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.
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. 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.

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.