USAJOBS

Attorney positions in the Federal Government are in the excepted service, typically under an appointment called "Schedule A". Consequently, agencies may hire applicants for attorney positions without following the civil service hiring procedures and qualification standards normally used for competitive service jobs.

Qualifications

Agencies are responsible for establishing their own qualification requirements for attorney positions. Generally, a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, Master of Laws (LL.M,) or equivalent law degrees and membership in a State bar are required. However, you must contact the agency of your choice to obtain complete information about what education, work experience, and credentials are required.

How to Find Out About Job Openings

Telephone Directory:Contact directly the Federal agency for which you want to work. Local Federal agency addresses may be found in your local telephone directory under "U.S. Government." Agencies also recruit through career resource centers on college and university campuses.

- OR -

Internet: Job seekers can also apply for positions on-line through USAJOBS, the Federal Government's Employment Information System. This official world-wide web site for jobs and employment information is located at OPM web site http://www.usajobs.gov. The occupational series for attorney positions is 0905. To locate openings for attorney positions throughout the Government, search for job vacancies for the 0905 occupational series using the USAJOBS employment information system.

RELATED OCCUPATIONS - There are a number of occupations in the civil service for which a law degree and/or legal experience are qualifying and valuable, but not necessarily required. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Paralegal Specialist (series 0950);
• Hearings and Appeals Specialist (series 0930);
• Contract Specialist (series 1102);
• Labor Relations Specialist (series 0201); and
• Estate Tax Examiner (series 0920).

AS OF: 01/15/2010

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