Attorney Advisor (Trade Remedies)

The position is located in the U.S. International Trade Commission, Office of the General Counsel. The incumbent serves as an Attorney Advisor for proceedings such as antidumping and countervailing duty investigations under the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and safeguard investigations under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, and is responsible for assisting in the carrying out of functions assigned in support of the Commission mission.

Duties

As an Attorney Advisor, you will primarily:

• Provide legal advice and support in proceedings such as antidumping and countervailing duty investigations under the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and safeguard investigations under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, including the preparation of memoranda and draft opinions that need little revision or editing;
• Handle complex matters entailing legal expertise in all aspects of antidumping and countervailing duty investigations and safeguard investigations, in the development of procedures and regulations implementing new or revised legislation, in the development and drafting of agency decisions, and in defense of agency decisions;
• Provide legal services in support of the Commission's decisions for both complex and routine litigation, including preparing briefs and presenting oral argument in litigation matters before courts of the United States and other tribunals involving a sophisticated knowledge of laws concerning antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, as well as the ability to do an in-depth analysis of law and facts in order to develop litigation strategies for the protection of the Commission's interests.

Salary

• $78,592 - $183,500/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• You will be required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• You may be required to serve a two-year trial period.
• You must provide proof of your Bar membership.
• You may be required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement.
• You must be able to obtain/maintain a SECRET security clearance.
• You are required to register for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959.

Qualifications Applicants must meet all of the qualification requirements, including education and any selective placement factors described below by the closing date of this announcement. Education may only be substituted in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order to be credited towards qualifications. Applicants must have the general and specialized experience outlined below which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

• This is an open continuous vacancy announcement that will be used to fill vacancies as they occur.
• To receive consideration for vacancies, applicants must submit a complete application prior to the established cut-off date(s).
• The initial cut-off date will take place on December 18, 2023 to begin the initial applicant consideration. Applications received after the initial cut-off date will be considered upon receipt of the next cut-off date.
• The established cutoff dates are as follows:
  • January 18, 2024
  • February 19, 2024
  • March 19, 2024
  • April 19, 2024
  • May 20, 2024
  • June 20, 2024
  • July 22, 2024
  • August 22, 2024
  • September 23, 2024
  • October 23, 2024
  • November 25, 2024

To be hired as an Attorney with us, you must:

• possess at least a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree or a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; AND
• currently be a member in good standing of the Bar of a state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

You will be required to submit proof of your Bar membership as part of your application package to show that you meet this requirement. Any offer is contingent on receipt of a letter or certificate of good standing for each bar of which the applicant is an active member dated within 30 days of any offer.

IN ADDITION to meeting the requirements above, you must meet the specific and/or specialized experience below:

To qualify at the GS-11 level, have at least one (1) year of experience which provided the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. This experience consists of the following:

• Superior achievement in legal education as evidenced by: (a) academic standing in the upper-third of law school graduating class; (b) work or significant involvement on law review or international journal; (c) election to the order of the COIF or equivalent honors for academic excellence; (d) significant involvement in advanced moot court competition; (e) judicial clerkship; (f) a graduate legal degree (LLM); or, (g) other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement, or
• General experience which is defined as professional legal experience of a broad, general nature, not requiring specialization or expertise in a specific area or type of law, OR
• One (1) year of specialized experience, which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: appellate litigation; conducting legal research and preparing legal documents; antidumping, countervailing duty and/or safeguard law; judicial clerkship; writing complex documents such as legal memoranda, opinions, and briefs (writing sample may be required during the second level review); making oral presentations, communicating legal research results, and defending legal positions; and experience providing legal guidance to attorneys and other professionals related to the USITC.

To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must have at least two (2) years of experience which consists of the following:

• Two (2) years of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: appellate litigation; antidumping, countervailing duty and/or safeguard law; judicial clerkship; federal administrative law; and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC; OR
• One (1) year of general experience which is defined as professional legal experience of a broad, general nature, not requiring specialization or expertise in a specific area or type of law AND one (1) year of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: appellate litigation; antidumping, countervailing duty and/or safeguard law; judicial clerkship; federal administrative law; and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC's trade remedy investigations.

