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The incumbent serves as the Counsel to a Commissioner of the agency. This office consists of the Commissioner and the Counsel. The incumbent performs research and advisory work of a highly difficult and responsible nature, analyzes and prepares recommendations on various matters, and assists the Commissioner in handling relations with officials at other agencies, the shipping industry, and the general public.
As an Attorney-Advisor (Counsel to Commissioner) you will:
Serve as the legal and policy advisor to the Commissioner. Advises and assists the Commission with respect to all matters appearing on the Commission's docket and of special interest to the Commissioner.
Work under broad policy guidance of the Commissioner, using initiative and discretion to complete work. Advice and guidance are received during discussions with the Commissioner as to problems involved or their points of view.
Advise the Commissioner concerning Congressional hearings, reports, and debates pertinent to the process of the Commission's programs.
Prepare or review replies to correspondence or requests for information from members of Congress, other officials of the governments, and private industry.
Review records in proceedings subject to adjudication or rulemaking, summarizing the significant parts, and advising as to possible decisions to be made and advances cogent reasons on a pro-and-con basis.
Carry out a variety of complex, sensitive, and/or controversial assignments such as matters of Congressional and world-wide maritime industry interest.
Serve as primary contact with members of Congress, officials of other government agencies, shipping industry leaders, and Commission staff. Personally handles inquiries and requests for information.
Serve as the sole Counsel for this office, responsible for performing all administrative matters.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret background investigation.
Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see www.sss.gov).
May be required to obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
May be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
Qualifications
Candidates for all grades must meet the following by the close of the announcement:
Minimum educational requirements include a professional law degree (LL.B or J.D.) from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school. NOTE: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. An ABA-approved law school may allow students to receive credit for law study or activities at a foreign institution and grant credit for the J.D. degree if those studies or activities are approved in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Criteria adopted by the ABA's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.
Current active membership in a bar of any State, territory, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia. Active bar association and a certificate that the member is in good standing will be verified prior to appointment and employees must maintain active bar membership in good standing while employed as an attorney with the FMC.
Applicants must possess excellent research skills, as well as the ability to communicate, both orally and in writing.
Education
Please refer to the qualifications section for applicable education requirements.
Additional information
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal Maritime Commission employees in the excepted service with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies if they are on a Schedule A or Schedule B appointment without time limitation. Selection priority is limited to other permanent Schedule A or B positions in the same agency and local commuting area. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be rated well-qualified by placing in the Highly Qualified or Best Qualified category for this vacancy. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is available on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine that you possess at least one year of professional, specialized law experience. Please ensure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position.
Professional law experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position being filled. Law clerk experience (post J.D.) may be considered professional law experience if the candidate performed attorney duties.
Specialized experience is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience include:
Conducting research for large scope and/or high-profile cases, topics, and/or policy issues;
Working on complex rulemaking or policy proceedings;
Preparing and reviewing replies to correspondence or requests from members of Congress, other officials of the governments, and private industry; and
Serving as the legal and policy advisor to a Commissioner or senior-level leadership.
Desirable: Strong interest, and/or experience in Maritime Law/Industry preferred, but not required.
A complete application includes 1. A resume, and 2. Law School Transcripts (Official or Unofficial). Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position.
All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.).
The following may be requested during the interview process and/or if selected:
Writing Sample
SF-50 (if applicable)
Performance Appraisal (if applicable)
Education Documentation:
An official transcript may be required if you are selected.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation website.
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.
Notice of Veterans Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Federal Maritime Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documents (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions.
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. Learn 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 apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon EST on the announcement's closing date.
To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to saved application at a later date, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
If you meet the minimum qualifications requirements you will be considered by the selecting official. If not indicated on your application, please provide a valid e-mail address.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.
Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:
An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.
You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.
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Learn more about
Federal Maritime Commission
The FMC is an independent regulatory agency with a mission to ensure a competitive and reliable international ocean transportation supply system that supports the U.S. economy and protects the public from unfair and deceptive practices. FMC offers numerous workplace flexibilities including a Modernized Telework Program, Flexible and Compressed work schedules, and an On-Site Fitness Center. FMC is conveniently located within walking distance to Union Station in an area with numerous amenities. Come and join the FMC! More information about the FMC and its programs can be found at http://www.fmc.gov.
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