The two-year clerkship term generally runs from September to September.

Because Licensing Boards often conduct hearings and oral arguments at a location in the vicinity of the nuclear facility that is the focus of a particular case, clerks may have the opportunity for some travel over the course of their service with the Panel. For additional information, see Location of ASLBP Hearings .

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Travel for trainings, hearings in the vicinity of licensed facilities, and association meetings.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• This is a Drug Testing position.
• Background investigation leading to a clearance is required for new hires.

This is a Drug Testing position.

Background investigation leading to a clearance is required for new hires.

This position is subject to the security ownership restriction reporting requirements.

Qualifications

To be considered for the Judicial Law Clerk Program, applicants must be either (1) third-year law students who will earn their J.D. by June of the academic year of application; (2) graduate law (LL.M) students in their last year of study; or (3) current judicial law clerks whose clerkship ends no later than September of the year following application. Applicants must either (1) have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 based on a scale of 4.0; (2) demonstrate that they rank in the top third of their law school class; or (3) currently serve as a judicial law clerk. Graduate law students and judicial clerks should not have any significant post-J.D. legal employment. Only United States citizens can be admitted to the Judicial Law Clerk Program, and each person selected for the program must undergo a complete security/background investigation and be granted a security clearance.

Education

Judicial Law Clerk Program applicants must be either (1) third-year law students who will earn their J.D. by June of the academic year of application; (2) graduate law (LL.M) students in their last year of study; or (3) current judicial law clerks whose clerkship ends no later than September of the year following application.

Additional information

Using federal grade and salary levels , ASLBP judicial law clerks will typically start at grade GG-11, step 10. After one year of satisfactory job performance, and assuming admission to the Bar of any state or the District of Columbia, an ASLBP law clerk is eligible for a promotion to grade GG-12, step 6. The full performance level for judicial law clerks is GG-12.

RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE: A recruitment incentive of 15% of your starting salary is available to eligible selectees. To receive the incentive payment, you will be required to furnish official transcripts, and sign a service agreement, obligating you to remain with the NRC for a minimum of 18 months. Generally, current Federal employees are not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Due to the nature of law clerk duties, the ASLBP places a premium on (1) legal analysis and writing skills, as evidenced by law review, comparable journal experience or moot court experience, and the applicant's written materials; (2) an interest in administrative/regulatory law and/or environmental law as evidenced by coursework, law school clinical experience or internships/externships; and (3) academic achievements. While a technical or scientific background may be useful, it is not required.

When the application process is complete, your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the job requirements. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to any vacancy questions to determine your level of knowledge, skill and ability related to the job requirements. If you are among the top candidates for this position, your application will be referred to the hiring manager.

Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
L Access Authorization

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

A cover letter detailing your interest in the Judicial Law Clerk Program

Resume

Law school transcript indicating your GPA or percentile rank, providing as much specificity as possible (and explaining your school's grading system, if necessary)

The names and contact information for at least three (3) professional references, and

A legal writing sample, demonstrating analysis of legal issues or statutory and regulatory interpretation.

List of supplemental material that may be applicable:

If you are an NRC employee you are required to submit your most recent Rating of Record (Performance Appraisal) or a statement saying that one is not available.

If you are a current/reinstatement eligible Federal employee with status (Tenure Group 1 or 2), you will be considered under our merit promotion procedures and must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) to verify competitive status or reinstatement eligibility.

If you are a Veteran claiming 5-point Veterans' Preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other proof of eligibility. If you are a Veteran claiming 10-point Veterans' Preference, you must submit a SF-15, Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference, plus the proof required by that form. You can find additional information about Veterans' Preference at http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

All supplemental documents will now be collected electronically and should be submitted before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. You have three choices for submitting your supplemental documents:

1. Use the "USAJOBs" feature to download documents from your USAJOBs portfolio; or
2. use the "Upload" feature to upload documents directly from your computer. The following types of documents can be uploaded: .gif, .jpeg, .png, .rtf, .pdf, and .doc; or
3. use the "Fax" feature to print the Fax Cover Sheet and fax it, along with your supplemental documents to 1-571-258-4052.

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.