Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all U.S. Citizens.

The selectee will provide legal advice and counsel to personnel across U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), its Bureaus (Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Development Agency, Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, International Trade Administration, Minority Business Development Agency, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Technical Information Service, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the Office of the Secretary and its component offices) on a variety of issues. The issues include but are not limited to post-government employment, outside employment, interaction with non-Federal entities, fundraising, use of government resources, and gifts. Reviews and provides guidance on conduct matters, highly complex financial disclosure reports and portfolios to identify and resolve potential conflicts of interest, and ethics education (outreach and training). Responsibilities include assisting with administration of the DOC ethics program, whether vetting senior-level hires or performing work related to Federal Advisory Committees and Special Government Employees.

Successful candidates will possess an understanding of ethics law and program requirements, including knowledge of financial instruments and ethics law, and financial disclosure reviews. It is preferable for the candidates to have demonstrated strong interest in the subject matter and knowledge of the legal framework for DOC and its Bureaus' programs as well as have experience with developing and conducting training presentations. Candidates must have superior legal writing and research ability; outstanding oral, analytical, and interpersonal skills, and be adept at working directly with clients and staff members; candidates must demonstrate a commitment to professionalism and public service.

Conditions of employment

Conditions of Employment

• - Must be a U.S. citizen.
• - Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
• - Provide proof of an active bar membership in good standing of the bar of a state, a territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that applicant is in "active" status.
• - Successfully pass a background investigation.
• - Required to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450.
• - Complete a 2-year trial/probationary period
• - Registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must have acquired the amounts of skills and experience indicated below for each grade level.

- For the GS-12 level, one (1) year post-J.D. of progressively responsible legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform the work at this level.

- For the GS-13 level, two (2) years post-J.D. 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.

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

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

Specialized Experience Requirements

Applicants must meet the general professional experience requirements set forth above and the below specialized experience by the closing date of the announcement. Specialized experience equips applicants with particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. For this position specialized experience includes a working familiarity with ethics laws, regulations, policy and procedures or experience with legal areas that are frequently encountered in the context of implementing ethics programs. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to accurately identify and quickly analyze relevant and critical issues.

Applicants must demonstrate a record of strong interpersonal skills, good judgment and exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff and client bureaus.
Applicants may be hired at any of the grades shown in this announcement, commensurate with the candidate's experience and qualifications. Please identify the grade level(s) for which you wish to be considered.

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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Applicants will be rated based on their education, experience, demonstrated legal research and writing abilities, and performance during the interview process. Basis for evaluation: If eligible and meeting basic qualifications, your application package will be evaluated in conjunction with your résumé and supporting documents for the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position:

1. Knowledge of research strategies and techniques sufficient to research the most complex legal issues. The issues researched are almost always factually complex and are in areas of the law which are often in a continual state of evolution, thus requiring atypical and innovative research strategies.
2. Ability to communicate effectively with diverse clients and constituencies on varied and complex topics in writing clearly, concisely and persuasively, with particular emphasis on the ability to analyze and explain complex legal issues.
3. Ability to communicate effectively orally with diverse clients and constituencies on varied and complex topics.
4. Ability to maintain effective working and reporting relationships with professional peers, support staff and management officials.
5. Ability to organize work effectively to meet established deadlines and priorities.

Please be advised that DOC Attorney positions are in the Excepted Service. As such, these positions are not covered by the usual civil service hiring procedures. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications stated herein. We will perform an initial review of applications to determine basic eligibility and minimum qualifications for the position and numeric scores will not be assigned. There are no numerical rating systems through which to apply veterans' preference; however, the Office of the General Counsel favorably considers veterans preference eligibility in hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume. If selected, additional information may be required.