In this position, you will serve as an Attorney in the Policy Division in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) at the Federal Election Commission. You will work under an Assistant General Counsel providing legal advice, analysis and research in any of the following duty areas: regulations/policy, advisory opinions, compliance, investigations, legal review, and other similar areas.
This is a bargaining unit position.
Summary
In this position, you will serve as an Attorney in the Policy Division in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) at the Federal Election Commission. You will work under an Assistant General Counsel providing legal advice, analysis and research in any of the following duty areas: regulations/policy, advisory opinions, compliance, investigations, legal review, and other similar areas.
As the Attorney-Adviser (General) in this position you are engaged in all aspects of the policy development process. Specifically, you will:
Draft advisory opinions concerning the application of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and Commission regulations.
Draft regulations implementing FECA and other statutes within the Commission's jurisdiction.
Draft policy statements and other legal guidance.
Write legal reports, briefs, and memoranda.
Prepare and research policy questions arising from all aspects of OGC matters.
Provide compliance advice to Commissioners and agency staff.
Provide legal review of publications and other agency documents.
Present and answer questions regarding policy documents before the Commission.
Please note: Depending on workload considerations, Policy staff attorneys may be assigned projects from other divisions within OGC including, but not limited to, Enforcement matters.
You must be able to pass a background investigation.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see Legal and regulatory guidance below).
You may be required to serve a 2 year probationary period.
Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
You must meet qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the Basic Requirements and the Experience Requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. A copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.
Basic Requirements (applicable to both grade levels):
A. Education: Possess a J.D., or LL.B., or higher degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. (You must submit a copy of your unofficial or official transcripts.)
AND
B. Bar Membership: Licensed and in good standing to practice law as an Attorney under the laws of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or territory of the United States. You must submit a copy of your current Bar card, or letter of good standing.
In addition to meeting both of the Basic Requirements above, you must meet the experience requirements for the applicable grade level.
Experience Requirement for the GS-13 Level:
You must have 2 years of progressively responsible professional experience working as a practicing attorney in any of the following duty areas: regulations/policy, legal review, litigation, compliance, investigations, or other similar areas. At least one year of this experience must be comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 federal grade level participating in providing legal advice, analysis, research, or litigation work. This must include activities such as: (1) conducting legal research; (2) drafting regulations, policy statements, briefs, motions, or legal memoranda; (3) researching and recommending solutions to policy or legal issues; (4) assisting senior staff with developing policy, legal strategies, or handling matters associated with the promulgation of regulations; and (5) making oral presentations on results of policy research/analysis or legal arguments.
Experience Requirement for the GS-14 Level:
You must have at least 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience working as a practicing attorney in any of the following duty areas: regulations/policy, legal review, litigation, compliance, investigations, or other similar areas. At least one year of this experience must be comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-13 federal grade level providing legal advice, analysis, research, or litigation work. This must include activities such as: (1) conducting extensive legal research on complex matters; (2) writing advisory opinions, intricate regulations, policy statements, briefs, or motions; (3) solving policy or legal issues; (4) developing and implementing policy or handling complex matters associated with the promulgation of regulations; and (5) defending current policy to high-level officials or making oral presentations to senior leaders on results of policy or legal research/analysis.
You also must provide a cover letter of at least two pages summarizing your evidence ofat least 2 out of the 5 following competencies:
Legal Writing: Writes clearly, concisely, and persuasively.
Legal Research: Researches, analyzes, and explains legal issues.
Problem Solving: Identifies and analyzes legal problems; evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations.
Policy: Develops or interprets policy; applies appropriate methodology to discover or identify policy issues.
Oral Communication: Makes clear and convincing oral presentations to individuals or groups; listens effectively and clarifies information as needed; communicates legal principles succinctly and clearly.
We recommend your cover letter include examples that are clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the functions, activities, or services you delivered; level of contacts; the sensitivity and criticality of the issues you addressed, and the results of your actions.
PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.
VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
You must submit a copy of your unofficial or official transcripts conferring a J.D., or LL.B., or higher degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
Additional information
FEC offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; or transportation subsidies.
If you receive a tentative offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
Note: If you are selected at the GS-13 level, you may be promoted without further competition to the GS-14 level once you have served 18 months at the GS-13 level and met performance requirements. Selection at the GS-13 level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Federal Election Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. 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 by that form.
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.
Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications. If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process which will determine the best qualified candidates. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
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.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Your Resume listing hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year) and duties performed for each position held.
Cover Letter addressing the competencies in the Qualifications section above.
Unofficial law school transcripts to verify you meet the educational requirements of this position. All applicants are required to submit unofficial law school transcripts prior to the closing of this announcement. If selected for this position you will be required to submit official law school transcripts upon entry into duty. Self-created "transcripts" will not be accepted.
Bar License to verify you are licensed and in good standing to practice law as an Attorney under the laws of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or territory of the United States. You must submit a copy of your current Bar card, or letter of good standing.
Veterans documents (if applicable): DD-214 including character of service, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days, and if applicable, SF-15 Form, VA letter, or other documentation required by that form.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 04/24/2023 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, 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 Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Federal Election Commission
1050 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20463
US
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Additional phases of the review process will determine the best qualified candidates, and whether or not your application is referred to the selecting official. You will be contacted directly if further evaluation or an interview is required. You will receive notifications by email about the status of your application throughout this process.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Your Resume listing hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year) and duties performed for each position held.
Cover Letter addressing the competencies in the Qualifications section above.
Unofficial law school transcripts to verify you meet the educational requirements of this position. All applicants are required to submit unofficial law school transcripts prior to the closing of this announcement. If selected for this position you will be required to submit official law school transcripts upon entry into duty. Self-created "transcripts" will not be accepted.
Bar License to verify you are licensed and in good standing to practice law as an Attorney under the laws of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or territory of the United States. You must submit a copy of your current Bar card, or letter of good standing.
Veterans documents (if applicable): DD-214 including character of service, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days, and if applicable, SF-15 Form, VA letter, or other documentation required by that form.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 04/24/2023 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, 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 Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Federal Election Commission
1050 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20463
US
Next steps
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Additional phases of the review process will determine the best qualified candidates, and whether or not your application is referred to the selecting official. You will be contacted directly if further evaluation or an interview is required. You will receive notifications by email about the status of your application throughout this process.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
