General Attorney

Job Details

Position Overview

Duties

We are truly honored that DOE has been named America's #1 Best Employer for Veterans in 2023 by Forbes-not only among Government agencies, but among employers across the U.S. We are so proud of this ranking which reflects our commitment to the employment of veterans. As so many veterans at DOE renew their service to our Nation, we are deeply committed to their success and advancement. Veterans shape the future of energy

As a General Attorney you will:

• Provide analyses, interpretations, and opinions on a variety of cases and issues that range from relativity routine and straight forward to extremely complex, controversial, sensitive, unusual, highly publicized and difficult involving the issuance of NETL legal and policy documents which may substantially broaden or restrict NETL activities, or have an important impact on major energy and related industries and the public.
• Provide legal advice and determinations in the application of advanced theories, principles, concepts and processes which require theoretical expertise applicable to a wide variety of situations, uses, and problems in the law and legal procedures of Federal, state and local governments. Issues are often unusually delicate, involve large sums of money, have widespread interest, and/or are contested by extremely capable legal talent, and are the subject of widespread interest. Issues may present a case of first impression calling for creative legal analysis and investigation and evaluation of various alternative approaches for the improvement or development of laws, codes and legal procedures. Legal positions are likely to affect relations with Federal, state, local and foreign governments, and energy and related industries.
• Provide guidance, legal assistance and support to various NETL offices. Performs extensive legal research in special situations and provides recommendations to the supervisor based upon the legal principles involved, as determined by the research.
• Develop for supervisory approval legal solutions to situations in which the law has not been clearly defined by judicial precedent or administrative rulings, and NETL policies have not been fully developed.
• Recommend to supervisor or senior attorney defenses when NETL policy making documents are the subject of litigation due to a claim of insufficiency under general administrative law requirements.
• Prepare and review related legal briefs.
• Address legal and contractual issues associated with federal procurements and federal research and development grants and cooperative agreements.
• Provide negotiation of agreements.
• Provide legal advice and analysis concerning environmental law, labor law and federal agency ethics.
• Provide litigation and litigation support.
• Give legal support to Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act programs.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Requirements

1. Meet the minimum education requirements of successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) with a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); AND
2. Must be a current, active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

GS-12 Qualifications:

• One year of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work. The educational background should include course work beyond the first professional degree in a field directly related to the work for which he/she is being considered.

GS-13 Qualifications:

• One year of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work.; AND
• One additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service.

GS-14 Qualifications:

• Three years of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work.; AND
• One additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service.

GS-15 Qualifications:

• Four years of professional (attorney) legal experience and active membership in a state or District of Columbia bar and advanced educational attainments that clearly indicate the ability to independently perform complex legal work.; AND
• One additional year of professional (attorney) experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-14 level in the Federal service.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

Education

Attorney positions do have an education requirement.

ALL Candidates must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association with a:

1. Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree; OR
2. Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) degree.

For positions with an education requirement, you MUST submit:

1. A copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.; AND
2. You must provide proof of bar or your bar number.

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a United States Citizen.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
• If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year trial period.
• The vacancies filled through these appointments have varying levels of background investigative requirements, up to a Top Secret DOE "Q" clearance.
• GS-12 and above are required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, Executive Branch Personnel Confidential
• If selected, you must self-identify if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a Schedule A, Schedule C, or non-career SES political appointee as OPM approval is required prior to finalizing your selection.
• Proof of current active member in good standing in the bar of a State, District of Columbia, territory of the United States, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• Employees must maintain active bar membership while employed as an attorney with DOE.
• This position is NOT included in a Bargaining Agreement.

Evaluations

• Undertake legal research and provide written legal analysis, advice, and recommendations on complex legal and policy matters.
• Prepare and review rulemakings, orders, Federal Register notices and responsive comments, public filings, policy statements, reports to the President and Congress, and congressional testimony. Review and comment on legislation to determine the potential impact on client activities, and draft amendments.
• Represent clients in meetings, hearings, and other proceedings.
• Support litigation efforts, including the preparation and filing of motions and other documents, in federal and state regulatory proceedings.
• Support transactional work, including the preparation of agreements and performance of due diligence and compliance review.

Minimum Requirements: Your application must show that you meet all requirements, including the education and/or experience required for this position. You will be found "not qualified" if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position. If your application is incomplete, we will rate you as ineligible.

Referral: Since this is an Excepted Service position, a non-rated method of evaluation will be used. We will evaluate your application by comparing your description of your work experience, level of responsibility, and accomplishments with the requirements of the position to determine whether you meet all the qualification requirements. Although competitive examining rules for rating and ranking and veterans' preference do not apply, veteran's preference will be considered as a positive factor. Candidates who meet all the qualification and other eligibility requirements will be referred to the selecting official for consideration and possible interview.

Required Documents

RESUME WITH 3 REFERENCES: This can be done by either creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of your choosing. Applicants will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their resume. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position.

COVER LETTER: This should be no more than 3 pages that describes your interest in this role at the Department of Energy and describes your experience.

WRITING SAMPLE: A writing sample should be sufficiently complex in nature to demonstrate the applicant's skills in the qualifications of this position.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans' preference, you may provide a DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active-duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.

ACTIVE BAR MEMBERSHIP: You must submit evidence of an Active Bar Membership as described in the Qualifications Section of this announcement.

EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. Unofficial law school transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements of this position. 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. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

CTAP/ICTAP Eligible Applicants: To receive selection priority, you must submit the following documentation with your application:

1. Proof of Eligibility: A copy of your agency-issued Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice, a copy of your separation SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) noting transition/displaced status, or other official agency documentation confirming your eligible status.
2. Proof of Performance Rating: A copy of your most recent performance appraisal/rating of record, which must include:
   • Your final rating (must be at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent); and
   • The rating scale/guide (explaining what each level/numeric score means), unless the rating scale is clearly defined on the appraisal document itself.

Note: While a formal performance appraisal is highly recommended and requested to expedite your evaluation, if your agency-issued RIF separation notice or other official separation documentation explicitly states that your performance was at least "Fully Successful" (or equivalent) and notes your rating of record, it may be accepted in lieu of a formal performance appraisal. Failure to provide any documentation proving a rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent will result in the loss of your priority consideration. For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.

CURRENT OR FORMER POLITICAL APPOINTEES: If this is applicable, please note on your resume and attach an SF-50. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the hiring manager and HR office.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.


The application process is as follows:

1. Read all instructions before you begin.
2. Click "Apply Online."
3. Complete the application and attach all required documents.
4. Submit by 11:59 PM ET on the 08/27/2026.

• Max 2 pages and 5MB file size.
• PDF is recommended to preserve formatting; we also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, ODT, or Word (DOC/DOCX). No PDF portfolios.
• Use clear fonts like Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto, or Noto Sans.
• Set 0.5-inch margins.
• Use 14-point font for titles, 10-point for main text.

• Update: Edit your application in USAJOBS before the closing date.
• Status: Log into USAJOBS to view your application status. Learn more here: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

• USAJOBS Help: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/ for login.gov or USAJOBS assistance.
• Application Issues: If you have difficulty applying online, contact the Agency Contact listed in this announcement during business hours. Take screenshots of any system errors.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.