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Trial Attorney

Department of Labor
Office of the Solicitor
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the San Francisco Regional Office. This is a standard position description and may be used in any of the three San Francisco Region Offices (i.e. San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle).

***Note: Practicing lawyers in California must be licensed by the State Bar. If selected for Los Angeles or San Francisco must be or become member of California Bar***

Additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement.

This position is outside the bargaining unit

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/06/2021 to 05/20/2021
Salary
$112,400 to - $172,500 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13 - 14
Locations
Los Angeles, CA
few vacancies
San Francisco, CA
few vacancies
Seattle, WA
few vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - This position is subject to 10% travel.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
14 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and supervisor's recommendations to the next grade.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
EX-21-PHIL-SOL-0013
Control number
600486400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, CTAP eligible in the local commuting area; Non-Citizens as allowed by law. This is an Excepted Service position. This job will be filled through an alternative hiring process service. Applicants selected for an excepted service position will be subject to a one-year trial period.

Duties

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Incumbent is responsible for working on cases, under the direction of and often with assistance from more senior attorneys and supervisors, to address legal concerns and issues relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Mine Safety and Health Act, the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act, the Walsh- Healey Public Contracts Act, the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, Executive Order 11246 and other statutes administered or enforced by the Department. Incumbent also works with more senior attorneys and supervisors in handling internal labor and employment-related litigation involving Department of Labor employees within the Region, including appeals of personnel actions to the Merit Systems Protection Board, claims of discrimination filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and cases arising under Executive Order 11491 dealing with Federal union management activities.

At the direction of the Regional Solicitor, Associate Regional Solicitor, Deputy Regional Solicitor, or program counsel, Incumbent advises, counsels, and works with the various Regional Department of Labor agencies in representing the Secretary of Labor. Incumbent is assigned legal cases arising within the Region, sometimes involving complex and difficult factual, procedural, substantive, and administrative issues that potentially have an effect on positions taken by the agency heads on programmatic enforcement both regionally and nationally, and can have an impact on one or more particular industries. The cases sometimes involve extensive research, analysis, and can require the use of expert testimony. The cases also can involve large sums of money, multi- establishment employers with large numbers of employees, important enforcement policies, and novel issues. May present oral argument in court or at administrative hearings.

Incumbent reviews assigned cases to determine whether to recommend litigation. Prepares legal analyses and litigation recommendations for the Regional Solicitor or other supervising attorney, evaluating cases in terms of the factual evidence, the legal and procedural issues involved, and other considerations that bear on the propriety of litigation. If the Regional Solicitor authorizes litigation, Incumbent is expected to handle the case with some supervision and instruction. May also be assigned to work on cases involving delicate matters in which the government has assumed a heavy burden of proof and/or cases where there has been media attention or interest from members of Congress. Many of the cases are vigorously opposed by senior legal counsel employed by labor law sections of national law firms or otherwise highly qualified and very experienced litigation counsel. May be assigned to work on a team and may be given responsibility for overseeing certain tasks for the team.

The duties above are at the full performance level (GS 14).  

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
  • 2.Requires a trial period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.

This is an Excepted Service position and is open as well to Non-Citizens as allowed by law. This position will be filled through an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service.

Qualifications

To qualify for an attorney position, applicants must possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); be a member in good standing of the bar of a court of general jurisdiction of a state, territory or possession of the U.S.; and have acquired the amount of experience indicated below for each grade level.

GS-13, two (2) years of progressively responsible legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform the work at this level.

GS-14, three (3) years of progressively responsible legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform the work at this level. At least one year of qualifying experience, at this level, must be specialized experience as defined below.

Specialized experience, for this grade level, is conducting federal court or administrative litigation (involving federal laws), which incudes developing case strategy, drafting initial pleadings discovery and deposition practice; preparing for trial and trial.

Note: An LL.M may be substituted for a maximum of one year experience.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees’ differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements for this position will be further evaluated against the following evaluation factors. Current and/or past supervisors may be contacted unless specified otherwise. A panel and/or the selecting official or his/her designee may interview applicants.

Evaluation Factors:

1. Demonstrated skill in researching and preparing well-written, organized, and persuasive legal documents.

2. Ability to make effective oral presentations in a clear and concise manner.

3. Ability to plan and organize litigation defending Department's actions related to FOIA(Freedom Of Information Act) and information sharing issues. Litigation experience a plus.

4. Ability to establish and maintain effective liaison with high-level departmental officials, regional program officials, supervisors, agency staff, and the general public.

5. Ability to multi-task in a complex and fast-paced inter-disciplinary legal environment, entailing timely collections of facts, identification and resolution of issues, enumeration of options, and formulation of recommendations.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to supply sufficient information to provide a basis for rating each of the evaluation factors listed above.

INFORMATION FOR CTAP/ICTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under CTAP or ICTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. CTAP/ICTAP eligible(s) who are placed into Category [INSERT WELL-QUALIFIED CATEGORY] or higher will be considered "well-qualified."  Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility Questions #24 to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references, and through other means (ex. interview).


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