17 Attorney-Adviser Jobs in Washington, DC
US Federal Election Commission is Hiring an Attorney-Adviser Near Washington, DC
Duties
As the Attorney Adviser in this position, you will:
- Participate in all aspects of important, challenging cases, including development of strategy and legal research.
- Draft briefs, complaints, answers, motions, and other documents necessary to represent the Commission in court, frequently including sophisticated dispositive motions involving complex constitutional and administrative-law issues.
- Take depositions, handle written discovery, present oral argument, and draft and negotiate settlements.
- Provide advice to the Commission and appear before the Commission to report on assigned litigation matters.
- Provide assistance to the United States Solicitor General in representing the Commission and addressing questions before the Supreme Court that impact the agency's programs.
- Have the opportunity to apply for one of the limited opportunities the Office of General Counsel provides for periodic temporary details to the U.S. Attorney's Office in DC for prosecution of misdemeanors.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
- You must be able to pass a background investigation.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see Legal and regulatory guidance below).
- You may be required to serve a 2 year probationary period.
- Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
- You must meet qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements (applicable to all grade levels):
A. Education: Possess a J.D., LL.B., or higher degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. (If selected, you must submit a copy of your official transcripts.)
AND
B. Bar Membership: Licensed and in good standing to practice law as an Attorney under the laws of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or territory of the United States.
In addition to meeting both of the Basic Requirements above, you must meet the experience requirements for the applicable grade level.
Experience Requirement for the GS-12 Level:
You must have at least 1 year of progressively responsible professional experience working as a practicing attorney. This experience must be comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 federal grade level, which involves completion of projects providing legal advice, analysis, research, or work involving litigation skills of average difficulty under continued supervision. This must include activities such as: (1) drafting briefs, motions, or other legal documents in preparation for trial or administrative hearing; (2) conducting legal research; (3) developing strategies and plans to prioritize, organize, and manage cases; and (4) assisting with written discovery, assisting with taking or defending depositions or otherwise making preparations for fact or expert witness testimony, negotiating settlement agreements, and/or assisting with or making oral argument in a court or administrative hearing.
Experience Requirement for the GS-13 Level:
You must have at least 2 years of progressively responsible professional experience working as a practicing attorney. At least one year of this experience must be comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 federal grade level, which involves completion of projects providing legal advice, analysis, research, or work involving litigation skills of average difficulty with some supervision. This must include activities such as: (1) drafting briefs, motions, or other documents in preparation for trial or administrative hearing; (2) conducting legal research; (3) developing strategies and plans to prioritize, organize, and manage cases; or (4) handling written discovery, assisting with taking or defending depositions or otherwise making preparations for fact or expert witness testimony, negotiating settlement agreements, and/or assisting with or making oral argument in a court or administrative hearing
Experience Requirement for the GS-14 Level:
You must have at least 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience working as a practicing attorney. At least one year of this experience must be comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-13 federal grade level, which involves providing legal advice, analysis, research, and/or work involving litigation skills of average and above average difficulty with only moderate supervision. This must include activities such as: (1) drafting briefs, motions, or other documents in preparation for trial or administrative hearing; (2) conducting legal research; (3) developing strategies and plans to prioritize, organize, and manage cases; or (4) handling written discovery, assisting with taking or defending depositions and otherwise making preparations for fact or expert witness testimony, negotiating settlement agreements, and/or assisting with or making oral argument in a court or administrative hearing.
In addition, you must provide a cover letter summarizing your evidence of the following competencies:
- Legal Writing: Writes clear, concise, persuasive legal documents.
- Legal Analysis: Researches, analyzes, and explains complex legal issues such as constitutional, jurisdictional, and administrative-law topics.
- Planning and Coordinating: Plans and organizes projects or cases; gathering information and examining facts for investigations or research; develops strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of matters.
- Litigation: Participates in court proceedings or other forums requiring comparable skills, including by making preparations for fact and expert witness testimony; handling written discovery; drafting filings; assisting with taking and defending depositions; negotiating settlements; and assisting with or making oral argument in a court or administrative hearing.
Part-time or unpaid experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.
Volunteer work experience: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Promotion Potential: If you are selected at the GS-12, you may be promoted without further competition to the GS-13 level once you have served 12 months at the GS-12 level and met performance requirements. If you are selected at the GS-13, you may be promoted without further competition to the GS-14 level once you have served 18 months at the GS-13 level and met performance requirements. Selection at either the GS-12 or the GS-13 level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Education
If selected, you must submit a copy of your official transcripts, conferring a J.D., or LL.B., or higher degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
Additional information
FEC offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; or transportation subsidies.
If you receive a tentative 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, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Federal Election Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required by that form.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications.
If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process which will determine the best qualified candidates.
Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package including the documents listed below. We strongly encourage applicants to doublecheck that all required items are properly submitted to ensure consideration.
- Your Resume listing hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year) and duties performed for each position held.
- Cover Letter addressing the competencies in the Qualifications section above.
- Unofficial law school transcripts to verify you meet the educational requirements of this position. All applicants are required to submit unofficial law school transcripts prior to the closing of this announcement. If selected for this position you will be required to submit official law school transcripts upon entry into duty. Only transcripts from accredited law school websites will be accepted.
- Bar License to verify you are licensed and in good standing to practice law as an Attorney under the laws of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or territory of the United States. You must submit a copy of your current Bar card, or letter of good standing.
- Writing sample of a legal brief, memorandum, or letter of which you were the primary drafter, not to exceed 15 pages.
- Veterans documents (if applicable): DD-214 including character of service, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days, and if applicable, SF-15 Form, VA letter, or other documentation required by that form.
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.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 04/22/2024 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.Agency contact information
San Antonio Services Branch
Phone
816-541-8101
Email
SASBMailbox@opm.gov
Address
Federal Election Commission
1050 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20463
USNext steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Additional phases of the review process will determine the best qualified candidates, and whether or not your application is referred to the selecting official. You will be contacted directly if further evaluation or an interview is required. You will receive notifications by email about the status of your application throughout this process.
Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package including the documents listed below. We strongly encourage applicants to doublecheck that all required items are properly submitted to ensure consideration.
- Your Resume listing hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year) and duties performed for each position held.
- Cover Letter addressing the competencies in the Qualifications section above.
- Unofficial law school transcripts to verify you meet the educational requirements of this position. All applicants are required to submit unofficial law school transcripts prior to the closing of this announcement. If selected for this position you will be required to submit official law school transcripts upon entry into duty. Only transcripts from accredited law school websites will be accepted.
- Bar License to verify you are licensed and in good standing to practice law as an Attorney under the laws of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or territory of the United States. You must submit a copy of your current Bar card, or letter of good standing.
- Writing sample of a legal brief, memorandum, or letter of which you were the primary drafter, not to exceed 15 pages.
- Veterans documents (if applicable): DD-214 including character of service, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days, and if applicable, SF-15 Form, VA letter, or other documentation required by that form.
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.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
This announcement is open to all U.S. citizens
Job Summary
Full Time
$121k-163k (estimate)
04/02/2024
06/01/2024
The following is the career advancement route for Attorney-Adviser positions, which can be used as a reference in future career path planning. As an Attorney-Adviser, it can be promoted into senior positions as an Attorney III that are expected to handle more key tasks, people in this role will get a higher salary paid than an ordinary Attorney-Adviser. You can explore the career advancement for an Attorney-Adviser below and select your interested title to get hiring information.
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