Summary This position is in Region 7, Office of Regional Counsel, Superfund Branch. About: Region 7 This is an office-centered position--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis. Responsibilities At the highest advertised grade, you will: Provide legal advice, perform legal research, prepare legal documentation, and provide policy recommendations. Perform litigation activities. Draft Agency determinations, proposed regulations, and Federal Register notices. If you are hired at a lower grade level, your duties will be less complex and you will have more supervisory oversight. You may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level. One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position. Requirements Conditions of Employment #LI-Onsite You must be a U.S. citizen. If you have not yet passed the bar exam, offer of employment will be contingent upon admission to the bar and licensure/authorization to practice as an attorney. You must self-certify annually and in writing that you hold an active bar membership. If you are selected, you may be required to complete a trial period (two years if you are not a preference eligible; one year if you are a preference eligible). This position is designated as High Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date. REAL ID requirements became effective on 05/07/25. If you are selected for this position and plan to use your driver's license or identification card during the onboarding process (i.e., for employment eligibility verification or to obtain your EPA identification card), the document must be a REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver's license or identification card that includes the REAL ID-compliant star marking, or must be an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL). You will receive information about alternative acceptable documents (e.g., passport) prior to onboarding. For more information about REAL ID, see Dept. of Homeland Security and REAL ID FAQs. If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter. Qualifications NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement. In addition to the educational requirements, you must meet the minimum grade-specific qualifications as described below: To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must have either: -an LL.M. degree OR -at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level defined as performing legal research and analysis; drafting legal memoranda, briefs, or other substantive legal documents; and formulating and delivering recommendations to senior managers or other decision-makers. OR -completed superior law student activities while earning a J.D. degree. Superior law student activities include: (A) Academic standing in upper third of law school graduating class; (B) Work or achievement of significance on law school's law review; (C) Special high-level honors for academic excellence, such as election to Order of the Coif; (D) Winning of a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team representing the law school in competition with other law schools; (E) Full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program or significant summer law office clerk experience; or (F) Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement, as determined by the hiring office and documented in writing for the case file. To qualify for the GS-12 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level defined as independently managing complex civil/administrative enforcement and counseling matters; serving as lead drafter and coordinator of substantive legal work products (e.g., discovery, motions, briefs, administrative orders, consent decrees/settlement agreements) with minimal revision; negotiating and resolving disputed matters on behalf of the region; and providing clear, risk-informed legal advice to program officials that informs policy and program decisions. You will need the following competencies in order to perform the duties of this position successfully: Critical Thinking Attention to Detail Written Communication Strategic Thinking Problem Solving (assessed at GS-11 only) Interpersonal Skills (assessed at GS-12 only) Oral Communication You will be evaluated on these critical competencies. 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. If you have part-time work experience, read this: Part-Time Experience. Education You must: (1) possess a J.D. or LL.M. degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university or equivalent apprentice experience as allowed per state law; and (2) be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia; and (3) be an active member of the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction in good standing. NOTE: Bar membership and licensure are not required at the time of application, but you must be admitted to the bar and obtain your license before entry on duty. For information about accreditation requirements, visit Accreditation. Additional Information This position is excluded from provisions of the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). Selection under this appointment authority does not confer civil service competitive status. Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section. EPA participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. For additional information: E-Verify. If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility. This position is not in the bargaining unit. About the Office of Regional Counsel, Region 7: The Office of Regional Counsel provides legal advice and delivers legal services to the Regional office, working with Regional staff on the implementation, application, and enforcement of federal statutes, regulations, policy, and guidance. In addition to the Regional Counsel, a Deputy, and Branch Supervisors, the office includes staff attorneys, paralegals, and support staff. The office represents the Region in all civil administrative and judicial litigation in which the Region is a party; represents the Regional Administrator and the Region as counsel in their relationships with other federal, state, tribal, and local agencies; provides the legal review for the delegation of federal programs and/or federal authorization of state programs to state, tribal, and local agencies; and provides other such legal advice and services to enable and assist the Region in carrying out the mission of the Agency. If you have questions about this position, contact Chris Muehlberger at muehlberger.christopher@epa.gov or (816) 384-5708.
