Attorney Advisor

⁠​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌⁠This position is in the Office of the Administrator (AO), Office of Civil Rights and Adjudication, Environmental Appeals Board Division. About AO.

This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis.

For interest in a Law Clerk position, please see the requirements in announcement EPA-OLC-AO-26-12965975. You must:
(1) possess a J.D. or LL.M. degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university or equivalent apprentice experience as allowed per state law; and
(2) be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia; and
(3) be an active member of the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction in good standing.
NOTE: Bar membership and licensure are not required at the time of application, but you must be admitted to the bar and obtain your license before entry on duty.

For information about accreditation requirements, visit Accreditation. At the full performance level of this position, you will:

• Conduct legal research and analysis, including interpreting and applying statutes, rules, and regulations, for one or more Environmental Appeals Judges and Senior Attorney-Advisers.
• Prepare legal documents, outlining factual and legal issues for evaluation and considerations by one or more Environmental Appeals Judges and/or Senior Attorney-Advisers.
• Apply legal reasoning to obtain additional facts and/or legal references pertinent to the case.
• Review legal documents for accuracy of information and legal citations and prepare and provide support for oral argument and analysis of the hearing records as directed by the Environmental Appeals Judges and/or Senior Attorney Advisers.

If you are hired at a grade level lower than the full performance level (i.e., highest promotion potential level), your duties will be less complex and you will have more supervisory oversight. You may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level.

One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position. NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement.

In addition to the educational requirements, you must meet the minimum grade-specific qualifications as described below:

To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must have either:
-an LL.M. degree
OR
-at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level defined as reviewing legal documents to provide recommendations to senior managers; and preparing legal documents for thorough review of accuracy and completeness;
OR
-completed superior law student activities while earning a J.D. degree. Superior law student activities include:
(A) Academic standing in upper third of law school graduating class;
(B) Work or achievement of significance on law school's law review;
(C) Special high-level honors for academic excellence, such as election to Order of the Coif;
(D) Winning of a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team representing the law school in competition with other law schools;
(E) Full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program or significant summer law office clerk experience; or
(F) Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement, as determined by the hiring office and documented in writing for the case file.

To qualify for the GS-12 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level defined as conducting legal research and analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers; and assisting others in the writing of legally sufficient documents.

You will need the following competencies in order to perform the duties of this position successfully:

• Technical Knowledge (Related to Position)
• Oral Communication*
• Written Communication*
• Critical Thinking*
• Teamwork.

*You will be evaluated on these critical competencies.

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.

*If you have part-time work experience, read this: Part-Time Experience.