NEH is an independent grant-making agency of the government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. This position description is for an Attorney-Advisor in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The OGC provides legal advice and assistance to the Chairman of the NEH and other officials on a variety of matters concerning the activities of the NEH.
Duties
- Renders legal advice to key agency officials on a broad range of legal questions concerning the activities of the NEH.
- Researches, interprets, and provides verbal and written analysis of NEH enabling legislation, federal ethics laws, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) matters, regulatory requirements, the law of government grants and contracts, appropriations law, and personnel regulations, among other areas of the law.
- Reviews and analyzes contracts, interagency agreements, grant guidelines, administrative directives and other legal documents.
- Drafts regulations, legal opinions and briefs, memoranda, directives, meeting minutes, and reports to other federal agencies.
- Assists in the administration of NEH's ethics and Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) programs; coordinates agency's responses and obligations under FOIA.
- $102,415 - $133,142/year
- U.S. Citizen
- Relevant Experience and/or Education
- Favorable background investigation
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service
- Prior experience in a major law firm is preferred.
At the GS-12 level: Candidates must possess a J.D. and at least 2 years of experience as a practicing attorney.
- Conducts complex legal research and analysis.
- Reviews and drafts legal memoranda, briefs, correspondence, policy guidance documents, contracts, and regulations.
- Provides legal advice to agency officials on Federal ethics laws, the Hatch Act, FOIA, the Privacy Act, appropriations law, grant management regulations, and other federal laws and regulations.
- Conveys conclusions and strategic recommendations to agency officials verbally and in clear, concise written format using plain writing in line with the Federal Plain Writing Act of 2010.
- Represents agencies and officials in administrative litigation, including cases before the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
- Manages competing priorities under short deadlines.
All applicants are required to submit the following supporting document type(s):
- Proof of Bar Membership
- Resume
- Transcript
Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career.
To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder . If you choose to use your own resume, you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:
- Job title
- Name of employer
- Start and end dates (including the month and year)
- Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
- The level and amount of experience-for instance, whether you served as a project manager or a team member helps to illustrate your level of experience.
- Examples of relevant experiences and accomplishments that prove you can perform the tasks at the level required for the job as stated in the job announcement. Your experience needs to address every required qualification.
- Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position)
Center.
. 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 05/08/2026 to receive consideration.
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.
Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify 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.
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.