Closing Date: 31st March, 2026
Description:
Summary:The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is seeking recent law school graduates, early-career attorneys, and experienced attorneys for positions in our Washington, D.C. office. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to OSC's mission of promoting accountability, integrity and fairness in the federal workplace.
Duties:
Why Join OSC?
OSC consistently ranks high in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) for workplace satisfaction!
Division Overview
Selected candidates will gain hands-on legal experience working in one of OSC's many program areas, which may include:
- Case Review Division (CRD)
- Disclosure Unit (DU)
- Hatch Act Unit (HAU)
- Investigation and Prosecution Division (IPD)
- Outreach, Training and Compliance Unit (OTC)
- Retaliation and Disclosure Unit (RDU)
You can find additional information about our program units here.
Duties:
Under the supervision or mentorship of experienced attorneys, you may:
- Conduct legal research and draft memoranda;
- Investigate claims and interview witnesses;
- Prepare pleadings and litigate before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB);
- Participate in mediation and settlement efforts;
- Appear as amicus in federal court;
- Advise agency leadership on legal and policy matters involving federal personnel law, administrative law, constitutional law, and civil procedure.
Ideal Candidate:
- We are looking for candidates who embrace the privilege of public service, bring enthusiasm and dedication to such service, and work well within a team setting. Flexibility and a strong commitment to OSC's statutory mission are essential.
- Positions may be filled at any GS grade level (11 through 14) depending on applicant experience.
- This announcement may be used to fill multiple open positions within the US Office of Special Counsel. This is an open, continuous announcement that will close March 31, 2026, but may be extended at agency discretion. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with the first review no earlier than 10 business days after the date this announcement posts. Additional reviews of applications will be conducted periodically, after the initial review, as needed to fill vacant positions.
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
- U.S. Citizenship or National authorized to work in the U.S.
- Individuals born after 12-31-1959 and required to register for Selective Service under the Military Selective Service Act of 50 USC App. 453, must be registered or otherwise exempt from Selective Service. See "Additional Information" section below.
- May be required to successfully complete a trial period.
- May be eligible for incentive pay.
- May be eligible for superior qualifications/special needs pay setting.
- Direct Deposit of pay is required.
- E-Verify will be used to confirm employment eligibility on new employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
- Suitable for Federal employment as determined by appropriate background investigation.
Qualifications:
Education Qualifications for all positions: A professional law degree (L.L.B., J.D., L.L.M.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
In addition to Education, applicants must meet the minimum Experience Requirements outlined below:
- Position Title Bar
- Membership Legal Experience Requirements
- GS-11, Attorney-Adviser Required ** None
- GS-11, Law Clerk N/A Law school graduates who have not yet been admitted to the bar and who have not served in a judicial clerkship may be temporarily employed at the GS-11 level, not to exceed 14 months as law clerk trainees
- GS-12, Attorney-Adviser Required ** 1 year of professional legal experience post bar admission.
- GS-12, Law Clerk N/A Law school graduates who have not yet been admitted to the bar and who have served one year in a judicial clerkship may be temporarily employed at the GS-12 level, not to exceed 14 months as law clerk trainees
- GS-13, Attorney-Adviser Required ** 2 years of professional legal experience post bar admission, with at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the GS-12
- GS-14, Attorney-Adviser Required ** 3 years of professional legal experience post bar admission with one year of experience equivalent to the GS-13 level
- An active membership in good standing in a bar of a state, U.S. Territory, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth or Puerto Rico.
Your resume must explicitly outline your qualifications. We will not make assumptions about your experience.
NOTE: To be considered for this position, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the GS-0905 series set forth in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards by the closing date of the announcement. A copy is available at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined above.
Applicants qualifying through education, but who have not yet graduated or received final grades, may apply using their current grades at time of application. If selected, you will be required to verify final grades and/or provide additional documentation.
Annual Leave Accrual Credit
Selectees for their first Federal position may be eligible to earn a higher annual leave accrual rate based on prior non-Federal or uniformed service work experience. The amount of service credited will be based on specialized experience or qualifying experience that is provided on the applicant resume and documentation submitted.
Additional Information:
- Active-Duty Service Members: In accordance with VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-56),Current military members may apply by submitting a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain: (1) your rank; (2) dates of active duty service; (3) type of discharge and projected character of service (i.e. honorable); (4) projected Veteran's preference, if applicable; (5) date terminal leave begins, if applicable; (6) date of expected discharge or release that is within 120 days of your employment application submission; and (7) signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. If selected, your qualifying separation, veteran's preference, and/or appointment eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. Active-duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found to have an incomplete application. Military members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if on terminal leave.
- Selective Service: Individuals born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. You can find more information on Who Must Register and Exemptions here. In addition, you can find more information on what to do if you failed to register here.
- Developmental Positions: This position can be filled at the GS-11, GS-12, GS-13, or full performance GS-14 grade level depending on applicant experience and management needs. If filled at the lower grade level, noncompetitive promotion to the next grade level is authorized but not implied. It is dependent upon meeting time-in-grade requirements, specialized experience, required training and any other management requirements to demonstrate ability to perform the next higher/target grade level.
- These are not Bargaining Unit positions.
- Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
How You Will Be Evaluated
- You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
- Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.
- Management will consider any Federal performance appraisals and/or awards you submit with your application as an indication of your experience and work history. These documents will not be scored as part of the assessment process.
- In accordance
with 5 C.F.R. Section 302.101(c), these positions are in the Excepted
service and not subject to the provisions of Veteran's Preference.
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