Attorney

General Attorney

GS-0905

Position Overview

Attorneys at DOI may focus on legal issues related to employment and labor, Indian law including trust litigation and water rights, natural resources, environmental protection, realty and contracts, energy, or procurement and acquisitions. They work to prevent or resolve legal problems by providing sound advice and ensuring that DOI’s business is transacted legally.

This position is represented at the following bureaus

Office of the Inspector General
Office of the Secretary
Office of the Solicitor

Candidate Description

The ideal candidate will have excellent skills in oral and written communication, research and analysis, complex problem solving and critical thinking, and can work effectively with others.

Specialty Areas

Trial Attorney; Attorney-Adviser; Attorney-Examiner; General Attorney

Work Environment

Work is performed in an office setting

Minimum Education Requirements

Candidates must have a J.D. or L.L.B. degree and must be, at the time of appointment, a current, active member in good standing of a State, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar.

Career Level Requirements

Responsibilities by Level

  • Mid:

    • Conducting legal research
    • Assisting with interviewing, preparing, and examining witnesses
    • Drafting legal opinions and other legal documents
    • Interpreting regulations and laws in response to questions

  • Journey:

    • Preparing and negotiating transactional documents on behalf of the Department
    • Advising agency officials during negotiations
    • Providing consultation on complex legal matters
    • Preparing and presenting legal education and training on specialty areas

  • Senior:

    • Mentoring staff attorneys
    • Overseeing legal programs
    • Advising top officials and program managers in the Department on the most complex and sensitive legal issues

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Strengths by Level

Mid 9-11
Journey 12-13
Senior 14-15
  • Accountability
    Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for mistakes. Complies with established control systems and rules.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • Attention to Detail
    Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • Compliance
    Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • Decision Making
    Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • External Awareness
    Identifies and understands economic, political, and social trends that affect the organization.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • Influencing/Negotiating
    Persuades others to accept recommendations, cooperate, or change their behavior; works with others towards an agreement; negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence
    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • Oral Communication
    Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • Organizational Awareness
    Knows the organization's mission and functions, and how its social, political, and technological systems work and operates effectively within them; this includes the programs, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the organization.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • Problem Solving
    Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • Reasoning
    Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • Technical Competence
    Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15
  • Writing
    Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.
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    Mid 9-11
    Journey 12-13
    Senior 14-15

Common Pathways

Candidates who made this career change most commonly held these occupations...

Where We Are

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