General Attorney (Public Notice Flyer)

Closing Date: 20th April, 2024

Description:

Summary:
The Office of the General Counsel is seeking attorneys for its Information Law Division, which is responsible for legal matters pertaining to the Freedom of Information Act; Privacy Act; Federal Advisory Committee Act; records management; Trade Secrets Act; Paperwork Reduction Act; and cybersecurity matters.

This is a Public Notice. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

Duties:
The attorney(s) will be responsible for providing legal advice to Department management and employees on various aspects of the Department's FOIA process, including processing the Department's FOIA appeals for final agency decision by the Assistant General Counsel for Employment, Litigation, and Information (excluding the USPTO and Office of Inspector General). The attorney(s) will also support the Department's Privacy program by providing guidance on System of Records Notices (SORNs) and Privacy Act regulations. Other responsibilities may include reviewing and editing non-disclosure agreements, opining on the impact of the Paperwork Reduction Act, advising on applicability of the Trade Secrets Act, or counseling clients on compliance with the Department's records management requirements. Info Law is also looking for candidates with a demonstrated interest in cybersecurity law, and want to ensure our federal agency operates in a safe, secure, and accountable environment. Upon request, the attorney may also present training sessions to high-level officials or groups of employees on Info Law subject areas. Practitioners in this area of law will quickly become experts in navigating successful strategies and rules for obtaining important information on federal programs. An attorney with an interest or dedication to open government will also find this assignment rewarding as well as serve as a springboard to future positions inside and outside of government service.

The attorney(s) will be hired at the GS-11 through GS-13 grade levels, depending on experience. The promotion potential for this position is the GS-15 level.

GS-11 Level:
Performs a variety of legal duties such as: researching legal issues which are often factually complex and developing drafts of letters, memoranda, and legal documents for the use by a higher graded attorney.

GS-12 Level:
Performs a variety of legal duties such as researching legal issues which are often factually complex and developing drafts of letters, memoranda and legal documents for themselves or a higher graded attorney. Has subject matter knowledge in areas of information law.


Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use of possession of drugs.
• A probationary period may be required.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/)
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Drug Test Required: No
• License required: J.D. Degree and Bar membership
• Pre-employment physical required: No
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): Yes
• Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: will not be paid

Qualifications:
Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards.

Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.

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 volunteer experience.

Basic requirement for all grade levels:

• You must be a graduate with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited law school; AND
• You must have bar membership in one of the 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands.

Minimum Requirements:
The career ladder for attorney positions in OGC is generally GS-11 to GS-15. The minimum qualifications for hiring at each grade level (or equivalent) are as follows:

GS-13: Two years of legal experience or relevant professional experience (legal or non-legal). Relevant non-legal professional experience could include, for example: experience as an International Program Specialist with the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) when applying for a CLDP attorney position; or experience as an Employee Relations Specialist when applying for an Employment Law position. Likewise, experience in a non-attorney position within the Department, with resulting insight into the client's mission could warrant a higher grade, as could non-legal experience in regulated industry. When relying on non-legal professional experience, hiring managers must articulate in writing how the cited experience enhances the applicant's skills to warrant the higher grade.

Experience and interest refer 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 volunteer experience.

Specialized Experience Requirements:
Applicants must meet the General Professional Experience requirements set forth above and the below specialized experience by the closing date of the announcement. Specialized experience equips applicants with particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. For this position, specialized experience includes knowledge of FOIA, the Privacy Act, Trade Secrets Act, records management, Paperwork Reduction Act, cybersecurity, and other open government laws. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to accurately identify and quickly analyze relevant and critical issues related to Information Law's areas. Applicants must demonstrate a record of strong interpersonal skills, good judgment, and exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and client bureaus. (See above to for specific desired experience for each grade level)

Education:
Applicants must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited law school. Official or unofficial transcripts must be submitted with your application package.

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