This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/741670200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
This vacancy is for a General Attorney (Honors Program) in the Office of the Secretary within the Department of Commerce.
This is a Public Notice. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.
08/04/2023 to 10/05/2023
$78,592 - $122,459 per year
GS 11 - 12
No
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
No
Permanent
Full-time
Excepted
15
No
Yes
OS-OGC-PNF-23-12079356
741670200
Applications will be accepted from all U.S. Citizens.
The U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is seeking applications for its 2024 Attorney Honors Program. Honors Attorneys at the U.S. Department of Commerce provide legal advice and counsel to help the Department meet its strategic goals in its broad mission to promote U.S. commerce at home and abroad. To be eligible for our next program starting in September/October 2024, you must be a U.S. citizen graduating from law school in Spring 2024 or a recent law school graduate completing a judicial clerkship or fellowship in Summer 2024.
The Honors Program offers new law graduates and recent law graduates completing judicial clerkships or fellowships a unique opportunity to complete a two-year rotational program, before being assigned to a permanent position in one of OGC's many practice areas. Six-month rotational opportunities will provide each Honors Attorney with substantive and challenging assignments and broad exposure to Commerce's diverse mission and the work of a Cabinet-level agency. On each rotation Honors Attorneys will work in one of nearly two dozen programmatic and administrative legal offices, including, among others, the offices of the Chief Counsel for Semiconductor Incentives (implementing the CHIPS Act), Chief Counsel for Industry and Security (enforcing export controls for security-sensitive U.S. technology), and Chief Counsel for the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (delivering on the promise of high speed Internet access to all through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program), or in one of a number of other Chief Counsels offices and administrative law offices, providing Department-wide advice and counsel on topics such as contracting and procurement, Federal personnel law, appropriations law, and ethics.
Positions within the Honors Attorney Program are permanent positions, and upon completion of the Program, successful participants will be placed in an OGC office. An attorney's placement preference will be considered but is not guaranteed.
The Federal student loan repayment program permits agencies to repay Federally insured student loans as a recruitment or retention incentive for candidates or current employees of the agency. The program implements 5 U.S.C. ? 5379, which authorizes agencies to set up their own student loan repayment programs to attract or retain highly qualified employees. OGC participates in the Office of the Secretary's Student Loan Repayment through the Student Loan Repayment Program in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5379. The approval is determined by the supervisor and funding must be available to support the request. For more information, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/student-loan-repayment/#:~:text=The%20Federal%20student%20loan%20repayment%20program%20permits%20agencies,programs%20to%20attract%20or%20retain%20highly%20qualified%20employees.
The attorney(s) will be hired at the GS-11 or GS-12 grade level, depending on experience. Full promotion potential for OGC Attorneys is GS-15.
GS-11 Level:
Performs a variety of legal duties such as: researching legal issues which are often factually complex; developing drafts of letters, memoranda, and legal documents for the use by a higher graded attorney; participating in administrative or judicial hearings; or engaging with other federal agencies in commerce-related matters.
GS-12 Level:
Performs a variety of legal duties such as researching legal issues which are often factually complex; developing drafts of letters, memoranda and legal documents for themselves or a higher graded attorney; participating in administrative or judicial hearings; or engaging with other federal agencies in commerce-related matters. The incumbent is expected to be able to independently present legal conclusions to adjudicatory authorities, high level organizational officials, as well as outside counsel and other interested groups.
Basic requirement for all grade levels:
1. You must be a graduate with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited law school; AND
2. You must have active bar membership in one of the 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands or admission to such bar must be pending. If not yet admitted to a bar, you can be offered a law clerk position, and can be converted to an attorney position upon bar admission.
Minimum Requirements:
The career ladder for attorney positions in OGC is generally GS-11 to GS-15. The minimum qualifications for hiring at each grade level (or equivalent) are as follows:
GS-11: At the time of entry into the program,J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in one of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. (The requirement that an applicant possess a J.D. may be waived if his or her bar membership is in a state that allows individuals to "read for the law" rather than pursue a formal academic degree).
GS-12: GS-11 qualifications plus one year or more of post-J.D. clerkship or fellowship experience. Especially relevant experience before or during law school may also merit a GS-12.
Applicants must possess the experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. The experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.
See Qualifications Above.
Applicants must either be a candidate for a Juris Doctor for the Class of 2024 from an accredited law school or possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited law school. Official or unofficial transcripts must be submitted with your application package.
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 resume and supporting documents for the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position:
A complete application consists of the following:
**Failure to provide documents, if selected, may result in lost consideration.
Please DO NOT put your SSN on pages within your application package. Privacy Act - Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): The information requested here is used to determine qualifications for employment and is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING RESUMES AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Please submit the following documents via email to DOCHonorsProgram@doc.gov with the subject line Attorney Honors Program - [LAST NAME]:
1. Cover Letter
2. Resume
3. Copy of law school transcript
4. Writing sample
Contact address:
US Department. of Commerce, Office of the General Counsel, Room 5717
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC 20004
Once your application is received we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your eligibility. You will only be contacted if you are found eligible and if you are selected for an interview.
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for OGC to share your application with others in OGC for similar positions.
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed.
After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/741670200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
The Department of Commerce's mission is to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity for all communities. Through its 13 bureaus, the Department works to drive U.S. economic competitiveness, strengthen domestic industry, and spur the growth of quality jobs in all communities across the country. The Department serves as the voice of business in the Federal Government, and at the same time, the Department touches and serves every American every day.
OGC provides legal services to the Secretary of Commerce and across the Department's numerous bureaus and activities. The General Counsel is the chief legal officer for the Department. The mission of OGC is to have a lasting impact on rules of commerce that revitalize the economy and lay a foundation for sustainable U.S. leadership in a global economy in the 21st century. OGC seeks to be a leader in building a culture of excellence, service, and creative collaboration within its offices and across the Department, providing legal support, strategy, and analysis for a wide range of complex, cutting-edge issues. Innovation, economic security, and national security are deeply intertwined, and all rely on a resilient domestic industrial base, an effective innovation ecosystem, and strategic global engagement.