Staff Attorney

Summary

The United States Sentencing Commission is seeking a Staff Attorney to participate in the substantive policy development of the Commission and provide legal support for the Commission's training, research, data, legislative, and administrative functions.

Duties

The staff attorney participates in the substantive policy development of the Commission and provides legal support for the Commission's training, research, data, legislative, and administrative functions. Responsibilities include, but are not be limited to: (1) Analyzing federal case law, circuit conflicts, and crime and sentencing legislation; (2) Conducting in-depth legal research related to the application of the federal sentencing guidelines, administrative law, and federal agency practice; (3) Preparing correspondence, legal memoranda, and analytical reports; and, (4) Participating in staff working groups that focus on new legislation, guideline amendments, or other sentencing issues.

Requirements

MANDATORY QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Applicants must possess a law degree (JD) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member of the bar of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a Federal court of general jurisdiction. Applicants must have demonstrated experience as listed below. Applicants must have one year of specialized experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. This one year of specialized experience must have been at, or equivalent to, the next lower grade from the grade being considered. For example, to qualify for the GS-13, one year of specialized experience must have been gained at, or equivalent to, the GS-12. To be considered for this position, applicants must submit a resume and cover letter or separate narrative statement that addresses each KSA factor listed below. Each factor should be addressed separately and include a description of the demonstrated experience that is directly related to the duties, responsibilities, and KSA factors for this position. Knowledge of federal sentencing and criminal law. Experience conducting in-depth legal research involving analysis of case law, statutes, and legislation. Excellent legal analysis, writing, and editing skills. Ability to express, orally and in writing, complex legal issues in clear and succinct language so that the concepts are understood by both lawyers and non-lawyers. Skill in planning, organizing, setting priorities, and completing multiple tasks of varying complexity.

Qualifications and evaluation

The Commission evaluates applicants through a structured interview process. Applicants may also be screened for some jobs through a narrative/application review, and/or a preliminary remote interview. Applicants who do not address the mandatory and preferred qualification requirements in their application materials as stated in the "How to Apply" section of this vacancy announcement will be disqualified from consideration and must re-apply before the closing date to be considered for employment. A candidate may be considered even if they do not meet the preferred qualifications, so long as those qualifications are addressed in their application materials. The Office of Human Resources: Reviews the applicant's application to ensure the proper materials are submitted. Ensures that the application addresses all qualification requirements stated in the vacancy announcement (mandatory and preferred). Determines whether the applicant meets the qualification requirements for the position, and notifies the applicant of the status of their application. Application materials for those applicants who meet the mandatory qualification requirements will be forwarded to the screening panel for review.

Education

Applicants must possess a law degree (JD) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.

How to apply

In order to be considered, all applicants must submit an electronic resume (limited to 2 pages) and cover letter that together address all of the mandatory and preferred qualification requirements listed in this announcement, and if available, provide a recent job performance evaluation. Applicants are responsible for citing mandatory qualifications such as J.D. degree, bar membership, and experience to include institution name, state(s) for bar, and date(s) on their respective resumes. Failure to supply details will constitute incomplete applications. All mandatory qualifications requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Applicants will also need to complete the online occupational questionnaire. All applications must be submitted at www.usajobs.gov.

Required documents

Resume (limited to 2 pages) Cover Letter: To be considered for this position, applicants must submit a resume and cover letter or separate narrative statement that addresses each KSA factor listed below. Each factor should be addressed separately and include a description of the demonstrated experience that is directly related to the duties, responsibilities, and KSA factors for this position. Knowledge of federal sentencing and criminal law. Experience conducting in-depth legal research involving analysis of case law, statutes, and legislation. Excellent legal analysis, writing, and editing skills. Ability to express, orally and in writing, complex legal issues in clear and succinct language so that the concepts are understood by both lawyers and non-lawyers. Skill in planning, organizing, setting priorities, and completing multiple tasks of varying complexity. If available, college transcripts If available, a recent job performance evaluation

Additional information

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT The selected applicant must relocate to the Washington DC Metropolitan area. This position is in the excepted service and does not carry the tenure rights of positions in the competitive Civil Service. All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed. Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship or, for noncitizens, proof of authorization to work in the United States and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/non-citizensFor a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf. The Commission participates in E-Verify and will confirm your authorization to work in the United States. A background security investigation is required for all selectees. Appointment will be subject to a selectee's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements may be grounds for appropriate personnel action. A background security reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time. All new Commission employees must identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment, mandated by the Federal Compensation Act. All new Commission employees, those converted from a temporary appointment to a permanent appointment, and all rehired former Commission employees are required to serve a one-year probationary period. The probationary period begins on the effective date of the employee's appointment, conversion, or rehire.