Attorney-Advisor (General Law and Ethics)

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TTB's mission is steeped in America's history, from the time of the Whiskey Rebellion to the work of agents like Eliot Ness. We are a nationwide team dedicated to collect alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and ammunition excise taxes and ensure that alcohol beverages are labeled, advertised, and marketed by law. We rank among the top 15% of agency subcomponents in the 2024 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government.

To be qualified for this position, you must meet the basic educational and/or work experience requirements for Attorney-Advisor positions in the federal government. Applicants must:
(1) Be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LL.B. or J.D.;
(2) Be a current member of a bar with a valid license to practice law in a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
(3) Meet all specialized experience requirements as described in the vacancy announcement.

The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions. This position is located at Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Office of the Chief Counsel - General Law and Ethics Division.

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-15. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

• Advises managers and employees on complex matters concerning compliance with employment, personnel and labor law, as well as disclosure, fiscal, contract and ethics laws and regulations. Represents TTB in administrative hearings, including before the Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Board of Contract Appeals. The incumbent reviews requests for information or documentation and appeals of their denial made under the Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act and other disclosure laws and advises agency officials on the appropriate response. Prepares agency responses to requests for discovery or the production of documents.
• Assists the Assistant Chief Counsel (GLE) and the Chief Counsel/Deputy Ethics Official in managing the Bureau's ethics program. This includes periodic evaluation of the Bureau's standards of conduct regulations, the financial disclosure systems and post-employment enforcement systems; educating and counseling employees concerning ethics and conflicts of interest; and the maintenance of close liaison with the Department of the Treasury Senior Counsel for Ethics, and the Office of Government Ethics concerning the ethics program. Prepares advice for the Chief Counsel/Deputy Ethics Official, Deputy Chief Counsel/Alternate Deputy Ethics Official and Assistant Chief Counsel (GLE) on matters pertaining to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, other ethics or conflicts of interest statutes or regulations and standards of professional responsibility and conduct.
• Responsible for reviewing appeals of initial decisions by the appropriate TTB officer or an administrative law judge in alcohol and tobacco permit proceedings, providing legal advice to the TTB appellate authority, and preparing the final agency decision in the matter.
• Conducts legal research, investigation, and negotiation on matters of general law. Renders legal advice and technical legal guidance to TTB officials concerning the most complex aspects of procurement law and appropriations law. In the areas of contracting, claims, and appeals, analyzes and evaluates facts, determines questions of law, and either recommends adoption of decisions prepared by Contracting Officers or drafts independent decisions for consideration by the Contracting Officers.
• Prepares recommendations to compromise, terminate or suspend claims against TTB for damages or loss of property under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) and advises in the defense of civil complaints brought under the FTCA. Advises in the defense of cases involving civil or criminal actions against investigators or other employees of the Bureau resulting from official actions taken by such employees.

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Specialized experience for the GS-14: You must have a minimum of two years (24 months) of experience practicing as a licensed attorney. The experience must include one year of experience at the GS-13 level or equivalent level of difficulty in the Federal service or private sector including acting independently as a lead agency or client representative in administrative or judicial proceedings, preparing drafts of legal briefs for court proceedings, drafting legal memoranda regarding effects of proposed legislation or regulations, or drafting briefing papers on legal issues for senior government officials or private sector clients.

Specialized experience for the GS-15: You must have two years (24 months) of experience at the GS-14 level, or equivalent level of difficulty in the Federal service or private sector, and have the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Examples of such experience might include independently handling cases involving sensitive or highly visible issues that may contain facts which are difficult to develop and prove or matters of a precedent-setting nature.