General Attorney

Summary

This General Attorney position is located at the Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA), Headquarters Office, Office of General Counsel (OGC), and primarily practices Federal administrative law, reporting to the General Counsel. Assignments are given without accompanying instructions in terms of broad general policy or arise from the day-to-day SWPA/DOE problems.

Duties

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The General Attorney:

• Reviews documents drafted by SWPA's program offices for legal sufficiency.
• Offers advice, opinions, and recommendations to all levels of SWPA management and supports leadership and staff.
• Identifies areas of special legal significance and independently confers with appropriate SWPA/DOE, or other federal agency employees to arrive at workable solutions to complex problems.
• Leads SWPA legal proceedings before administrative bodies such as the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, Federal Labor Relations Board, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
• Lays the groundwork for the Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys in preparation of the government's arguments in litigated cases involving Federal Administrative Law issues.
• Collaborate with DOJ by delineating SWPA's legal and policy positions.
• In administrative trials and hearings, and with DOJ in Federal court, prepare pleadings, exhibits and other necessary documents, interviews and deposes witnesses, and engages in discovery.
• Prepare contracts and discuss the legal implications of proposed courses of action.
• Exchanges information, provides legal counsel, persuades others to adopt views and take specific actions, and represents SWPA during administrative and judicial trials and hearings.
• Represents SWPA in Federal power marketing law matters, providing legal advice, case preparation, and/or litigation.
• Reviews SWPA's program offices documents for legal sufficiency.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• A trial period of up to 2 years for the purpose of assessing the ability of an individual to adequately perform in an attorney position will be established for appointments under these authorities. Previous Federal experience in like positions MAY count toward the completion of this requirement.
• In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
• Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications.
• Security clearance and associated requirements - High Risk.
• The position requires admission to a State or the District of Columbia Bar. Admission to the State Bar in any state within the U.S. or the District of Columbia or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is required. You must submit written documentation that you are a current member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or your application will not be considered.
• You may be required to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) upon entering the position and each year thereafter.
• You may be required to serve on rotational assignments to provide representation between and among various SWPA program or region offices as needed.
• Other Requirements: Overtime may be required on short notice to include nights, holidays and weekends in support of mission requirements.

Qualifications

In order to be qualified for this position, you must meet the basic requirement AND minimum qualification requirements for the grade level(s) in which you apply.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

Must be a current, active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and education for the respective grade level(s) in which you are applying.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level (GS-13) in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience for this position is defined as having ALL of the following:

• Conducting legal research of policies, regulations, and compliance questions including researching precedent or opinions on legal issues, and drafting the legal memorandum and guidance;
• Advising and reviewing documents for legal sufficiency and providing written feedback to clients after such review;
• Preparing evidence and determining its value and completeness; preparing briefs, pleadings, exhibits and other necessary documents, interviews and deposes witnesses, and engage in discovery for use in a trial and/or administrative hearing; AND
• Representing an agency or organization as lead Attorney in legal proceedings before administrative bodies (i.e. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Merit System Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission etc...).

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

Education

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.

Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system.

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.

Additional information

• This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
• For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov.
• Applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) when applying or competing for a job due to a medical condition or to exercise religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this vacancy announcement.
• Promotion Potential: This position is at the full performance level.
• Upon reporting, and annually thereafter, the selectee may be required to file one or more financial statements and/or a procurement integrity certification. These certifications may be subject to public disclosure.
• The selectee for this position may be eligible to receive a recruitment or relocation incentive. You will need to sign an employment agreement to be eligible for this incentive.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs are not authorized.
• This position may be eligible for creditable service towards annual leave. Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. DOE may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
• Salary negotiation may be available for those candidates who are new to Federal service.
• Salary: General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

Continued from How You Will Evaluated -

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

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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.

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.