Attorney

The positions are in the Office of the General Counsel, in the Division of Labor, Employment, and Contract Law (LECL). The supervisor is Brian Harris, Assistant General Counsel for LECL. The position is located in Rockville, MD. The position is in the non-bargaining unit. Occasional travel is required. Relocation expenses may be paid to the extent allowed by Federal Travel and Relocation regulations. Expenses associated with the interview will not be paid.

You must be a graduate of an accredited law school with a J.D., LL.B., or equivalent degree, and you must be an active member in good standing of the Bar of a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.

The successful candidates will serve as attorney under the Assistant General Counsel and Deputy Assistant General Counsel for LECL in the Office of the General Counsel. The selectees will be placed in LECL but may move to other OGC divisions as workload needs change over time. Duties will include providing representation before administrative tribunals and providing advice and legal services related to federal labor and employment law, equal employment opportunity, diversity, reasonable accommodation, harassment, and personnel security. The selectees may also be assigned work in LECL’s other practice areas as workload needs change over time.

The successful candidate will have the experience, poise, temperament, judgment, collegiality, and professional stature required to successfully perform the important duties and responsibilities of an attorney providing legal advice to the General Counsel (and the Deputy General Counsels and Associate General Counsel, if applicable), the Commission, and the NRC staff. The successful candidate will have excellent written and oral communication skills and have a demonstrated ability to make fair and impartial decisions in a timely manner.

The following duties are performed with a high degree of independence:

Reviews documents to determine their legal sufficiency; performs difficult original legal research; develops solutions to novel and complex legal issues; provides legal opinions and advice; and identifies and addresses policy matters, including consideration of relevant risks.

When serving as lead attorney, provides leadership and guidance to assigned back-up attorneys. In this role, makes assignments to the back-up attorneys and provides comments and revisions to documents and other work products connected with assigned matters.

Provides advice and counsel in connection with hiring and discipline of employees, employee pay and benefits, labor and union matters, whistleblower retaliation, reasonable accommodation, equal employment opportunity issues, harassment, and personnel security.

Prepares and conducts complex cases dealing with labor and employment, personnel security, whistleblower retaliation claims, harassment, reasonable accommodation, and equal employment opportunity matters before administrative tribunals, e.g., Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Federal Labor Relations Authority, and arbitrators. Prepares motions, briefs, and pre-trial discovery; prepares witnesses, conducts direct and cross-examination, making persuasive arguments and prepares post hearing briefs.

Supports the Department of Justice and United States Attorneys in all aspects of litigation of employment law-related cases involving the NRC filed in federal courts.

To qualify for this position, you must have at least one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE includes experience that is defined as attorney or judicial work experience in a federal or state government legal office, federal or state judiciary, or the private practice of law, which provided the candidate with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the work of this positions.

Examples of qualifying experience include thorough knowledge and understanding of legal principles in the areas of federal personnel, equal opportunity employment, labor relations, or administrative laws, such as the Administrative Procedure Act, the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, Title 5 of United States Code "Government Organization And Employees,” Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, American with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 201, or other statutes applicable to Federal or State regulatory agencies; legislative history and case law; and NRC or other administrative agency rules, regulations, and policies.

Minimally qualified candidates will have multiple years of work experience, including substantial regulatory and statutory interpretation and/or litigation experience, in fields related to the work of OGC at the NRC or analogous work at Federal or State regulatory agencies or in the private sector; however, a preferred candidate would have experience in federal labor and employment law, and would possess extensive litigation experience. Typically, at least one year of this experience should be comparable in complexity and responsibility to the kind of work normally assigned at the grade 13 or 14 levels in the Federal government, or equivalent.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

1. Ability to interpret and analyze Federal laws, statutes, regulations, and cases as they relate to various aspects of labor and employment law.
2. Ability to effectively identify, analyze, prepare detailed legal opinions, and resolve complex legal issues in federal labor and employment law, labor relations, equal employment opportunity, diversity, reasonable accommodation, anti-harassment, and personnel security.
3. Ability to provide legal advice and support to the General Counsel, the Commission, and agency management on all aspects of labor and employment law.
4. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in-writing in connection with providing advice on labor and employment law matters and in litigating cases before various tribunals, including the FLRA, MSPB, EEOC, arbitrators, and federal courts.

A description of how you possess these abilities should be included in your application package.