Attorney Advisor (Agency Law)
Job Location:
Washington, DC - USA
Yearly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
The Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) is an independent regulatory agency responsible for economic regulation of freight railroads and limited regulatory responsibilities over passenger rail certain water carriers non-energy pipelines trucking companies and intercity bus companies. The position is responsible for conducting legal research developing recommended outcomes of cases and preparing initial drafts of Board decisions.
The major duties of this position are researching and drafting decisions in proceedings before the Board. The Board adjudicates among others the following types of proceedings: complaints of unreasonable railroad rates or practices; declaratory orders; licensing of rail line constructions acquisitions and abandonments; railroad mergers and acquisitions; and proceedings under the Boards jurisdiction over motor carriers water carriage in the noncontiguous domestic trade and certain pipelines.
In preparing draft decisions the selected attorney will review the record before the agency and apply the relevant statutes regulations policies and case law. Board decisions include summaries of relevant evidence analysis of salient legal issues and findings of fact conclusions of law and determinations of actions to be taken by the Board.
The selected attorney also will lead meetings with staff from other offices within the Board to develop recommendations for resolving Board proceedings lead briefings of the Board members to present staff recommendations and draft legal memoranda correspondence or other materials as assigned.
If you are selected at a grade lower than the highest shown in this listing you will be placed under a career development plan and can be non-competitively promoted when you successfully complete the requirements for the higher grade.
This is a non-bargaining unit position.
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- All qualification requirements must be met prior to the position closing.
- A complete application package will consist of a Cover Letter Resume (Maximum 2-page limit) and a redacted Writing Sample (10 pages or less). Your application package will not receive consideration if it lacks any of the required documents under the Resume tab.
- Trial Period: A two-year trial period will be required.
- 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 Suitability Investigation: Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability or security clearance.
- If selected you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.
- E-Verify: If you are selected for this position the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form 1-9 will be verified through the DHS E-Verify System.
- The STB is an E- Verify Participant.
- Employment is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a Federal suitability clearance. If selected you may be offered a tentative offer until the background investigation has been adjudicated.
- Relocation expenses are not authorized.
The Office of Personnel Management has not issued qualification standards for attorney positions.
However STB sets minimum qualifications for attorney positions and sets forth these qualifications for this position. Therefore you must possess the following minimum qualifications before the closing date of this posting:
- Professional law degree (LL.B. J.D. LL.M.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA);
- Upon entering duty current membership in good standing of the bar of a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia. Proof of bar membership will be required before entering on duty.
AND
- Specialized Experience:
GS-12 candidates must have one year of professional legal experience: analyzing statutes regulations and decisional law and presenting those analyses and relevant legal or policy issues for decision. Federal clerkships count towards creditable experience.
GS-13 Level
GS-13 candidates must have two years of professional legal experience: analyzing statutes regulations and decisional law and presenting those analyses and relevant legal or policy issues for decision and resolving disputes. Federal clerkships count towards creditable experience.
GS-14 Level
GS-14 candidates must have three years of professional legal experience: analyzing statutes regulations and decisional law and presenting those analyses and relevant legal or policy issues for decision and resolving disputes. Candidates must possess a legal background in transportation economics administrative law or government regulation. Federal clerkships count towards creditable experience.
GS-15 Level
GS-15 candidates must have four years of professional legal experience: analyzing statutes regulations and decisional law and presenting those analyses and relevant legal or policy issues for decision and resolving disputes in support of an efficient competitive and economically viable surface transportation network. Candidates at this level will also have experience providing advice on complex technical issues concerning rail transportation. Federal clerkships count towards creditable experience.
We will consider only candidates who submit complete application packages (writing sample cover letter transcripts and a resume).
In describing your experience please be clear and specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience or education. Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
Please Note: Your resume cannot exceed two pages - you will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration if your resume exceeds two pages ( see USAJOBS for formatting requirements ). Include relevant employment history as outlined below for each job:
- Name address telephone number email address;
- Job Title (if Federal Service provide series and grade; if not in GS plan provide GS equivalent grade);
- To receive full consideration for specialized experience please list month/year to month/day/year (MM/DD/YY - MM/DD/YY) or month/day/year to present (MM/DD/YY-present);
- Hours worked per week (if other than full time);
- If qualifying based on related unpaid (e.g. volunteer service) experience you must provide hours worked per week and beginning/ending dates (MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY);
- Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination; and
- PLEASE NOTE: If you submit multiple resumes only the latest uploaded resume will be reviewed.
Education alone is not sufficient for qualification for this position. Therefore applicants must also possess an active bar membership and meet the specialized experience requirements described in this announcement.
Educational Requirements
Applicant must possess a professional law degree (Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.)) from a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state U.S. commonwealth U.S. territory or the District of Columbia and be an active member of the bar in good standing. You must submit a copy of both your law school and college transcripts with your application. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited toward qualifications; applicants resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions.
Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information please click Foreign Education.
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 addition STB offers work-life balance flexibilities that may be right for you:
- Flexible Work Schedule options;
- Access to a cost-free fitness center located in the building; and
- Monthly transit subsidy for a portion of your commuting costs for employees who use mass transit including commuter rail or bus or Metrorail or Metrobus.
This is an excepted service appointment and does not confer competitive status.
Candidates must disclose any pending or completed disciplinary investigation or action in any jurisdiction in which they are members of the bar or licensed to practice law consistent with applicable DoD attorney professional responsibility requirements.
Notice of Veterans Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however the Department of Defense considers veterans preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g. DD Form 214 Certificate of Uniformed Service) to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15 Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) 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 an online application you may request an alternative application. Please send an email to the following address for information on how to obtain an alternative application:
Reemployed Annuitants: Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. / or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years a political Schedule A Schedule C or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.
Nepotism: Under the provisions of 5 USC 3110 an individual may not be appointed into a position if the position is under the supervisory chain of command of a relative.
This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
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.
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.
Required Experience:
Unclear Seniority
