This position is located in the Legal Division (LD), General Law Branch. The LD is the principal legal adviser to the Commission & to other divisions within the agency with respect to litigation, interpretations, rulemaking, analysis of proposed legislation, and other legal issues arising in connection with the administration of the Commodity Exchange Act as amended (the Act), and particularly with respect to novel, complex, and difficult matters.
Summary
This position is located in the Legal Division (LD), General Law Branch. The LD is the principal legal adviser to the Commission & to other divisions within the agency with respect to litigation, interpretations, rulemaking, analysis of proposed legislation, and other legal issues arising in connection with the administration of the Commodity Exchange Act as amended (the Act), and particularly with respect to novel, complex, and difficult matters.
As an Attorney Advisor at the full performance level in the General Law Branch, you will:
Be responsible for processing Freedom of Information Act requests, both simple and complex, from start to finish. Conduct FOIA request intake and work with Commission divisions and offices to identify responsive custodians and documents. Conduct extensive document review and analysis for applicable FOIA exemptions, redact records, and prepare responses to FOIA requesters.
Negotiate with FOIA requesters to identify and refine the terms of requests, and respond directly to questions from requesters.
Serve as a legal and technical expert on FOIA policy, processes, legislation, and regulations.
Ensure legal compliance affecting the disclosure or non-disclosure of requested information and assist with preparing quarterly or annual reports.
Advise and assist with the resolution of diverse and complicated legal questions involving the FOIA, the Privacy Act, the Federal Records Act, and Commission supplemental regulations.
Counsel Commission employees at all grade levels to include senior officials on FOIA and other information governance related legal issues.
Work with other staff in the General Law Branch to advise and assist with the resolution of legal issues involving budget, fiscal, and appropriations law; Federal personnel and labor relations law; the Ethics in Government Act; the Sunshine Act; the Federal Advisory Committee Act; information sharing, collection, and security issues; procurement, contract administration, and the application of the Federal Acquisition Regulations; as well as the Commissions own authorizing legislation and legislative history.
Support the significant agency demand for legal advice and guidance from the General Law Branch.
Provide legal guidance in a variety of ways, including informal consultations and e-mails, small and large group meetings, formal legal memoranda and opinions, and presentations to the Chairman, Commissioners, and Commission staff.
Communicate with other federal agencies including the Office of Management and Budget, the Government Accountability Office, the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Government Ethics, the Department of Justice, and the General Services Administration.
Assist with intake and review of Requests for Confidential Treatment.
Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered for Selective Service
Must serve 2-year trial period
Bar Membership: Currently an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Applicants are responsible for citing minimum qualifications such as JD and Bar membership information (institution name, state for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes. Failure to supply details will result in an incomplete application.
Qualifications
CT-12: Candidates with a law degree (J.D. or equivalent), bar membership and two years of relevant legal experience after law school.
And
Either a graduate degree in a relevant are of study (e.g., L.L. M. or advanced degree in economics, business, etc.) or an additional 2 years of relevant legal experience after law experience after completion of law school.
CT-13: Candidates with a law degree (J.D. or equivalent) and bar membership and 3 years of relevant legal experience after completion of law school.
Desired Qualifications
Experience in the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, and knowledge of other information related laws and regulations.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including drafting memoranda of law, legal opinions, policies, or documentation prepared in anticipation of litigation.
Experience conducting research and analysis of complex legal and factual issues.
Possession and application of negotiating, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
Experience using document review platforms is preferred.
Education
Successful completion of a full course of study (JD) in a school of law.
Additional information
Relocation. Relocation expenses will not be paid.
Trial Period. You will be subject to a two year trial period.
Financial Disclosure: The selectee will be required to complete a financial disclosure statement upon entrance and on an annual basis thereafter.
Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must indicate their preference in response to the appropriate question in their assessment questionnaire (it is also recommended that information is included in their cover letter or resume) and they must submit supporting documentation (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) which verifies their eligibility for preference. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
EEO Policy Statement. The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetic information, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor.
Reasonable Accommodation. Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Employees must serve a 1-year time-in-grade requirement in order to be considered for the next higher grade level within 30-days of the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
The law prohibits public officials from appointing, promoting, or recommending their relatives. The law prohibits requesting, making, transmitting, accepting, or considering political recommendations for employment or other personnel actions for non-political positions. This includes recommendations from Members of Congress, Congressional employees, elected state or local officials, and political party officials and any recommendation based on party affiliation.
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.
This job is being filled under a Schedule A hiring authority 5 CFR 213.3102 and is excepted from the competitive civil service. You will be evaluated and deemed either eligible or ineligible based on the relevance and quality of your experience and education, bar membership, and desired qualifications described above. These positions are not covered by the usual civil service hiring procedures. There is no numerical rating system through which to apply veterans preference; however, CFTC considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume, and to attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD Form-214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions. All eligible applicants will be further evaluated by subject-matter experts.
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.
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.
YOU MUST APPLY ONLINE. Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. You must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at USAJOBS.GOV. To begin, click the Apply Online button within the vacancy announcement and follow the prompts to create an account using LOGIN.GOV, if you have not done so already. LOGIN.GOV will walk you through each step of the account set-up and will automatically link your USAJOBS profile to LOGIN.GOV. Once you have established an account using LOGIN.GOV, you will then go back to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV user name and password to answer the questions, and submit all required documents. If you already have established a LOGIN.GOV account or want to return to your saved application go to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV user name and password to apply or view your profile. If you have problems completing your on-line application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please contact the Help Desk by e-mail at mgshelp@monster.com or phone at 1-866.656.6831. The help desk is available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
CFTC
Three Lafayette Centre
1155 21 Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 200581
United States
Next steps
Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on “Application Status,” and then click “More Information.”
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
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.
YOU MUST APPLY ONLINE. Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. You must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at USAJOBS.GOV. To begin, click the Apply Online button within the vacancy announcement and follow the prompts to create an account using LOGIN.GOV, if you have not done so already. LOGIN.GOV will walk you through each step of the account set-up and will automatically link your USAJOBS profile to LOGIN.GOV. Once you have established an account using LOGIN.GOV, you will then go back to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV user name and password to answer the questions, and submit all required documents. If you already have established a LOGIN.GOV account or want to return to your saved application go to USAJOBS.GOV using your LOGIN.GOV user name and password to apply or view your profile. If you have problems completing your on-line application, including problems submitting your supporting documents, please contact the Help Desk by e-mail at mgshelp@monster.com or phone at 1-866.656.6831. The help desk is available Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
CFTC
Three Lafayette Centre
1155 21 Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 200581
United States
Next steps
Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on “Application Status,” and then click “More Information.”
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
