Law Clerk (Trainee) (Honors Law Clerk)

This position is established as part of the National Labor Relations Board Honors Program. The Honors Program supports positions working in three different program areas: Board, General Counsel-Headquarters, and General Counsel-Field. This position is specifically for the General Counsel-Headquarters program area. The purpose of this position is to provide experience that exposes the employee to the full range of agency legal practices.

Duties

As a Law Clerk (Trainee) (Honors Law Clerk), GS-0904-12, typical work assignments in the General Counsel at Headquarters may include:

• Drafting district court and appellate briefs - with assistance as needed; and
• Drafting memoranda recommending whether to issue complaint in complex cases - with assistance as needed; and
• Assisting attorneys with investigations, preparing for trials and trials involving all aspects of civil and criminal contempt proceedings of court judgments and litigation in aid of enforcement of judgment - with assistance as needed; and
• Drafting various motions and other pleadings and participates in settlement and mediation sessions - with direct supervision; and
• Performing in-depth legal research to uncover applicable Court and Board decisions and/or any prior determinations of the General Counsel, as well as pertinent adjudications of other Federal and State administrative agencies - with assistance as needed.

Salary

• $102,415 - $133,142/year

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• This is not a virtual (remote) position.
• Relocation expenses are not authorized.
• This position is in the Excepted Service.
• This position is part of the Bargaining Unit.
• Applicants may be subject to completion of a two-year trial period.
• This is a positive education position. Transcripts are required to be considered for this position.
• You will be required to sign an Honors Program Participant Agreement.
• Selectee may be subject to a background investigation prior to appointment.
• Must submit complete application package online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

Qualifications

All qualifications and eligibility requirements specified in the announcement must be met by the closing date of the job announcement.

Ideal Candidate Statement
The ideal candidate for the Law Clerk (Trainee) (Honors Law Clerk) will have a strong academic law school record, and currently be serving in a judicial clerkship or law fellowship or be in the last year of an advanced law degree (e.g., LL.M or J.S.D.) from an ABA accredited law school, but have not been admitted to the Bar. The candidate should have excellent legal research and oral and written communication skills. The candidate should also have experience or course study in labor or industrial relations and the National Labor Relations Act.

Basic Eligibility Requirement
In order to meet the basic eligibility requirements, applicants must have at least one of the following:

• A GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 or above (or equivalent) or are in the top 25% of their law school class or their school does not use a numerical GPA/rank; OR
• Have previously interned or worked at the NLRB or another labor agency; OR
• Have other specialized labor law or labor relations experience.

In addition to the Basic Eligibility Requirement, applicants must also meet the following:

Minimum Qualifications
To be eligible for the GS-0904-12 Law Clerk (Trainee) (Honors Law Clerk) position and grade, applicants must meet all of the following qualifications:

• Must have successfully completed a full course of study in a law school accredited by the ABA and have their first professional law degree (J.D. or LL.B); AND
• Must not be barred/licensed at the time of application; AND
• Must be currently serving in at least a 1-year (or longer) post-law school position as a judicial clerk, honors law clerk, or law fellow, which were started within six (6) months of graduating with first professional law degree (J.D. or LL.B.); OR
• Must be currently in process of obtaining an advanced law degree (e.g., LL.M or J.S.D) from a law school accredited by the ABA which was started within six (6) months of graduating with first professional law degree (J.D. or LL.B.). (Transcripts are required to be submitted.)

These qualifications must be fully supported and articulated in an applicant's resume to receive consideration.

Education Applicants must have successfully completed a full course of study in a law school accredited by the ABA and have their first professional law degree (J.D. or LL.B). OR Applicants must be currently in process of obtaining an advanced law degree (LL.M or J.S.D) from a law school accredited by the ABA. You must meet all qualification requirements. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. Special Instructions for Foreign Education If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in accredited U.S. education programs; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. Other Information The General Counsel-Headquarters program area of the Honors Program is also accepting applications for a Law Clerk (Trainee) GS-0904-11 (Notice of Vacancy NL27EX13100785ZA) and General Attorney (Labor) (Honors Attorney) GS-0905-12 (Notice of Vacancy NL27EX13100787ZA). Additionally, the Board and General Counsel-Field (Regional Offices) have postings for their respective program areas. We encourage those who are interested to review the applicable postings to determine qualifications and/or eligibilities. Please visit the NLRB's Honors Program webpage for additional information. SUPPLEMENTARY VACANCIES Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/REASONABLE ACCOMODATION The National Labor Relations Board is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for appointment without regard to race; color; religion; sex; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. Applicants with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Agency's Selective Placement Coordinator by email here. NLRB offers a wide array of reasonable accommodations and programs for individuals with disabilities. (Note: For additional information for job seekers with disabilities, please click on the following website here.) PLACEMENT POLICY The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position will be filled by a new appointment. TRIAL PERIOD As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: Your performance and conduct; and The needs and interests of the agency; and Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. ALTERNATE APPLICATION INFORMATION Applicants may contact the Office of Human Resources. The National Labor Relations Board offers career opportunities that feature competitive starting salaries and the potential for performance-based increases, flexible hours, and the ability to achieve and maintain a balanced lifestyle. You will enjoy a range of comprehensive and competitive employment benefits that include Work/Life Balance Programs (Alternative Work Schedules, Telework, Employee Assistance Program, and the Child Care Subsidy Program), the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance, Thrift Savings Plan, and the Transit Benefit Program. Required Documents

Please submit the supporting documents outlined below for your claimed eligibility status.

Resume
In compliance with Executive Order 14170, Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service resumes must not be longer than two pages in length. The resume must address minimum qualifications and other requirements listed in the job announcement. If the two-page resume criteria and/or the resume formatting requirement is not met, candidates will be rated as ineligible and will not be referred for hiring consideration.

Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below:

Contact Information: Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number.

Relevant Work Experience

• Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions)
• Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 -08/2022 or present)
• The number of hours you worked per week

Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement.

Transcript
An unofficial copy of your transcript and/or letter from an education institute stating that you have met all degree requirements is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required prior to entering on duty. The information presented in the transcript must be verifiable. At the minimum, the transcript and/or letter from the education institute should contain the name of the institution, applicant's name, list of completed courses, semester hours, and GPA/class rank - if the law school assigns grades or class rank. If selected; prior to the date of hire, you must submit your most recent official transcripts.)

Legal Writing Sample
Legal Writing Sample of applicant's choice (preferably no more than ten pages).

Personal Statement
Describe why you would like to work for the NLRB (preferably no more than one page).

Other documents - if applicable. For more information, please click on the applicable link.

Proof of Enrollment
Applicants must demonstrate proof of enrollment for the Fall 2026, by submitting an official proof of enrollment letter from a qualifying educational institution or a transcript indicating courses to be taken in the Fall 2026. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.

Individuals with Disabilities
Veterans
Disabled Veterans
Certain Military Spouses
Family Member Preference (Derived Preference)

Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJOBS does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.

All materials must be received by 11/13/2026 to be considered for this announcement.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

• Resume; and
• Any other documents needed to verify your qualifications or eligibility (see the Required Documents section).

Please follow the instructions listed below for submitting your complete application package. Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all instructions before you begin.

To begin the process, click the APPLY ONLINE button at the right side of this screen to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire. Please ensure you click the SUBMIT MY ANSWERS button at the end of the process.

If you have never applied through USAJOBS for a position with the Federal Civil Service, you will need to create a USAJOBS account.

To change or update your application, simply reapply through USAJOBS, before the closing date. New or updated resumes are considered "incomplete" applications until the required virus scan is cleared.

To check the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.