The FTC is seeking an attorney to work in its Northwest Regional Office (NWRO) in Seattle, WA. The NWRO carries out the Commission's programs in the geographical area that includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The NWRO investigates and litigates consumer protection and antitrust actions on behalf of the FTC. As a staff attorney, you will lead, investigate and litigate cases involving deceptive and unfair practices that violate U.S. consumer protection laws.
Summary
The FTC is seeking an attorney to work in its Northwest Regional Office (NWRO) in Seattle, WA. The NWRO carries out the Commission's programs in the geographical area that includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The NWRO investigates and litigates consumer protection and antitrust actions on behalf of the FTC. As a staff attorney, you will lead, investigate and litigate cases involving deceptive and unfair practices that violate U.S. consumer protection laws.
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking an experienced attorney to work as a staff attorney in the Northwest Region (Seattle) office.
As a General Attorney, you will:
-Make initial determinations as to whether matters should be investigated; determine legal theories and plans for investigations and carry them out; review completed investigations or compliance reports for legal sufficiency.
-Conduct investigations and prepare cases for trial by securing and preparing evidence, conferring with witnesses, participating in court mandated conferences, examining and cross-examining witnesses, conducting oral argument before the court and drafting legal documents needed during the various stages of litigation.
-Collect, organize and analyze evidence, including electronically stored information.
-Recommend whether cases should be filed and litigated in federal court or administrative court, resolved informally or through settlements; negotiate settlements as appropriate.
-Draft legal pleadings, memoranda or other documents.
-Try cases before federal district courts or the Commission's Administrative Law Judge.
-Prepare and litigate, or assist others in the preparation and litigation of difficult, complex and important cases, including in appropriate instances seeking temporary restraining, preliminary injunctions, receiverships, and restitution or disgorgement.
-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.
-Conduct consumer outreach and education to local communities, press, and trade associations.
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.
May be required to serve a two year trial period.
Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with the Selective Service.
Must be a U.S. Citizen
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. Candidates with a strong background in consumer protection laws are encouraged to apply. Candidates should have excellent legal research and writing abilities, strong organizational and analytical skills in presenting arguments, and excellent oral communication skills. Candidates also should be able to work effectively with other people, exercise sound judgment, and exhibit a strong interest in the work of the agency. Litigation or trial experience is strongly preferred.
For the GS-12 level: In addition to a law degree and active bar membership, you must have 12 months of legal experience after graduation from law school, and additional relevant experience or a graduate degree in a relevant area of study (e.g., experience or a degree in economics, publications examining aspects of intellectual property or other matter, pro bono work on behalf of underserved communities).
Qualifying experience at the GS-11 level include examples such as work on non-complex matters and perform basic legal research, drafting, and legal analysis
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.
Please note: For the GS-12, prior experience, legal and nonlegal experience gained before completing law school cannot be used to satisfy the post law school experience requirements.
Education
Applicants must have attained the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited law school. If selected for this position, you will be asked to submit an official transcript before being appointed into the position.
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.
Required documents: Resume, Cover Letter, and Writing Sample
In addition, you may submit other document, but 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.opm.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.
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Room 723
Attn: Human Resources
Washington, District of Columbia 20580
United States
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful.
After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com. (Select "My USAJOBS" and click "Applications"). Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date. The most highly qualified candidates are then referred to the hiring manager for further consideration (this is NOT a guarantee that you will be contacted for an interview). If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
To help you ensure your application fully outlines your qualifications and eligibility for this position, please submit the following documentation as appropriate.
Required documents: Resume, Cover Letter, and Writing Sample
In addition, you may submit other document, but 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.opm.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.
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Room 723
Attn: Human Resources
Washington, District of Columbia 20580
United States
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful.
After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
You may check your application status by logging into USAJobs.com. (Select "My USAJOBS" and click "Applications"). Within two weeks of the closing date, a Human Resources Specialist will evaluate your application. Ratings will be determined based on the documents and information received by the closing date. The most highly qualified candidates are then referred to the hiring manager for further consideration (this is NOT a guarantee that you will be contacted for an interview). If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted directly. Once the position is filled, we will notify all applicants of their final status.