To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must have at least three (3) years of experience which consists of the following:

• Three (3) years of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: appellate litigation; antidumping, countervailing duty and/or safeguard law; judicial clerkship; federal administrative law; and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC; OR
• One (1) year of general experience which is defined as professional legal experience of a broad, general nature, not requiring specialization or expertise in a specific area or type of law AND two (2) years of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: appellate litigation; antidumping, countervailing duty and/or safeguard law; judicial clerkship; federal administrative law; and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC's trade remedy investigations.

To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must have at least four (4) years of experience which consists of the following:

• Four (4) years of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: appellate litigation; antidumping, countervailing duty and/or safeguard law; judicial clerkship; federal administrative law; and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC, OR
• One (1) year of general experience which is defined as professional legal experience of a broad, general nature, not requiring specialization or expertise in a specific area or type of law AND three (3) years of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: appellate litigation; antidumping, countervailing duty and/or safeguard law; judicial clerkship; federal administrative law; and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC's trade remedy investigations.

To qualify at the GS-15 level, you must have at least five (5) years of experience which consists of the following:

• Five (5) years of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: appellate litigation; antidumping, countervailing duty and/or safeguard law; judicial clerkship; federal administrative law; and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC; OR
• One (1) year of general experience which is defined as professional legal experience of a broad, general nature, not requiring specialization or expertise in a specific area or type of law AND four (4) years of specialized experience which is defined as professional legal experience in areas such as: appellate litigation; antidumping, countervailing duty and/or safeguard law; judicial clerkship; federal administrative law; and/or experience interpreting statutes, regulations, court decisions and agency determinations related to the USITC's trade remedy investigations.

The employee may be required to serve a 2-year probationary period. Education Education Requirement: All applicants must possess a first professional law degree: J.D. or LL.B from an American Bar Association Law School, or equivalent training. Equivalent training is training permitted in some states in lieu of attendance at a law school. To be acceptable, this training must be of the kind and nature required by the state in which the bar exam is taken. A copy of your transcript(s) is required to show proof that you meet this requirement. Please see the Required Documents section of the announcement for more specific information. Submit a copy of your transcript(s) or list of courses with credit hours, major(s) and grade-point average or class ranking. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the 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. Click on the link for a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials: http://www.naces.org/members.htm. Other Information

This position is included in the bargaining unit, AFGE Local 2211.

1. If you are a male applicant who was born after December 31, 1959, you are required to certify that you are registered with the Selective Service or are exempt under Selective Service regulations. For additional information concerning Selective Service requirements, please visit www.sss.gov.

2. Time period to meet qualifications: All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

3. Verification of information: Any information claimed on your resume and in application materials, such as education, credentials and employment history will be verified as part of the security clearance process.

4. Excepted service appointments: This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer rights to permanent Civil Service status.

5. Self-assessment questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12216770

6. Vacancy ID number: 12216770

7. Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the contact listed on the vacancy announcement. The decision to grant a reasonable accommodation is made on a case-by-case basis.

Required Documents

1. Resume: Your resume may be in any written format you choose, and to be sufficient, should contain the required information as specified in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. Insufficient resumes, or resumes that contain inappropriate information, such as photographs, will result in an ineligible rating.

2. Occupational questionnaire: A completed job-specific occupational questionnaire should be submitted through your Application Manager account.

3. Proof of Bar Membership: Documentation must show that you are a member of the Bar of a state, territory or commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia. If you are made an offer, you must submit a Certificate of Good Standing dated within 30 days of the offer.

4. Transcripts: You MUST submit a copy of your transcript(s), as specified under the Education section of this announcement. Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for application purposes, provided they show your classes, grades, dates of attendance and award of any degree. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.

5. Cover Letter: This is optional.

6. SF-50: Current and former federal employees must submit a copy of an SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action," which documents your highest permanent grade/step/salary held. Award SF-50s typically do not contain your grade/step/salary.

7. Performance Appraisal: Current or former federal employees must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal dated within 18 months. If you do not have one, you must submit a statement.

8. Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney positions, which are in the excepted service; however, the Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor in the hiring of all positions. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include such information in their cover letter, or resume, and submit supporting documents (e.g. DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active duty) as part of their application package. Although the point preference system is not used as in the competitive service, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form 15 (SF-15), and documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed, as listed on the SF-15. Specific information is available on the Office of Personnel Management website at: http://www.opm.gov.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/03/2024 to receive consideration.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.

3. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

4. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

The Vacancy ID is 12216770.

Benefits

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. Learn more about federal benefits.

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