Attorney-Advisor (General)

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 United States Department of the Interior, and manages the Departmental Ethics Office and Departmental FOIA Office. With more than five hundred employees, more than four hundred of which are attorneys, the Office strives to provide sound legal services to fulfill the Department's diverse and wide-ranging mission.

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: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

As an Attorney-Adviser with the Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, Division of Water Resources, Branch of Water and Power, your specific duties will include:

• Providing advice on and legal services for matters pertaining to various agencies within the Department of the Interior but primarily to the Bureau of Reclamation, including interpretation and analysis of federal Reclamation laws and policies.
• Providing advice and legal services for matters pertaining to Bureau of Reclamation activities associated with Colorado River operations.
• Providing legal guidance to the Bureau of Reclamation relating to federal water-related contracts with Reclamation water users in the western states, including municipalities, water and irrigation districts, and Native American tribes.
• Providing advice and legal services on the topics of western water law relating to laws and regulations of general applicability to Federal agencies, such as the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and other relevant federal laws.
• Analyzing and interpreting federal statutes, rules and regulations, and other guidance, including program authorities, relating to the authority of contracting and program officials to meet departmental and program goals.
• Drafting litigation reports to guide the Department of Justice (DOJ) and assisting DOJ in litigation, including working in close coordination with DOJ representing the Secretary of the Interior and the various bureaus of the Department in federal courts.

This position is being advertised as location negotiable after selection or at an Official worksite of the Solicitor Office locations (please see link for a list) with the option of telework.

Salary will be dependent upon the agreed duty location. Locality pay tables can be found here.

First time hires to the federal government typically start at the beginning salary in the range for their respective grade level.

This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

In order to better assess your qualifications for this position, when preparing your cover letter please address your experience in or familiarity with the following area of the law: Water law, Reclamation law, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Endangered Species Act (ESA).

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.

Applicants must also meet one of the following:--possess at least 1-year of professional legal experience following law school graduation; OR--have a second professional law degree; OR--meet any of the criteria indicated below:(a) academic standing in top one-third of law school graduating class;(b) graduation with academic honors;(c) significant participation on the law school's law review;(d) significant participation in the law school's moot court competition;(e) significant participation in a clinical legal aid program;(f) significant summer law office clerk experience; or(g) other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement.

GS-12/13/14: In addition to meeting the basic qualification requirements described above, applicants must also have the following additional years of professional legal experience for the grade level indicated:
--GS-12 = 1 year
--GS-13 = 2 years
--GS-14 = 3 years

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:https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.