In this position, you will serve as an Attorney-Advisor in the Enforcement Division's Office of Complaints Examination and Legal Administration (CELA) at the Federal Election Commission. You will work under the Assistant General Counsel for CELA and provide legal advice, strategic support, and direction to subordinate staff.
Summary
In this position, you will serve as an Attorney-Advisor in the Enforcement Division's Office of Complaints Examination and Legal Administration (CELA) at the Federal Election Commission. You will work under the Assistant General Counsel for CELA and provide legal advice, strategic support, and direction to subordinate staff.
As the Attorney Advisor in this position, you will:
Oversee analysis of all incoming Enforcement matters generated by complaints filed by the public alleging violations of the Act.
Assess and prioritize high priority, complex, and novel incoming complaints for jurisdictional and/or pertinent legal issues, independently applying objective and subjective standards to current complex legal issues before the Commission, ongoing Enforcement cases, and Commission precedent.
Evaluate cases for level of complexity and determine which cases require substantive Commission action. Identify and prioritize cases that are potentially precedent setting.
Prepare presentations and recommendations to Enforcement Division leadership regarding attorney case assignments, resource management, and case dismissals.
Draft reports with recommendations to dismiss certain Enforcement matters.
Present matters to the Commission for consideration. Defend recommendations to the Commission and respond to Commissioner questions and objections.
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.
All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the 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 or official transcripts must be provided with your application.
Basic Requirements:
A. Education: Possess a J.D. or LL.B degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
AND
B. Bar Membership: Be an active member in good standing of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or territory of the United States.
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-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: compliance, litigation, investigations, legal review, regulations/policy, 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, and/or litigation work. This must include activities such as: (1) conducting extensive legal research of policies, regulations, and/or compliance questions, including researching precedent or opinions bearing on a legal issue; (2) writing briefs, motions, reports, or recommendations in preparation for trial or administrative proceedings; (3) taking depositions and/or sworn statements from witnesses or parties; (4) participating in negotiating settlement agreements with another party or their respective counsel; or (5) presenting oral arguments in a court or administrative hearing.
In addition, you must provide a cover letter of at least two pages summarizing your evidence of the following competencies:
Legal Analysis: Researches, analyzes, and explains complex legal issues.
Investigations: Gathers information and examines facts for investigations or research; takes depositions; conducts witness interviews; drafts formal and informal written discovery.
Negotiating: Develops negotiation strategy; drafts and negotiates settlement agreements; works with others towards an agreement; negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions.
Oral Communication: Makes clear and convincing oral presentations to individuals or groups; listens effectively and clarifies information as needed; communicates complex 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.
A self-created transcript or a list of courses you have prepared is not acceptable.
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 and 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.
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.
All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
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 including the documents listed below. We strongly encourage applicants to doublecheck that all required items are properly submitted to ensure consideration.
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.
Copy of Bar License
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 08/28/2023 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 including the documents listed below. We strongly encourage applicants to doublecheck that all required items are properly submitted to ensure consideration.
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.
Copy of Bar License
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 08/28/2023 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.
