Closing Date: 23rd September, 2026
Description:
Summary:This is a Public Notice. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.
This position is located in the Office of the Under Secretary, Office of General Counsel (OGC), Honors Attorney Program, with few or many vacancies in Silver Spring, MD.
Duties:
Individuals selected will participate in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of the General Counsel's Attorney Honors Program. Those selected for the Law Clerk position cannot be promoted above the GS-11 level without meeting eligibility and qualification criteria for the Attorney position.
Promotion Potential Explanation: Attorneys are considered for promotion on each annual anniversary date based on successful performance and management recommendation. There is no promotion potential for Law Clerks until being admitted to a bar and conversion to an Attorney position.
As an Attorney with the Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of General Counsel, your specific duties will include:
As a Law Clerk / Attorney Advisor in the Attorney Honors Program, you will work closely with experienced National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists and other program specialists on a variety of cutting-edge issues relating to the management and conservation of natural resources. NOAA General Counsel attorneys and law clerks perform a variety of legal duties, including conducting legal research, presenting to agency decisionmakers, reviewing applications for governmental approval or protection, and working in adversarial proceedings. This position requires interaction with other NOAA General Counsel Office attorneys, NOAA scientists, policy makers and technical staff, Department of Commerce officials, other Federal and state agency officials, members of the regulated community, and representatives of public interest organizations. It also involves active participation, in concert with U.S. Department of Justice attorneys, in prosecuting and defending NOAA cases brought under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Oil Pollution Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and other similar laws. The work involves complex and challenging legal issues on important matters.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of the General Counsel employs numerous attorneys at headquarters in the Silver Spring, MD/Washington, DC area and six regional offices. The Office provides legal advice to the NOAA Administrator and NOAA program offices on a wide variety of legal issues including U.S. and international fisheries, marine mammals, endangered and threatened marine species, preservation of coastal areas, marine sanctuaries, and licensing of commercial satellites.
Note: All positions are developmental, leading to the Full Performance Level (FPL) GS-15.
NOAA is a premier environmental agency located within the U.S. Department of Commerce and employs over 12,000 individuals nationwide. NOAA is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them.
From daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration and supporting marine commerce, NOAA's products and services support economic vitality and affect more than one-third of America's gross domestic product. NOAA's dedicated scientists use cutting-edge research and high-tech instrumentation to provide citizens, planners, emergency managers and other decision makers with reliable information they need when they need it.
NOAA's roots date back to 1807, when the Nation's first scientific agency, the Survey of the Coast, was established. Since then, NOAA has evolved to meet the needs of a changing country. NOAA maintains a presence in every state and has emerged as an international leader on scientific and environmental matters.
NOAA's mission touches the lives of every American and we are proud of our role in protecting life and property and conserving and protecting natural resource. For more information see www.noaa.gov and www.gc.noaa.gov.
NOAA GC will host a webinar for interested candidates.
This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other equivalent positions throughout the Federal government. The position must be alike (e.g.: within the same geographic locations, equivalent grade/band and requires the same qualifications and specialized experience as indicated in this vacancy announcement).
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
Key Requirements:
- Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
- Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
- Applicants must pass a bar examination and be a active member of the bar (any U.S. Jurisdiction) within 14 months of entry on duty.
- Selectee may be subject to serving a 2-year trial period unless a preference eligible veteran.
- Must be registered for Selective Service (males only).
- Must agree to a three (3) year employment commitment.
- More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information.
- A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
- If selected for this position, you may be required to file one or more financial statements and/or a procurement integrity certification of compliance upon reporting and annually, some of which may be subject to public disclosure.
- Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.
- Significant academic achievement in law school (such as ranking in the top 20% of the class), graduation with honors, judicial clerking experience, or participation in law review, will be favorably considered.
- Applicants must pass a bar examination and be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) within 14 months of entry on duty.
- Individuals selected for this Honors Program are expected to begin working in September 2027 in Silver Spring, MD. Law School graduates not yet admitted to the Bar as of September 2027, will be placed in Law Clerk positions at the GS-11 level pending admission to the Bar, at which time they will be eligible for conversion to an Attorney position.
Qualifications:
This position has a positive education requirement: transcripts and proof of Bar membership MUST be provided with your application package to receive further consideration.
Eligibility Requirements: This program is available to recent law students who have graduated or will graduate by with a J.D. degree by June 30, 2027, or a graduate law student with a J.D. who will receive his/her L.L.M. or other graduate law degree by June 30, 2027, or a recent law school graduate with a J.D. who will complete a judicial clerkship or a legal fellowship by September 2027.
Basic Qualification Requirements:
Law Clerk-GS-0904-11: Graduated or will graduate from law school with a LL.B. or J.D. Appointments as a Law Clerk are limited to 14 months during which time appointee must be admitted in good standing to the bar of a court of general jurisdiction of a state, territory or possession of the United States and after which will be appointed to a permanent appointment as an Attorney. There is no promotion potential for Law Clerks.
Attorney, GS-0905-12/13: All applicants must have a J.D. degree from an accredited law school, and must be an active member in good standing of a State bar; the bar of the District of Columbia; the bar of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; the bar of one of the U.S. Territories or the bar of one of the U.S. Possessions.
Attorneys are considered for promotion on each annual anniversary date based on successful performance and management recommendation.
You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by 11:59pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
Education:
Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation (https://www.opm.gov/faq/qualifications/How-do-I-receive-credit-for-a-college-degree-obtained.ashx)
Additional Information:
Other Information:
- Law School graduates who have been admitted to the Bar will be placed in Attorney positions at
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