The individual serves as an Attorney-Adviser, GS-0905, in the Office of Proceedings which has primary responsibility for drafting decisions and developing the public record in formal proceedings. The full performance grade level is a GS-15. The hiring official may select either at the GS-13 or GS-14 grade level. This job announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date listed above.

Duties

The major duties of this position are researching and drafting decisions in formal proceedings before the Board. The Board adjudicates, among others, the following types of proceedings: complaints of unreasonable railroad rates or practices; declaratory orders; licensing of rail line constructions, acquisitions, or abandonments; railroad mergers or acquisitions; and proceedings under the Board's limited jurisdiction over motor carriers, water carriage in the noncontiguous domestic trade, and certain pipelines. In preparing draft decisions, the selected attorneys will review the record before the agency and apply the relevant statutes, regulations, policies, and case law. Board decisions include summaries of relevant evidence, analysis of salient legal issues, and findings of fact, conclusions of law, and determinations of actions to be taken by the Board. The selected attorneys will lead meetings with staff from other offices within the Board to develop recommendations for resolving Board proceedings, lead briefings of the Board members to present staff recommendations, and draft legal memoranda, correspondence, or other materials as assigned.

Requirements

Qualifications

The Office of Personnel Management has not issued qualification standards for attorney positions. However, STB sets minimum qualifications for attorney positions and sets forth these qualifications for this position. You must meet both requirements below: A. A professional law degree (LL.B, J.D., LL.M.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA); Current membership in good standing of the bar of a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia. Proof of bar membership will be required before entering on duty. All candidates being considered must demonstrate through their application documents: excellent research and writing skills, incisive legal analytical ability, strong oral advocacy and presentation skills. AND B. Specialized Experience: GS-13 candidates must have two years or more of professional legal experience: analyzing statutes, regulations, and decisional law, and presenting those analyses and relevant legal or policy issues for decision and resolving disputes. Federal clerkships count towards creditable experience. GS-14 candidates must have three years or more of professional legal experience: analyzing statutes, regulations, and decisional law; presenting those analyses and relevant legal or policy issues for decision; and resolving disputes, and Candidates must possess a legal background in transportation, economics, administrative law, or government regulation. Federal clerkships count towards creditable experience. A writing sample and cover letter are to be submitted with the application package. Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in the 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 U.S. accredited college or university. For further information visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Contacts

• Address Surface Transportation Board 395 E Street, SW Washington, DC 20423 US
• Name: Tara Rauch
• Phone: 202-934-0302
• Email: [email protected]