Attorney-Advisor (General)

Summary With an emphasis on high ethical standards, excellence in public service and the delivery of superlative advice and counsel, DOI Solicitor's Office performs the legal work for the U.S. Department of the Interior and manages the Departmental Ethics Office and Departmental FOIA Office. With more than five hundred total employees, more than four hundred of which are licensed attorneys, the Office strives to provide sound legal services to fulfill the Department's diverse and wide-ranging mission. Duties As an Attorney-Adviser with the Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, Departmental Ethics Office, located in Washington, DC your specific duties will include: Researching and writing opinions on complex and novel ethics issues in response to requests for ethics guidance, including on issues that are novel, complex and/or have cross-departmental impact; Rendering appropriate and timely legal advice and ethics training to officials and employees in the Department of the Interior on all legal issues pertaining to Government ethics, including criminal conflict of Interests laws, Executive Branch Standards of Conduct and the Hatch Act; Reviewing public and confidential financial disclosure reports including reports of Presidential nominees and recommending appropriate action; Coordinating advice with the Office of Government Ethics, the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, the Office of Special Counsel, the Office of White House Counsel, and other agencies' ethics officials as necessary; Identifying, reviewing, and analyzing the impacts of changes in law or regulations on the operations of the Department's programs and ethics implications of such changes; Reviewing legislative proposals and assisting with the Department's response on items that affect the Department's ethics program. Salary Range Information (Per Annum): GS-12: $102,415 (Step 01) - $133,142 (Step 10) GS-13: $121,785 (Step 01) - $158,322 (Step 10) GS-14: $143,913 (Step 01) - $187,093 (Step 10) *First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level. Qualifications Basic Qualification Requirements Applicants must be law school graduates with LL.B. or J.D. degrees AND applicants must be an active member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar. To qualify for a GS-12 applicants must possess at least 2 years of professional legal experience following law school graduation; To qualify for a GS-13 applicants must possess at least 3 years of professional legal experience following law school graduation; To qualify for a GS-14 applicants must possess at least 4.5 years of professional legal experience following law school graduation; For any of the grades indicated above you can also substitute one year of experience with any of the following: have a second professional law degree; OR meet any of the criteria indicated below; academic standing in top one-third of law school graduating class; graduation with academic honors; significant participation on the law school's law review; significant participation in the law school's moot court competition; significant participation in a clinical legal aid program; significant summer law office clerk experience; or other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement. Candidates should have excellent oral communication, writing, research and analysis skills, and the ability to work effectively with other people, and exercise sound judgment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Education Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.