General Attorney

Summary

The Office of Science, Office of Chief Counsel seeks a general attorney to represent assigned site offices, including the Oak Ridge Site Office, as principal attorney advising in numerous legal aspects, such as procurements, ethics, and administrative matters (including EEOC, MSPB, OHA, and OSC cases).

Duties

As a full performance General Attorney you will: Provide Legal and Policy Counsel: Deliver authoritative legal analyses, formal opinions, and risk assessments to agency leadership on complex, sensitive, and high-impact program matters, statutory authorities, and policies. Represent the Agency with External and Internal Stakeholders: Serve as a legal representative and liaison in negotiations, task forces, and high-level meetings with other federal agencies, Congress, state/local entities, foreign governments, and industry. Conduct In-Depth Legal Research and Analysis: Perform complex legal research using professional databases to develop sound legal solutions where precedent, caselaw, or agency policies are ambiguous or undefined. Review Legislation, Rulemaking, and Regulations: Analyze and draft comments on proposed federal legislation, administrative rules, and agency directives to protect and advance statutory missions and interests. Manage Administrative Litigation, Procurement, and significant real estate matters; draft legal briefs and pleadings for hearings, lead administrative litigation (e.g., EEOC, MSPB), review major contracts/grants for legal sufficiency, and advise on federal personnel, ethics, and information-access laws (such as FOIA and Privacy). Advise on procurements, including complex Management and Operating (M&O) and Facility contracts and subcontracts. Qualifications

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Basic Requirements: All applicants MUST: Meet the minimum education requirements of successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) with a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); AND Must be a current, active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: GS-12 Qualifications: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 1 of 2 of the following: Legal training and experience in handling administrative litigation cases and related issues. Drafting legal documents, such as legal memoranda, briefs, motions, pleadings, advisory opinions, or regulatory comments, clearly synthesizing facts, applicable law, and conclusions. GS-13 Qualifications: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 2 of 3 of the following: Conducting complex legal research by analyzing federal or state statutes, regulations, court decisions, and administrative precedents to resolve complicated, contested, or novel legal and factual questions. Drafting comprehensive legal documents, such as formal legal opinions, memoranda, pleadings, motions, or settlement agreements, that present well-reasoned analyses and actionable conclusions. Providing independent legal advice and guidance to management, program clients, or corporate officials on the interpretation and practical application of laws, administrative procedures, and governing regulations. GS-14 Qualifications: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting ALL of the following: Handling contested proceedings or transaction reviews, such as representing a client or organization in administrative hearings, civil proceedings, or alternative dispute resolution (ADR); participating in witness examination and case preparation; or reviewing and negotiating complex contracts, permits, or regulatory filings for legal sufficiency. Drafting comprehensive legal documents, such as formal legal opinions, memoranda, pleadings, motions, or settlement agreements, that present well-reasoned analyses and actionable conclusions. Providing independent legal advice and guidance to management, program clients, or corporate officials on the interpretation and practical application of laws, administrative procedures, and governing regulations. "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

Education

Attorney positions do have an education requirement. ALL Candidates must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association with a: Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree; OR Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) degree. For positions with an education requirement, you MUST submit: A copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.; AND You must provide proof of bar or your bar number. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Department of Education Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. How You Will Be Evaluated

Your evaluation involves determining the relevance and quality of your experience and education and whether you meet the minimum qualifications as required. You will be evaluated for this job based on the qualifications above, your Writing Sample that shows your knowledge level and ability to put that into words showing your technical abilities, and your Cover Letter (no more than 3 pages) that describes your interest in this role at the Department of Energy and describes your experience. When describing your experience, please give examples that demonstrate the complexity of the knowledge you possess, the level of the people with whom you interacted, and the sensitivity of the issues you handled. Describe your applicable experience, if any, that touches on the following range of tasks: Undertake legal research and provide written legal analysis, advice, and recommendations on complex legal and policy matters. Prepare and review rulemakings, orders, Federal Register notices and responsive comments, public filings, policy statements, reports to the President and Congress, and congressional testimony. Review and comment on legislation to determine the potential impact on client activities, and draft amendments. Represent clients in meetings, hearings, and other proceedings. Support litigation efforts, including the preparation and filing of motions and other documents, in federal and state regulatory proceedings. Support transactional work, including the preparation of agreements and performance of due diligence and compliance review. Minimum Requirements: Your application must show that you meet all requirements, including the education and/or experience required for this position. You will be found "not qualified" if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position. If your application is incomplete, we will rate you as ineligible. Referral: Since this is an Excepted Service position, a non-rated method of evaluation will be used. We will evaluate your application by comparing your description of your work experience, level of responsibility, and accomplishments with the requirements of the position to determine whether you meet all the qualification requirements. Although competitive examining rules for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply, veteran's preference will be considered as a positive factor. Candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements will be referred to the selecting official for consideration and possible interview. Other Information

The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Your position may be eligible for workplace flexibilities which may include remote work or telework options, and/or flexible work scheduling. These flexibilities may be requested in accordance with the DOE Workplace Flexibilities policy. New employees to the Department of Energy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website. If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section. More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement. Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation. A trial period of up to 2 years for the purpose of assessing the ability of an individual to adequately perform in an attorney position will be established for appointments under these authorities. Previous Federal experience in like positions MAY count toward the completion of this requirement. Your performance appraisal and incentive awards will be given due consideration in the selection process based on their relation to the duties of the position and the consistency with which they may be considered in evaluating you against other candidates. Hiring incentives may be authorized in accordance with agency policy and if funding is available. EEO Policy: https://www.energy.gov/justice/eeo-complaint-process Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Staffing Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement. Reasonable Accommodation Policy: https://www.energy.gov/hc/articles/reasonable-accommodation-and-personal-assistance-service-procedure Veterans Information: https://https://www.energy.gov/careers/veterans-military-spouses Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged noncompliance by completing the Fair Chance Act Intake Form and submitting it to the Administrative Investigations Program at [email protected].