Summary

This position is in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Pesticides and Toxic Substances Law Office (PTSLO). About: OGC

Please see the duties section for more details about PTSLO.

This is an office-centered positionyou must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis.

Duties

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PTSLO provides legal counsel to EPA Headquarters and regional offices on a diverse set of issues arising under several federal environmental statutes governing pesticides, toxic substances, and pollution prevention, including the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA), Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

More specifically, PTSLO supports the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) within OCSPP, and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) on legal and enforcement-related issues that arise in the context of administering the TSCA, which provides EPA with broad authority to regulate, among other things and through a variety of mechanisms, new and existing chemical substances. PTSLO also supports OCSPP, the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) within OCSPP, and OECA on legal and enforcement-related issues that arise in the context of administering the FIFRA and the FFDCA, under which EPA registers pesticides and establishes tolerances for pesticide residues in or on food. Finally, PTSLO supports OCSPP, OPPT, and OECA on legal and enforcement-related issues that arise in the context of administering Section 313 of EPCRA, which is otherwise known as the Toxic Release Inventory.

At the highest advertised grade, you will:

• Initiate contact with program officials and other persons having knowledge of the facts involved in the problem or case under study; obtain information and/or legal references pertinent to the problem under study; study legal precedents; and prepare oral and written recommendations for review by supervisors, as appropriate.
• Research, interpret and analyze policies, procedures, regulations, statutes, court decisions and administrative rulings; research legal authority for use by higher-graded attorneys in the preparation of documents conveying legal counseling advice, or alternatively legal briefs and motions in connection with pending litigation; and identify and assess overlapping legal issues to ensure a consistent, coherent, and sound approach to legal counseling.

If you are hired at a lower grade level, your duties will be less complex and you will have more supervisory oversight. You may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level.

One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

#LI-Onsite

You must be a U.S. citizen.

If you have not yet passed the bar exam, offer of employment will be contingent upon admission to the bar and licensure/authorization to practice as an attorney.

You must self-certify annually and in writing that you hold an active bar membership.

If you are selected, you may be required to complete a trial period (two years if you are not a preference eligible; one year if you are a preference eligible).

This position is designated as High Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date.

REAL ID requirements became effective on 05/07/25. If you are selected for this position and plan to use your driver's license or identification card during the onboarding process (i.e., for employment eligibility verification or to obtain your EPA identification card), the document must be a REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver's license or identification card that includes the REAL ID-compliant star marking, or must be an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL). You will receive information about alternative acceptable documents (e.g., passport) prior to onboarding. For more information about REAL ID, see Dept. of Homeland Security and REAL ID FAQs.

If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter.

Qualifications

NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement.

In addition to the educational requirements, you must meet the minimum grade-specific qualifications as described below:

To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must have either:

-an LL.M. degree

OR

-at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level defined as law clerk experience at the Federal, state, or local level, performing legal analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers; or composing pleadings, briefs, or other documents involving legal issues in counseling or litigation.

OR

-completed superior law student activities while earning a J.D. degree. Superior law student activities include:

(A) Academic standing in upper third of law school graduating class;

(B) Work or achievement of significance on law school's law review;

(C) Special high-level honors for academic excellence, such as election to Order of the Coif;

(D) Winning of a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team representing the law school in competition with other law schools;

(E) Full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program or significant summer law office clerk experience; or

(F) Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement, as determined by the hiring office and documented in writing for the case file.

To qualify for the GS-12 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level defined as performing legal analysis and research; drafting legal memoranda, pleadings, or other documents involving legal issues in counseling or litigation; or assisting higher-graded attorneys in legal counseling or litigation.

You will need the following competencies in order to perform the duties of this position successfully, and you will be evaluated on these competencies:

• Attention to Detail
• Critical Thinking
• Environmental or Other Relevant Laws and Regulations
• Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence
• Oral Communication
• Problem Solving
• Technical Competence
• Written Communication

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

*If you have part-time work experience, read this: Part-Time Experience.

Education

You must:

(1) possess a J.D. or LL.M. degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university or equivalent apprentice experience as allowed per state law; and

(2) be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia; and

(3) be an active member of the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction in good standing.

NOTE: Bar membership and licensure are not required at the time of application, but you must be admitted to the bar and obtain your license before entry on duty.

For information about accreditation requirements, visit Accreditation.

Additional information

This position is excluded from provisions of the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP).

Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status.

Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section.

If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.

This position is not in the bargaining unit.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

EPA welcomes applications from persons with disabilities. Through the reasonable accommodation process, we provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment that persons without disabilities enjoy. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done. An accommodation removes workplace barriers and enables an applicant with a disability to have an equal opportunity to participate in the application process, be considered for a position, and, if hired, perform the essential functions of their job.

The EPA National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators will provide assistance to you, the Human Resources Office, and/or the hiring official as needed. For more information, refer to EPA's Reasonable Accommodation website. Below is more detailed information about how to request a reasonable accommodation during the application, selection, and hiring process:

• If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process (submitting the application or completing the application process), contact the Human Resources Office listed below no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement, and the Human Resources Office will work directly with you.
• If you are referred to the hiring official for consideration and need an accommodation during the selection process, including the interview, notify the person who contacted you from the hiring official's office. If you do not hear back within three days about your reasonable accommodation request for the selection process, please notify EPA's National Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators via email at [redacted].
• If you are selected and need an accommodation during the hiring process up to orientation, notify the HR Specialist who made the job offer to you.

Please note: Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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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.

Join EPA in protecting human health and the environment and enjoy many work life quality options! Working for the EPA offers you a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. To learn more about us, visit Life and Careers at EPA.

If you are selected for this position, situational telework may be approved by your supervisor if you meet eligibility requirements, as allowable by agency policy and/or applicable collective bargaining agreement. EPA policy only allows telework to be approved situationally. Situational telework is for work or assignments of specific limited duration on an occasional, emergency, or ad hoc basis.

NOTE: If you are an EPA employee who currently works at a remote work location (i.e., full-time telework), your approval for remote work does not transfer to this position, subject to Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act.

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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.