General Attorney (Labor) (General Counsel Senior Attorney)

Summary

This position is located in Washington, DC and is in Division of Advice of the General Counsel (GC) and reports directly to the Senior Executive Service decision maker or designee. The GC staff in Division of Advice (Regional Advice & Injunction Litigation Branches) performs an array of functional legal responsibilities to assist the GC with making legal decisions and court orders, and administering the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the federal labor law enacted by Congress in 1935.

Duties

As a General Attorney (Labor) (General Counsel Senior Attorney), GS-0905-15, your typical work assignments may include: Acting as a legal expert and technical adviser regarding the application of controlling statutes, regulations, case law, court rules, and procedures pertaining to the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), as well as the Administrative Procedure Act, and other federal laws. Preparing and orally presenting facts and law clearly and logically and presents oral arguments in court. Preparing and presenting facts and law clearly and logically in writing. Using independent judgment to resolve key issues arising in connection with high-level decisions affecting efficient case processing and successful litigation strategy. Handling numerous assignments in both the Regional Advice and Injunction Litigation Branches that require close attention to complex legal or factual issues, and that have a significant impact on the Agency and its practice. Performing other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT The ideal candidate for this position has senior-level expertise and knowledge of traditional labor law (the NLRA). The candidate has demonstrated an ability to provide expert legal analysis and advice in an efficient manner on complicated matters. The candidate has experience drafting complex decisions and appellate briefs for approval by superiors and has exemplary legal research and writing skills. The candidate exhibits excellent judgment and can work independently on all matters handled by the Division. Outstanding oral communications skills and meticulous attention to detail are also important. BASIC REQUIREMENTS Education: Applicants must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LL. B or JD). Bar Membership/Certification: Applicants must be an active member of the BAR in good standing of any state, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial court under the U.S. Constitution. Your active BAR license must reference BAR number and indicate the status of good standing. An Agency's Internal or a Self-Certification Form is not acceptable for verification. In addition to the BASIC REQUIREMENTS, applicants must also meet the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE Applicants must have one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-14 grade level, which has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a General Attorney (Labor) (General Counsel Senior Attorney) at the GS-15 grade level. Specialized experience includes: Experience conducting legal research and making recommendations, both orally and in writing, to superiors on complex legal issues and cases involving the NLRA and other relevant statutes, procedures, rules, and regulations. Experience preparing memoranda and briefs that contain extensive legal analysis of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in accordance with the Board's procedures, rules, and regulations, or, in the case of Section 10(j) or (l) appeals, with court rules. This experience must be fully supported and articulated in your resume to receive consideration. Please do not cut and paste the position description or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. NOTE: 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. All Agency employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status. The SF-50 must include your Position, Title, Series, Grade, Step, Tenure (1 or 2), and Type of Service (Excepted). As a current NLRB Excepted Service employee, you may determine your status by checking block 24 on your SF-50. The block must reflect "1" or "2". Also, block 34 must reflect "2". A copy of your SF-50 must be provided for verification.

Education

Applicants must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LL. B or JD). All education claimed by applicants will be verified. NOTE: Current NLRB Attorneys may not be required to submit a copy of their transcripts. However, NLRB employees within 3 years from receiving their juris doctorate degree, must provide a transcript with their application package. Special Instructions for 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 interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in accredited U.S. education programs; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information regarding Foreign Education, please click here. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Once the application process is complete, your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies: Attention to Detail Decision Making Legal Advisor Oral Communication Written Communication Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. To preview the assessment questionnaire, please click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13000050 Optional Four Essay Questions At the time of application, applicants will be provided with four short, free-response essay questions designed to ascertain their dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee) to review. Responses are not required and will not be scored. If applicants choose to provide a response to the essay questions, they will be required to certify that they are using their own words and did not use a consultant or AI (such as a large language model [LLM]). The responses to each question cannot exceed 200 words per question. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. For evaluating the quality of applicants for referral to the selecting official, a four-phased process will be used. Phase 1: Applicant resumes will be reviewed by Human Resources (HR) to ensure they meet the basic qualification requirements. If applicants meet basic qualifications, they will continue on to the second phase. Phase 2: Applicants who are minimally qualified may be advanced to a Structured Resume Review assessment conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel. SMEs may review applicants' resumes to evaluate technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. Phase 3: Applicants who successfully pass the Structured Resume Review assessment may be advanced to a Structured Interview conducted by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel. SMEs may assess applicants' ability to demonstrate the required competencies for the position. Phase 4: A final score, which may combine the results from one or more assessments, may be used to identify the top-rated applicants. Applicants meeting the established cut-off score may be referred to the selecting official for consideration and may be required to participate in one or more additional interviews as part of the hiring process.

Required Documents

Please submit the supporting documents outlined below for your claimed eligibility status. Resume In compliance with Executive Order 14170, Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service resumes must not be longer than two pages in length. The resume must address minimum qualifications and other requirements listed in the job announcement. Resumes must include all of the following information outlined below: Contact Information Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number. Relevant Work Experience Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions) Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 -08/2022 or present) The number of hours you worked per week Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications. Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement. Resumes must be formatted as outlined above. If the two-page resume criteria and/or the resume formatting requirement is not met candidates will be rated as ineligible and will not be referred for hiring consideration. Most Recent Performance Appraisal If performance appraisal is not dated with the last 18 months, or if you are unable to provide a performance appraisal, an explanation of why must be provided. Please include a document in your application package explaining why the performance appraisal is not available. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) You must submit a copy of your non-award SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, verifying your highest rate of pay and documenting your status in the Excepted service (Tenure 1 or 2) for which you are claiming eligibility. As an employee in the Excepted Service, you may determine your status by checking block 24 on your SF-50. The block must reflect "1" or "2". Also, block 34 must reflect "2". If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly reflect you meet the one-year time-in-grade (TIG) requirement so you will need to submit a SF-50 which clearly shows you meet the TIG requirement (e.g. SF-50s include Promotion, Within Grade Increase, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old). NOTE: Performance Awards, Realignment/Reassignment, Name Change and Detail SF-50s will not be accepted as proof of grade and tenure. Proof of Bar Certification A copy of your BAR License that certifies you are an active member of the BAR in good standing of any state, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court under the U.S. Constitution. Your active BAR license must reference BAR number and indicate the status of good standing. Self-Certification Forms are not acceptable for verification. Other Documents (IF applicable) Transcripts An unofficial copy of your transcripts is sufficient for this application package. The unofficial transcripts must be verifiable; contain the name of the institution, applicant's name, list of completed courses (with grades), semester hours, and GPA. If the position has a positive education requirement (i.e. LL. B or JD), as indicated under the "Education" section, the unofficial transcripts must show the type of degree and degree date received (conferred). Current NLRB Attorneys may not be required to submit a copy of their transcripts. However, NLRB employees within 3 years from receiving their Juris Doctorate degree, must provide a transcript with their application package. If selected, an official copy of the transcripts may be and must be received before employment. Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USAJOBS does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system. You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission. All materials must be received by 07/16/2026 to be considered for this announcement.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes: Resume; and Any other documents needed to verify your qualifications or eligibility (see the Required Documents section). Please follow the instructions listed below for submitting your complete application package. Application procedures are specific to this vacancy announcement. Please read all instructions before you begin. To begin the process, click the APPLY ONLINE button at the right side of this screen to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire. Please ensure you click the SUBMIT MY ANSWERS button at the end of the process. If you have never applied through USAJOBS for a position with the Federal Civil Service, you will need to create a USAJOBS account. To change or update your application, simply reapply through My USAJOBS, before the closing date. New or updated resumes are considered "incomplete" applications until the required virus scan is cleared.

What to Expect Next

Once your application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated. You will receive another notification about the status of your application, and a final notice once a selection has been made.

Additional Information

SUPPLEMENTARY VACANCIES Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY The National Labor Relations Board is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for appointment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and sex orien...

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT The ideal candidate for this position has senior-level expertise and knowledge of traditional labor law (the NLRA). The candidate has demonstrated an ability to provide expert legal analysis and advice in an efficient manner on complicated matters. The candidate has experience drafting complex decisions and appellate briefs for approval by superiors and has exemplary legal research and writing skills. The candidate exhibits excellent judgment and can work independently on all matters handled by the Division. Outstanding oral communications skills and meticulous attention to detail are also important. BASIC REQUIREMENTS Education: Applicants must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LL. B or JD). Bar Membership/Certification: Applicants must be an active member of the BAR in good standing of any state, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial court under the U.S. Constitution. Your active BAR license must reference BAR number and indicate the status of good standing. An Agency's Internal or a Self-Certification Form is not acceptable for verification. In addition to the BASIC REQUIREMENTS, applicants must also meet the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE Applicants must have one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-14 grade level, which has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a General Attorney (Labor) (General Counsel Senior Attorney) at the GS-15 grade level. Specialized experience includes: Experience conducting legal research and making recommendations, both orally and in writing, to superiors on complex legal issues and cases involving the NLRA and other relevant statutes, procedures, rules, and regulations. Experience preparing memoranda and briefs that contain extensive legal analysis of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in accordance with the Board's procedures, rules, and regulations, or, in the case of Section 10(j) or (l) appeals, with court rules. This experience must be fully supported and articulated in your resume to receive consideration. Please do not cut and paste the position description or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. NOTE: 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. All Agency employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status. The SF-50 must include your Position, Title, Series, Grade, Step, Tenure (1 or 2), and Type of Service (Excepted). As a current NLRB Excepted Service employee, you may determine your status by checking block 24 on your SF-50. The block must reflect "1" or "2". Also, block 34 must reflect "2". A copy of your SF-50 must be provided for verification.