The positions are located in the Bureau of Consumer Protection, Division of Marketing Practices. The Division of Marketing Practices leads the Bureau's Fraud Program, filing actions in federal district court challenging entities perpetrating telemarketing, online, or direct mail frauds such as sham business opportunities and technical support schemes, false debt reduction plans, and bogus healthcare schemes. It also directs the Bureau's Do Not Call Program and both enforces and engages in rule making activities involving a variety of other consumer protection rules.
Summary
The positions are located in the Bureau of Consumer Protection, Division of Marketing Practices. The Division of Marketing Practices leads the Bureau's Fraud Program, filing actions in federal district court challenging entities perpetrating telemarketing, online, or direct mail frauds such as sham business opportunities and technical support schemes, false debt reduction plans, and bogus healthcare schemes. It also directs the Bureau's Do Not Call Program and both enforces and engages in rule making activities involving a variety of other consumer protection rules.
As a General Attorney (Trade Regulation), you will: - Make initial determinations as to whether matters should be investigated. - Determine legal theories and plans for investigations and litigation and carry them out. - Recommend whether cases should be closed, resolved informally or through administrative or federal court settlements, or litigated administratively or in federal court. - Assist in investigating matters and engage in all aspects of civil litigation, including preparing cases for trial by securing and preparing evidence, conferring with witnesses, deposing witnesses, drafting motions and legal briefs, drafting and responding to discovery requests, participating in pretrial conferences, examining and cross-examining witnesses, trying cases, and negotiating settlements. - Prepare and prosecute, or assist others in the preparation and prosecution of, difficult, complex, and important cases. - Confer with government agencies, public authorities and attorneys, business people and other members of the public, providing them with information on matters of law, Commission procedure and policy. - Assist in conducting regulatory and other initiatives, including rule-makings, studies, reports, and workshops.
Possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited law school.
Member in good standing of the Bar of a state or territory - US, PR, DC
Relocation expenses will not be paid.
This position is in the Excepted Service (Schedule A). Individuals applying for this announcement are required to complete and submit an online application and all supporting documentation through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) application system, USAJOBS.
Qualifications
Applicants must have attained the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited law school and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or a U.S. territory. Applicants must demonstrate excellent writing skills and be able to work effectively with other people, exercise sound judgment, and exhibit a strong interest in the work of the agency.
For the GS-13 level: In addition to a law degree and active bar membership, you must have 24 months of legal experience after graduation from law school. At least 18 months of your legal experience after graduation from law school must be comparable to the GS-12 level.
Qualifying experience at the GS-12 level include examples such as work on moderately complex, novel, or broadly significant matters. This work entails solid drafting skills, original research, strong legal analysis, and effective oral communications. Note that new attorneys with special qualifications who were hired as entry level GS-12s may require additional guidance and experience before they develop and demonstrate the abilities and skills necessary to perform at the GS-13 level. For those employees, additional time in grade to develop may be necessary before recommending promotion to a higher grade level.
For the GS-14 level: In addition to a law degree and active bar membership, you must have 42 months of legal experience after graduation from law school. At least 18 months of your legal experience after graduation from law school must be comparable to the GS-13 level.
Qualifying experience at the GS-13 level include examples such as independently plan, organize and conduct analysis of the matters on which they are working, based on preliminary background and policy information provided by the supervisor. Their written work is expected to be technically correct and not require detailed review. At this level, attorneys are journeymen attorneys whose work entails demanding legal research and analysis; drafting and reviewing draft motions, subpoenas, complaints, orders, rule proposals, and memoranda; and, where appropriate to the office, participating in investigational hearings, negotiating sessions, and trials. They contribute to the tactical and policy decisions inherent in various matters and, where appropriate, they should be able to assist in the trial of these matters. Attorneys at this level take charge of basic matters, moderately complex and novel matters, and make substantial contributions to the most complex, novel, or significant matters.
