Attorney-Advisor

This position serves as Attorney-Advisor in the Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge and is located in the Denver Regional Office. The primary purpose of this position is to provide legal research, draft positions, opinions, memoranda, and advice to the Review Commission in a variety of legal areas. Cases can be small, moderate, or large and can have multiple and highly complex issues. This position reports directly to the First Judge who reports to the Chief Administrative Law Judge.

Duties

• Analyze cases to define legal and factual issues.
• Examine the pleadings, transcript or testimony, documentary exhibits, and briefs of the attorneys in connection with the issues of fact and law presented.
• Search relative statutory provisions and legislative history, applicable regulations of the Department of Labor and the Review Commission, and relevant court and Commission precedent on points of law.
• Prepare memoranda, digesting, and analyzing the factual and legal issues that are presented including, in some lengthy cases, and indexing or summarizing of testimony or exhibits.
• Draft decisions and orders for the presiding Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and address the factual and legal issues that have been assigned.
• Respond to inquiries by telephone or mail at the request of the presiding ALJ.
• Investigate facts and research legal precedents, define legal and factual issues, read, and analyze the record and arguments, develop conclusions and recommendations, and draft orders in consultation with ALJs.
• Attend formal hearings presided over by an ALJ.
• Utilize available technology to effectively identify and manage cases. This includes using Westlaw's computerized research system and keeping abreast of changes in information technology.
• Examine the motion for legal sufficiency which includes studying and analyzing the citation, proposed penalty, notice of contest, complaint, answer, other motions, orders, and pleadings.
• Conduct a detailed analysis of the factual and legal issues presented.
• Conduct legal research and analyze and study the statutes, regulations, and legal precedents, as well as the Commission's rules, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and the Federal Rules of Evidence.

Salary

• $140,239 - $182,316/year

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• This is not a remote position. The incumbent is expected to report to the Denver office located at the U.S. Custom House, 721 19^th Street, Denver, CO 80202. However, situational telework may be available as determined by the agency's policy.
• Relocation expenses will not be paid.
• This position is excluded from provisions of the Career Transition (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP).
• This vacancy is being advertised/filled under the authority of Title 5 of the United States Code, the Schedule A authority for attorneys (5 CFR § 213.3102(d)), and the Review Commission's Attorney Hiring and Employment Policy. This vacancy will result in an Excepted Service appointment. You will be required to serve a trial period if selected for a first-time appointment to the Federal government or transferring from another Federal agency. Failure to successfully complete the trial period may result in termination of employment. For more information on Excepted Service appointments, please visit OPM's website.
• The Office of Personnel Management must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
• All employees are required to participate in direct deposit/electronic funds transfer for salary payments.
• A preliminary security background check is required for this position. For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations.
• Applications will not be accepted in postage paid Government envelopes.
• The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 requires employers to hire only individuals who are eligible to work in the U.S. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System. Federal law requires DHS to use the E-Verify System to verify employment eligibility of all new hires, and as a condition of continued employment obligates the new hire to take affirmative steps to resolve any discrepancies identified by the system.

Qualifications

Applicants must possess at least four years of professional legal experience following law school. Current Federal employees must have one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level of GS-13 to qualify.

The qualification requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education Applicants must have graduated with a law degree (such as a J.D.) from a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar. There is a positive education requirement for this position. Transcripts (unofficial) are required at the time of application to verify that you meet the educational requirement. Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation 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 that such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: International and Foreign Language Education | U.S. Department of Education Part-time or unpaid experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis as for paid experience. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the number of hours per week spent in such employment. Other Information There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Review Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD form 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see www.sss.gov). If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. Equal Employment Opportunity: The Review Commission is an equal opportunity employer. Applications will be considered without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information, and without retaliation against any person asserting a right under anti-discrimination laws. This also applies to decisions including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, terms and conditions of employment, opportunities for promotion, training and development, transfer, and other privileges of employment. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion or national origin. Reasonable Accommodation Statement: The Review Commission provides reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application, please contact the Office of the Executive Director on (202) 606-5100. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Required Documents

To receive consideration, you must submit the following documents:

• Resume: Your resume cannot be longer than two pages and must accurately reflect the duties and responsibilities under each position you have held with each employer. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. It is your responsibility to make sure your resume states complete information for each job entry (beginning and ending date of employment stated as MM/YYYY; and total hours worked per week).
• Vacancy Announcement: Your application package must identify the vacancy announcement number, position title, and grade of the position for which you are applying.
• Personal Information: Your application package must include your full name, your mailing address with zip code, email address, telephone numbers, country of citizenship, and highest Federal civilian grade you held (if any). If you are or have been a Federal employee, please provide a copy of your most recent standard form 50, Notification of Personnel Action.
• Education: You must list all colleges/universities/law schools you have attended, the city and state of such institutions, and specify the type and year you obtained your degrees.
• Cover Letter: If you provide a cover letter, we suggest that you describe how your experience, education, knowledge and/or awards relate to this position.
• Other Qualifications: Job-related training courses (title and year), job-related skills, job-related certificates and licenses, job-related honors, awards, and special accomplishments.
• Bar membership: State the jurisdiction(s) and date(s) of admission.
• Performance appraisal: If you are or were a Federal employee, please provide a copy of your latest performance appraisal. If unavailable, please provide an explanation as to why it is unavailable.
• Law School Transcript: You must provide a copy of your law school transcript.
• Writing Sample: You must provide a writing sample (no more than ten pages).

Essay Questions: Applicants are encouraged but not required to submit responses to the five essay questions (not to exceed 200 words per question) listed below.

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
2. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
3. In this role, you will be expected to professionally and efficiently implement executive direction. Provide an example where you implemented leadership direction on a strategy or policy decision that differed from your own recommendation.
4. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
5. This position supports the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission's mission and current priorities, including (1) resolving pending cases fairly and promptly; (2) enhancing the transparency of its operations, consistent with the public's interest in efficiency, the agency's statutory authority and responsibilities, and due process requirements; (3) promoting organizational excellence, including a culture of professionalism, mutual respect, organizational pride, and ensuring that staff members are adequately trained and developed; and (4) managing agency resources in a manner that instills public trust, including using information and technology to monitor, evaluate, and improve programs and processes in order to better accomplish the agency's mission. Describe how your skills and experience would help the agency advance those priorities in this role.

All application materials must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to submit these documents will result in your application being removed from consideration. Please do not submit additional, unsolicited materials, or original documents that you may need in the future. Applications will become part of the recruitment case file and will not be returned.

How to Apply

You may send your application by mail, deliver it by hand, or email it to ovacancy2@oshrc.gov.

Mailing address:
U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
Attn: Human Resources Office
1120 20th Street, NW, Ninth Floor
Washington, D.C. 20036-3457

Benefits The Review Commission offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, annual leave, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. This link provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees: https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/Guide-Me/New-Prospective-Employees/