Entry Level In House Counsel Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Summary
The Office of Inspector General is an independent and objective office within the Environmental Protection Agency, charged with helping the EPA meet its mission of protecting human health and the environment. Through our audits, evaluations, and investigations, we promote the economy and effectiveness of, and detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse related to, the EPA's programs and operations, as well as ensure ethical conduct at the EPA.
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Duties
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As Counsel to the Inspector General, you will:

• Serve as Counsel to the Inspector General, providing the full range of legal and advisory services with respect to policy, regulations, practices, or other matters falling broadly within the Office's mission.
• Provide legal advice and executive direction on a variety of substantive and procedural matters relating to the Office's audit, program evaluation, investigation, and public liaison activities.
• Represent the Office in administrative litigation before the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Department of Labor, and provide representation in other forums as well.
• Represent the agency before the Department of Justice, Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, state and local governments, and other organizations.
• Manage the Office's ethics program by providing ethics training, advice, and financial disclosure reviews, coordinating the Office's responses to the Freedom of Information Act and other document requests.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• You will be required to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret clearance.
• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• Pre-employment drug testing is required and random testing thereafter.
• To be qualified for this position, applicants must have a J.D. degree.

Qualifications
The EPA OIG uses the traditional ECQ based evaluation method. If you meet the basic requirements, your application will be forwarded to an SES Rating Panel for rating and ranking based on your narrative responses to the TQs and ECQs. The Executive Resources Board recommends the best qualified candidates to the selecting official for consideration. You will be notified of the outcome of your application.
Specialized Experience Requirement:
To be qualified for this position, you must clearly show at least one year of prior experience in a managerial capacity with responsibility for providing supervisory direction to attorneys with functional responsibility for providing support for legal sufficiency determinations and third-party litigation support on administrative, civil, and criminal proceedings. This experience must evidence sophisticated analytical skills, superior written and oral communication skills, strong legal judgment, and experience in interacting with government and non-government officials. You must clearly show in your resume how you meet this specialized experience requirement.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.
To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.
There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) or the Technical Qualifications (TQs).
TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications.
MANDATORY TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS - Please provide a narrative not to exceed one page per TQ.
TQ 1. Demonstrated experience in preparing or reviewing referrals on administrative, civil, and criminal matters, and in drafting or reviewing subpoenas, search warrants, and other investigative tools.
TQ 2. Demonstrated experience advising or representing an organization before the Merit System Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, and other forums on employment issues and advising or representing an organization on matters related to the Freedom of Information Act/Touhy, the Privacy Act, environmental law, subpoena enforcement, or other legal issues.
EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification Requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.
There are five ECQs:

• ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
• ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
• ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
• ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
• ECQ 5: Achieving Results - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES
Education
Law License Requirement:
You must be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the law of a state, territory, or the District of Columbia. You must provide your law license indicating the state, date of admission, and license number in the questionnaire and uploaded as part of your application package in order to be considered.
If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)
Additional information
Veterans Preference: Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES.
Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders. Individuals selected for SES positions members may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines, and may be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/index.cfm
Employment Information Resources - Resource Center: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to
Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx)
If you are unable to apply online, please contact Noni Smith Abbott at smithabbott.noni@epa.gov.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.