For the GS-15 level: In addition to a law degree and active bar membership, you must have 60 months of legal experience after graduation from law school to qualify for the GS-15 level.
Qualifying experience at the GS-15 level include examples such as being an outstanding writer and highly effective oral advocate. You must also exercise sound judgement, supervise, work well with, and motivate others, and make decided contributions to the work of the office. You must function independently and their work should not require close supervision or substantive review. The supervisor must have complete confidence in their judgment. At this level, you should be recognized for their competence. They should be able to represent the agency before any group or in any setting, and to effectively manage the preparation and trial of virtually any major case, all stages in the appeal of such a case, or conduct evaluation and analysis of the most complex cases of major significance for which little if any precedent exists. Please note: Prior experience (legal and nonlegal experience) gained before completing law school cannot be used to satisfy the post law school experience requirements.
Candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements within thirty (30) days of the closing date of the announcement.
IN ADDITION, APPLICANTS WHO ARE ABLE TO SPEAK, READ, AND WRITE IN SPANISH ARE HIGHLY DESIRABLE.Additional Documents In addition to the required documents, you may submit the following: - Cover letter - Writing sample
Additional information
Information on Displaced Federal Employees and Special Hiring Authorities can be found by clicking Additional Information.
Financial Suitability - It is the policy of the government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual's employment experience will be used only to determine the person's qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual's personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.
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.
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.
You will be evaluated based on the overall strength of your credentials as demonstrated by your cover letter, resume, writing sample, and experience. The most qualified candidates will be selected for interviews, which will also be considered in making the final decision. Application of Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Federal Trade Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. If you are eligible for veterans' preference, you are encouraged to include that information in your cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214 or other substantiating documents) to your submission. To preview questions please click here.
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.
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.
To help you ensure your application fully outlines your qualifications and eligibility for this position, please submit the following documentation as appropriate. Some of the items listed may not apply to you.
APPLICATION PACKAGE CHECKLIST
__ Announcement number, title, and grade(s) of the position
__ Full name, mailing address (including zip code) and day and evening phone numbers (with area code)
__ Statement that you are a U.S. citizen
__ Current Federal employees serving on a competitive career or career conditional appointment or reinstatement eligible must submit a copy of their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50).
__Copy of DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) (only if claiming veteran's preference)
__SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference) plus the support documentation required by this form (if claiming 10-point veteran's preference)
__ Paid and non-paid work experience related to the position.
For each period of Work experience include:
___Job title ___Series/grade (if Federal employment)
___Duties and accomplishments
___Employer's name and address
___Supervisor's name and contact information
___Starting and ending dates of employment (month/day/year)
___Number of hours worked per week
___Salary
___Indicate if we may contact current supervisor/employer
___Other job related information, such as training courses (title & year); skills (e.g., other languages, computer software/hardware, tools, etc.)
___Certificates/licenses (current).
___Honors, awards, and special accomplishments
___A Legible copy of college transcripts (if qualifying all or in part on the basis of Education for this position)
___Support documentation for eligibility for special hiring authorities, such as disability, Peace Corps service, etc.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Individuals applying for this announcement are required to complete and submit an online application through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) application system, USAJOBS. The information you provide in USAJOBS is general information completed by all candidates. That information and your resume will become part of your application and will automatically be transferred to FT-SEE when you apply online. The submission of anything other than the below online application will result in you not being considered for this job. If applying online poses a hardship to any applicant, please contact us.
Applicants must contact us at 202-326-2021 prior to the closing date to speak to someone who can provide assistance for online submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted. There are several parts of the application process that will affect your overall evaluation:
1. Your online resume (See Step 1 below).
2. Your responses to the eligibility questions.
3. Your responses to the vacancy specific self-assessment questions.
4. Submission of supporting documentation (See instructions under the "Required Documentation" section of this posting.
You have until 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement to complete the following four-step application process:
STEP 1: To apply, you must first register on USAJOBS at www.usajobs.gov and have at least one resume associated with your account. Your online resume must be built using the USAJOBS resume builder or you can upload an existing resume from your computer. You must submit a resume to be considered for this position. Once you have completed the registration process, thoroughly review this vacancy announcement and then select the "Apply Online" button and follow the instructions provided.
