Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals; No prior Federal experience is required.

As a General Attorney you will:

• Provide analysis and assistance on legal, policy, and factual issues involving grid resilience and reliability, electricity generation, transmission, and distribution in support of the Department's Grid Deployment Office (GDO). GDO works to provide electricity to everyone, everywhere by maintaining and investing in critical generation facilities to ensure resource adequacy and improving and expanding transmission and distribution systems. GDO is focused on ensuring the resilience of critical power generation facilities like hydroelectric and nuclear facilities and developing high-capacity electric transmission lines nationwide. GDO's work within the Transmission, Grid Modernization, and Power Generation Assistance Divisions will leverage unique authorities to drive transmission investment, improve resource adequacy by maintaining and investing in critical generation facilities, improve transmission and distribution system resilience, and provide access to technical assistance and national laboratory expertise, modeling, and analytical capabilities.
• Provide analysis, interpretation, and opinions on a variety of issues that may be extremely complex, controversial, sensitive, unusual, and highly publicized, involving the issuance of DOE legal and policy documents which may substantially broaden or restrict DOE activities or have a significant impact on major energy entities, related industries, and the public.
• Provide legal advice and determinations in the application of advanced theories, principles, concepts, and processes which require expertise applicable to a wide variety of situations, uses, and problems in the law and legal procedures of federal, state, and local governments.
• Provide legal counsel as assigned to other programs such as proceedings before state public utility commissions of electricity and natural gas rates charged to DOE and other governmental facilities; energy infrastructure physical and cyber security; energy infrastructure emergency planning, response, and restoration; natural gas and electricity export authorizations; presidential permits for electric transmission facilities at international borders; petroleum reserves; carbon management and resource sustainability; federal power marketing administrations; as well as other energy areas including research and development programs in support of the preceding energy programs.
• Interpret and advise on the Federal Power Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act, Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, Energy Policy Act of 2005, Energy Policy Act of 1992, Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, Energy Policy and Conservation Act, Natural Gas Act, Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, Administrative Procedure Act, Department of Energy Organization Act, and other applicable statutes.
• Draft, review, and comment on documents regarding program activities of the Grid Deployment Office; Office of Electricity; Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management; Office of Policy; and Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response; Arctic Energy Office; and the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains.
• Lead and/or participate in regulatory proceedings on behalf of DOE and other federal entities before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and state public utility commissions.
• Monitor activities, including natural gas and electric regulatory actions, before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and state agencies and public utility commissions. Interpret legal effects and impacts of FERC and state activities on DOE and national energy policy; prepare comments and other pleadings in regulatory proceedings; review and comment on draft agency documents regarding energy regulation; and direct and review the work of contractors and other technical experts.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
• Subject to satisfactory security and suitability requirements
• May be required to successfully complete a trial period.
• The vacancies filled through these appointments have varying levels of background investigative requirements, up to a Top Secret DOE "Q" clearance.
• GS-13 and above are required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, Executive Branch Personnel Confidential
• If selected, you must self-identify if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a Schedule A, Schedule C, or non-career SES political appointee as OPM approval is required prior to finalizing your selection.
• Proof of current active member in good standing in the bar of a State, District of Columbia, territory of the United States, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• Employees must maintain active bar membership while employed as an attorney with DOE.
• This position is NOT included in a Bargaining Agreement.
• This position is Remote Restricted to the Washington D.C. Area which means you must live within a 60-mile radius of the DC area. May have to report to a DOE worksite a few times a month for work that cannot be performed remotely.

Qualifications

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

1. Meet the minimum education requirements of successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) with a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); AND
2. Must be a current, active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

GS-15 Qualifications:

• Four years of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work.; AND
• One additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-14 level in the Federal service.

GS-14 Qualifications:

• Three years of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work.; AND
• One additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service.

GS-13 Qualifications:

• One year of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work.; AND
• One additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your evaluation involves determining the relevance and quality of your experience and education and whether you meet the minimum qualifications as required. You will be evaluated for this job based on the qualifications above, your Writing Sample that shows your knowledge level and ability to put that into words showing your technical abilities, and your Cover Letter (no more than 3 pages) that describes your interest in this role at the Department of Energy and describes your experience. When describing your experience, please give examples that demonstrate the complexity of the knowledge you possess, the level of the people with whom you interacted, and the sensitivity of the issues you handled. Describe your applicable experience, if any, that touches on the following range of tasks:

• Undertake legal research and provide written legal analysis, advice, and recommendations on complex legal and policy matters.
• Prepare and review rulemakings, orders, Federal Register notices and responsive comments, public filings, policy statements, reports to the President and Congress, and congressional testimony. Review and comment on legislation to determine the potential impact on client activities, and draft amendments.
• Represent clients in meetings, hearings, and other proceedings.
• Support litigation efforts, including the preparation and filing of motions and other documents, in federal and state regulatory proceedings.
• Support transactional work, including the preparation of agreements and performance of due diligence and compliance review.

Minimum Requirements: Your application must show that you meet all requirements, including the education and/or experience required for this position. You will be found "not qualified" if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position. If your application is incomplete, we will rate you as ineligible.

Referral: Since this is an Excepted Service position, a non-rated method of evaluation will be used. We will evaluate your application by comparing your description of your work experience, level of responsibility, and accomplishments with the requirements of the position to determine whether you meet all the qualification requirements. Although competitive examining rules for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply, veteran's preference will be considered as a positive factor. Candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements will be referred to the selecting official for consideration and possible interview.