This position is located in the American Law Division, Congressional Research Service. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT to fill current and future vacancies as needed. Applications will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. EST on 10/01/2025, however, APPLICATIONS RECEIVED BY 10/31/2024 WILL RECEIVE FIRST CONSIDERATION. After that, applications will be reviewed on a 30-day rolling basis.
Duties
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is currently seeking several Legislative Attorneys for its American Law Division (ALD). The Legislative Attorneys will analyze legal questions related to constitutional law, administrative law, or courts and civil procedure in particular and American public law in general. This is a non-litigating position emphasizing legal research, analysis, writing, and consultation in a public service legislative context. The Legislative Attorney will work within ALD, one of CRS’s five research divisions. ALD’s areas of research, analysis, and consultative support include all facets of law in the United States, including administrative, business, civil rights, constitutional, energy, environmental, health, immigration, intellectual property, international, labor, military, national security, procurement, tax, and trade law. The Legislative Attorney prepares objective, non-partisan analytical studies, descriptive and background memoranda, and reports on legal issues of national significance; provides personal consultation and assistance to congressional committees, Members, and staff on legal issues throughout the legislative process; and participates in or leads team research projects and seminars. The incumbent is expected to develop the skills necessary to provide legal analysis and consultation to congressional committees, Members, and staff at increasingly sophisticated levels. Candidates with analytical experience in and broad general knowledge of legal issues regarding constitutional law, administrative law, or courts and civil procedure in particular and American public law in general AND strong research, writing, and oral communication skills AND who possess a portfolio of high-quality legal analytical writing are encouraged to apply. Experience as a judicial clerk would be particularly beneficial. The position’s foundational focus is the broad area of constitutional law, administrative law, or courts and civil procedure. However, given ALD’s relatively small staff and the breadth of issues ALD covers for Congress, candidates must be capable of working in a number of different areas of the law and have the intellectual curiosity to seek out and maintain a broad portfolio of legal issues. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that ensures the Service is well positioned to anticipate and meet the information and analytical research needs of a 21st-century Congress. Legislative Attorney duties include: Preparing authoritative reports on legal issues of legislative interest, including surveys and explanations of existing law, comparisons of laws and bills, the activities and legal positions of government and private entities, the progress and implications of significant litigation, and analysis of the legal framework that applies to topics of current legislative focus. Preparing probing and innovative legal memoranda in response to inquiries from congressional offices and committees. These memoranda often address complex legal questions within the attorney’s field of law and relate to the development, interpretation, or implementation of important public policies. Responding to congressional office and committee requests for oral briefings and consultations. In such consultations, CRS legislative attorneys educate congressional personnel about existing law, clarify legal questions, identify and discuss legal options, and assist them in understanding the legal framework necessary to develop and implement their legislative purposes. Making full use of the Library of Congress’s research capabilities to locate, organize, summarize, and interpret legal information in support of service to Congress, and drawing on information available from other institutions, research materials, or professionals in the field. Ensuring that the Constitution Annotated of the United States, the official record of the U.S. Constitution, remains accurate and timely through historical research, analysis and memorialization of current developments in constitutional law, and review and assimilation of practice materials and academic discourse. Advising and assisting other legislative attorneys, analysts, and specialists through provision of legal analysis and information in support of their service to Congress. The position description number for this position is 004712. While there is promotion potential to a GS 15, the selectee may not be hired at a level above GS 13, regardless of current salary or position at the time of application. The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area. The incumbent of this position may work a flextime work schedule. The tour of duty for this position is full-time. This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position. Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.
Salary
Qualifications
Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision. Knowledge of constitutional law, administrative law, or courts and civil procedure in particular and American public law in general** Ability to analyze legal issues** Ability to write in a legal context** Ability to work effectively in a high-pressure environment. Ability to work collaboratively with others. Ability to exercise objectivity in all phases of analysis and consultation. Ability to exercise judgment and discretion.
Education
Basic Requirements Applicants must possess an LL.B. or J.D., or higher degree from a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association or a state-accredited school of law and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, a territory of the United States, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Appointees must maintain active membership in good standing of the bar throughout their employment. The following documents MUST BE ATTACHED to your online application: Legible copies of transcripts demonstrating that applicant is a graduate from an LL.B. or J.D., or higher degree program in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association or a state-accredited school of law must be attached to your online application. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at the time of the application. Official documents will be required if selected. Proof of bar membership demonstrating that applicant is an active (or equivalent) member in good standing of the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, a territory of the United States, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Failure to submit the required legible documentation at the time of application will result in disqualification of your application. Finalists for these positions may be required to submit a writing sample and/or participate in a presentation exercise.
Required Documents
Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent). Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant’s college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. The program does not accept certification from health care providers. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Programs at 202-707-6024 or email spp@loc.gov. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.
How to Apply
Please carefully follow all instructions under the How to Apply tab to ensure you are considered for the position. You are required to apply online for this announcement. We are unable to accept mailed or emailed documents. You must complete the entire application process, including submission of all documents BEFORE this announcement closes. To do so, complete the following steps. Step 1: If you do not already have one, create a resume on USAJOBS. Although you must enter your Social Security Number for USAJOBS, this information will not be provided to the Library of Congress. Step 2: Review the Job Announcement. We recommend you go to the end of the Qualification and Evaluation section of the job announcement to preview the online questions that you will answer in Step 4. You may wish to customize your USAJOBS resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Step 3: Click on the "APPLY ONLINE" button to the right of this announcement. Follow USAJOBS' instructions to access your account and submit your resume. You will be redirected to the Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be asked to answer questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. You will be able to update this information and save it to our account for future announcements. Step 4: Once you have completed the eligibility questions, you will be taken directly to the vacancy application questions. Answer all questions honestly and thoroughly. Step 5: Hiring Management offers three options that will electronically attach your documentation to your online application once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement. (1) You may select a document that you have already uploaded to USAJOBS for a previous announcement. (2) You may electronically upload a document directly from your computer to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation of the document uploaded and click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have multiple documents of the same kind, e.g. 2 undergraduate transcripts from different schools or 2 SF-50s, etc., be sure that they are all in the same file on your computer or in your USAJOBS profile before uploading them. If you try uploading them individually, only the last one sent will be visible in our system. If you have any questions about this information, please contact the person on this announcement BEFORE the closing date. Step 6: Click on "Finish" after you have completed your application. Once you have submitted your application, you can check your status online through your Hiring Management or MY USAJOBS account. Your complete online application and any required supplemental documentation (e.g., SF-50, etc.) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure that all documents are received on time and that the materials are readable. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from consideration for this announcement. If you are experiencing any technical difficulty with the online process, you MUST CONTACT THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. For all technical issues please contact jobhelp@loc.gov , no later than 4:30pm EST of the Closing Date. REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GRANTED.
