Closing Date: 19th July, 2024
Description:
Summary:With an emphasis on high ethical standards, excellence in public service and the delivery of superlative advice and counsel, DOI Solicitor's Office performs the legal work for the United States Department of the Interior and manages the Departmental Ethics Office and Departmental FOIA Office. With more than five hundred employees, more than four hundred of which are attorneys, the Office strives to provide sound legal services to fulfill the Department's diverse and wide-ranging mission.
Duties:
As an Attorney-Adviser with the Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, Branch of Offshore Safety and Enforcement, Division of Mineral Resources, located in Washington, D.C., your specific duties will include:
- Serving as legal advisor to the Secretary through representation of the Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management (ASLMM), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and on occasion to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on matters concerning federal programs for energy, mineral, and carbon sequestration activities on the United States outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
- Providing counseling for complex and often novel legal problems and questions concerning the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and its implementing regulations, as well as other applicable statutes, treaties, and regulations related to OCS oversight, including the Administrative Procedure Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and Coastal Zone Management Act.
- Providing advice on a wide array of agency actions, including those related to inspections, enforcement actions, operational oversight, decommissioning, safety systems regulation, policy and guidance documents and interagency agreements, and rulemakings. In addition, the attorney will analyze and advise on matters of agency jurisdiction, authority, and statutory and regulatory interpretation. The attorney may also advise on federal interests in bankruptcy proceedings involving regulated entities.
- Researching and writing legal memoranda and briefs, verbally communicating analysis and conclusions on legal issues, reviewing and revising proposed agency actions and draft documents, and communicating with other governmental agencies and legal representatives.
- Serving as agency counsel in litigation and administrative proceedings involving BSEE, including as lead counsel in administrative appeals before the Interior Board of Land Appeals, and as agency counsel and liaison to the Department of Justice in judicial proceedings.
Salary Range: GS-13 $117,962 to $153,354; GS-14 $139,395 to $181,216
First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.
This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
- Key Requirements:
- Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
- Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
- Must be an active member of the bar.
- Selectee may be subject to serving a 2-year trial period.
- You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
- Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.
Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?
- A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
- If selected for this position, you may be required to file one or more financial statements and/or a procurement integrity certification of compliance upon reporting and annually, some of which may be subject to public disclosure.
- Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.
- Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued.
- Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.
Qualifications:
Basic Qualification Requirements:
- Applicants must be law school graduates with LL.B. or J.D. degrees AND applicants must be an active member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar.
- Applicants must also meet one of the following:--possess at least 1-year of professional legal experience following law school graduation; OR--have a second professional law degree; OR--meet any of the criteria indicated below:(a) academic standing in top one-third of law school graduating class;(b) graduation with academic honors;(c) significant participation on the law school's law review;(d) significant participation in the law school's moot court competition;(e) significant participation in a clinical legal aid program;(f) significant summer law office clerk experience; or(g) other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement.
GS-13/14: In addition to meeting the basic qualification requirements described above, applicants must also have the following additional years of professional legal experience for the grade level indicated:
- -GS-13 = 2 years
- -GS-14 = 3 ½ years
To better assess your qualifications for this position, please address the following in your cover letter:
- Knowledge or experience related to energy and mineral projects, particularly renewable energy, oil and gas, carbon sequestration, or operations in the marine environment;
- Knowledge or experience related to energy or natural resource laws, environmental laws, administrative law, oceans law, or bankruptcy law;
- Knowledge or experience related to statutory and regulatory enforcement actions; and
- Knowledge or experience with litigation, negotiations, drafting agreements, or counseling on complex projects or regulatory matters.
Candidates should have excellent oral and written communication skills, proficiency in research and analysis, the ability to work effectively and collegially with other people, the capacity to independently manage workloads and deadlines, and exercise sound judgment.
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.
Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website:https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Education:
Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.
Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4
Additional Information:
Other Information:
- The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.
- Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate
language or information in their application package will be ineligible
for further consideration for this position. The application contains
information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The
information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is
authorized under Title 5, USC, Secti
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