STEP 2: After selecting a resume to submit with your application package, you will be taken to FT-SEE to answer questions related to your experience and vacancy specific questions. The answers to the questions are necessary to evaluate your qualifications for the specific job to which you are applying. When completed, the information you provided through USAJOBS and the answers to the FT-SEE questions will become your application.
STEP 3: Review your resume to make certain that it supports your responses to the questions. Once you submit your online application, you will see a screen telling you that your application has been successfully transmitted. If you do not receive this confirmation, you have not successfully completed your application.
STEP 4: Submit Supporting Documentation, as necessary.
NOTE: Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
To help you ensure your application fully outlines your qualifications and eligibility for this position, please submit the following documentation as appropriate. Some of the items listed may not apply to you.
APPLICATION PACKAGE CHECKLIST
__ Announcement number, title, and grade(s) of the position
__ Full name, mailing address (including zip code) and day and evening phone numbers (with area code)
__ Statement that you are a U.S. citizen
__ Current Federal employees serving on a competitive career or career conditional appointment or reinstatement eligible must submit a copy of their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50).
__Copy of DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) (only if claiming veteran's preference)
__SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference) plus the support documentation required by this form (if claiming 10-point veteran's preference)
__ Paid and non-paid work experience related to the position.
For each period of Work experience include:
___Job title ___Series/grade (if Federal employment)
___Duties and accomplishments
___Employer's name and address
___Supervisor's name and contact information
___Starting and ending dates of employment (month/day/year)
___Number of hours worked per week
___Salary
___Indicate if we may contact current supervisor/employer
___Other job related information, such as training courses (title & year); skills (e.g., other languages, computer software/hardware, tools, etc.)
___Certificates/licenses (current).
___Honors, awards, and special accomplishments
___A Legible copy of college transcripts (if qualifying all or in part on the basis of Education for this position)
___Support documentation for eligibility for special hiring authorities, such as disability, Peace Corps service, etc.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Individuals applying for this announcement are required to complete and submit an online application through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) application system, USAJOBS. The information you provide in USAJOBS is general information completed by all candidates. That information and your resume will become part of your application and will automatically be transferred to FT-SEE when you apply online. The submission of anything other than the below online application will result in you not being considered for this job. If applying online poses a hardship to any applicant, please contact us.
Applicants must contact us at 202-326-2021 prior to the closing date to speak to someone who can provide assistance for online submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted. There are several parts of the application process that will affect your overall evaluation:
1. Your online resume (See Step 1 below).
2. Your responses to the eligibility questions.
3. Your responses to the vacancy specific self-assessment questions.
4. Submission of supporting documentation (See instructions under the "Required Documentation" section of this posting.
You have until 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement to complete the following four-step application process:
STEP 1: To apply, you must first register on USAJOBS at www.usajobs.gov and have at least one resume associated with your account. Your online resume must be built using the USAJOBS resume builder or you can upload an existing resume from your computer. You must submit a resume to be considered for this position. Once you have completed the registration process, thoroughly review this vacancy announcement and then select the "Apply Online" button and follow the instructions provided.
STEP 2: After selecting a resume to submit with your application package, you will be taken to FT-SEE to answer questions related to your experience and vacancy specific questions. The answers to the questions are necessary to evaluate your qualifications for the specific job to which you are applying. When completed, the information you provided through USAJOBS and the answers to the FT-SEE questions will become your application.
STEP 3: Review your resume to make certain that it supports your responses to the questions. Once you submit your online application, you will see a screen telling you that your application has been successfully transmitted. If you do not receive this confirmation, you have not successfully completed your application.
STEP 4: Submit Supporting Documentation, as necessary.
NOTE: Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
