Supervisory Attorney - Advisor

Full Job Description

This position serves as Supervisory Attorney-Advisor for the Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge (OCALJ) and reports to the Chief ALJ.

The position is located in the agency's National office in Washington, DC, and also performs work for the Denver regional office.

The incumbent supervises attorney-advisors and support staff, performs legal research, prepares orders, opinions, decisions, memoranda, and provides advice to the agency on a variety of legal areas.

To qualify for this position, ALL applicants MUST meet the following criteria: (1) Have a JD Degree from an accredited law school; (2) Be admitted to practice before the bar of any U.S.

jurisdiction or within the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico; and (3) Be an active member of that bar.

If currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government, you must have completed 52 weeks at the next lower grade level (GS-14) within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement or previously served at the same or higher grade as the position being filled.

In addition, applicants must have at least five years of professional legal experience following law school.

At least three years of this experience must have been working with the OSH Act and its implementing standards and regulations.

As this is a supervisory position, prior experience serving as a first-line supervisor or otherwise demonstrating the ability to manage a legal team or office is required.

Applicants must have demonstrated excellence in writing as well as the ability to communicate orally in an effective manner, and to identify and resolve complex legal issues.

Applicants must also demonstrate the ability to balance a diverse workload with competing priorities, work effectively as a member of a team, and assimilate large amounts of material quickly.

Major Duties:

Supervises attorneys and support staff, functioning as first-level supervisor, reviewer, performance appraiser, coach, and facilitator.

Communicates and implements OCALJ and OSHRC missions, objectives, assignments, issues, deadlines, and provides instruction and guidance.

Analyzes attorney-advisor and support staff efficiency and effectiveness and develops strategies for improvement.

Provides guidance to employees by identifying training and developmental needs to enhance their capabilities.

Participates in interviewing candidates for vacant attorney-advisor and legal assistant positions in OCALJ and in making recommendations for selections, promotions, and reassignments.

Ensures that job descriptions are current and accurate and that positions are designed and structured to maximize efficiency, effectiveness, and economy.

Supervises subordinates who perform the following duties: A) Draft and prepare legal documents such as orders, memoranda, decisions, subpoenas, affidavits, declarations, court exhibits, and related materials as required; B) Provide legal support to ALJs to include, but not limited to summarizing hearing transcripts, conducting legal research, drafting orders, decisions, and memoranda, analyzing cases and making recommendations; C) Utilize the Review Commission's computerized case tracking system and other methods to obtain necessary case handling data; D) Ensure that OCALJ's case reports and case opening/closing registers are kept current; E) Perform all required word processing, duplication, and other related duties; and F) Handle initial incoming telephone contacts to the OCALJ which involves screening incoming calls to determine the nature of the calls, routing calls to the Chief ALJ, the First ALJ, and other staff members or personally handling calls.

Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief ALJ and/or the First ALJ.