Attorney-Advisor

Closing Date: 5th August, 2026

Description:

Summary:
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is ranked within the top 5 mid-size agencies as a "Best Place to Work" in the Federal government! This Attorney-Advisor position is located in the Office of Enforcement and Regulatory Accounting. For more information visit: OERA (https://www.ferc.gov/office-enforcement-and-regulatory-accounting-oera)

Duties:
As an Attorney-Advisor some of your typical work assignments include:

• Independently or in multi-disciplinary teams: initiating and executing investigations of possible violations of the Commission's rules, orders, and regulations relating to energy market activities and participants.
• Evaluating facts, analyzing legal arguments, and marshaling evidence and arguments to support conclusions and recommendations in connection with investigations.
• Recommending remedies to address violations and, where authorized, pursuing remedies through negotiation.
• Drafting orders, legal memoranda, or other documents and advising the Commission on matters pertaining to enforcement and compliance.
• Making oral presentations to the Commission and senior officials within the Commission, among others, in connection with matters pertaining to enforcement and compliance.

Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• A two-year trial period may be required.
• A background investigation is required.
• This is a bargaining unit position (AFGE Local 421).
• Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service.
• This position has an education requirement; you must submit transcripts.
• Possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited college or university.
• Current, active bar membership required.
• Relocation expenses will not be paid.
• If hired, you may be required to divest certain energy-related securities.
• Maximum of 2-page resume.

Qualifications:
You must meet the following basic requirements, by the closing date of this announcement: (1) hold a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from an accredited college or university and (2) be a current, active bar member in good standing.

In addition, to the minimum requirements above, you must meet the following qualifications for each grade level by the closing date of this announcement:
For the GS-14: 3 years of professional legal experience post bar admission with one year of experience equivalent to the GS-13 level. Experience at the GS-13 level is defined as significant energy law experience and/or significant hands-on investigation and litigation experience.

The GS-14 salary range is $143,913 through $187,093 per annum.

For the GS-15: 4 years of professional legal experience post bar admission with one year of experience equivalent to the GS-14 level. Experience at the GS-14 level is defined as substantial energy law experience and/or substantial litigation experience (either white collar crime or complex business litigation) and first-chair trial experience or multiple second-chair trial experience.

The GS-15 salary range is $169,279 through $197,200 per annum.

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, knowledge, and skills, and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience.

Please do not cut and paste the "Duties" section, specialized experience statement, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Education:
This position has an education requirement and therefore, transcripts are required. Failure to submit a copy of your transcripts at the time of application will result in your application being marked incomplete and you will not receive further consideration.

Additional Information:
The duty location of this position is Washington, DC.

When promotion potential is shown, future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
• Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice.
• Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.
• Attend a mandatory ethics training. We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC's supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities. To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of at least some energy securities is likely to be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C. 201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment.
• Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Additional Information:
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.

Benefits: