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Summary

EPA’s, Office of General Counsel invites talented and diverse attorneys to apply for an Attorney-Adviser position.  We may hire for multiple media law offices from this applicant pool.

For more information:http://www2.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-general-counsel-ogc.

 

Duties

OGC serves as the chief legal advisor to the Agency's senior management and program offices on Agency rules, permits, response actions, implementation actions, litigation and legislation.  OGC lawyers also work with attorneys in the Department of Justice to represent the Agency in defensive litigation in the federal courts.  Some offices independently handle litigation in front of the Environmental Appeals Board to defend EPA actions, or work to prepare to defend Agency decisions in formal hearings.   We routinely engage in challenging issues, addressing complex, and often novel or cutting-edge legal issues.  OGC attorneys assume great responsibility and quickly become national experts in their assigned areas.  They also develop strong analytical, problem solving and communications skills while working closely with their program policy clients, other OGC colleagues, other agencies, and outside stakeholder groups.  OGC prides itself on its core values of excellence, community, work-life balance, integrity, empowerment and responsibility, and respect. 

The Attorney-Adviser works under the supervision of the Associate General Counsel and/or the Deputy Associate General Counsel. We are currently accepting applications that may be used to hire multiple attorneys for our law offices.  We may also hire from this pool for additional law offices should any vacancy occur before our next hiring cycle, projected early-2025. 

Each law office consists of practice groups that provide legal counsel to EPA Headquarters, regional offices, and some field offices concerning the environmental statutes and administrative law related to that particular law office.  From this posting we may hire for the following law offices:

Air and Radiation:  The Air and Radiation Law Office provides legal support for EPA to reduce threats to public health and the environment by cleaning up the nation’s air and dealing with radiation issues. 

Cross-Cutting Issues:  The Cross-Cutting Issues Law Office provides legal advice under the numerous federal statutes, Executive Orders, and policies that affect all of EPA’s programs, including the Administrative Procedure Act, Environmental Justice, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act, Indian law and Children's Health issues. 

Pesticides & Toxic Substances:  The Pesticides and Toxic Substances Law Office handles legal issues for the EPA programs that address pesticides and toxic chemicals, including implementation of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act which substantially revised the Toxic Substances Control Act.  

Solid Waste and Emergency Response: The Solid Waste and Emergency Response Law Office provides legal support for the Agency's hazardous and solid waste programs and cleanup initiatives. 

Water Law Office: The Water Law Office provides legal support for Agency programs that ensure drinking water is safe, that restore and maintain oceans, watersheds, and their aquatic ecosystems to protect human health, support economic and recreational activities, and provide healthy habitat for fish, plants, and wildlife.

For more information, visit our website: http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-general-counsel-ogc

In this position you will:

  • Analyze and anticipate legal issues with a problem-solving approach to support EPA Headquarters program offices (and in some cases other law offices) on a wide variety of issues within the attorney's areas of responsibility.
  • Conduct research of laws, legal opinions, precedent cases, and relevant Agency guidance and actions, as needed, to address complex and difficult legal issues, either on their own or as a member of a team.
  • Analyze factual and legal issues presented to determine what further facts are needed and what legal sources are applicable.
  • Initiate contacts with program officials and other persons having knowledge of the facts involved in the substantive matter or case at issue.
  • Provide oral and written advice and counseling in support of all EPA Headquarters program offices on a broad array of legal matters within the attorney's areas of responsibility.
  • Assist the U.S. Department of Justice in defending the EPA in litigation filed against the Agency in federal courts. Serve as EPA's legal counsel to ensure the Agency's views are represented in proceedings filed before courts.
  • Work under the general supervision of the Associate General Counsel and Deputy Associate General Counsel, as appropriate, under the guidance of one or more practice group leaders. Receive preliminary and established instructions as to methods of approach, source material available, and Agency policy and precedent.
  • Work closely alongside others with different viewpoints and social identities from your own (including race, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and genetic information).