Available Positions

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Attorneys
Recent Graduates - Honors Attorney Fellowship
Honors Attorney Fellowships in Other EPA Offices
Law Clerks & Interns

Attorneys

There are no attorney positions currently available.

Recent Graduates - Honors Attorney Fellowship

2013 Region 9 ORC Honors Attorney Fellowship
May 28, 2013 Application Deadline

We are announcing the 2013 Honors Attorney Fellowship, a two-year Fellowship working in EPA's Pacific Southwest Office located in San Francisco, California. The Fellow is expected to commit to the full two-year term. The deadline to apply for the 2013 Fellowship is May 28, 2013. The Fellowship will begin in July 2013, and we may hire up to two fellows.

The EPA Honors Attorney Fellowship is designed for a recent law school graduate who is a licensed attorney with excellent academic credentials and a strong interest in a career in environmental law or the public sector (see more detailed criteria below). It provides an opportunity for entry-level attorneys to practice law in a leading governmental environmental organization, and to receive extensive training in and exposure to environmental law and policy work in the public sector. The Region offers new attorneys significant responsibility, the opportunity to handle a complex caseload that includes enforcement and counseling work, and extensive training and mentoring from dedicated colleagues with recognized expertise. The Region offers a diverse and supportive work environment.

The Office of Regional Counsel, Pacific Southwest Region

The Office of Regional Counsel (ORC) employs approximately 65 attorneys whose work spans environmental law issues in the geographic region of California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, Pacific Islands, and over 140 Tribal Nations. ORC attorneys provide legal support for both enforcement and counseling matters under the federal statutes administered by EPA to the Region, one of ten EPA regional offices. We also work collaboratively with state, tribal, and local governments to implement these national environmental laws.

Regarding enforcement, attorneys are responsible for preparing administrative, judicial and criminal cases against violators of environmental laws. These cases involve developing and using technical and legal strategies for negotiation and litigation purposes. The primary statutes enforced by the EPA are the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, Resource Conservation and RecOvery Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (Superfund) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. For cases brought in federal court, attorneys work with the Department of Justice, but solely represent the Agency in administrative proceedings.

In addition to preparing enforcement actions, ORC attorneys are also responsible for counseling the Regional Administrator and Program Division Directors on the interpretation of environmental laws, regulations and policies in such matters as permitting or other agency decisions. The Region also has innovative initiatives addressing environmental justice, brownfields redevelopment, and urban and rural environmental issues.

Eligibility

Recent law school graduates (e.g., 2010, 2011, and 2012 graduates) who are licensed attorneys with active bar memberships (any State, U.S. territory, Puerto Rico or the District of Columbia) are eligible to apply. 2013 law school graduates or applicants who are not bar members are not eligible for this program. In addition, the candidate's suitability for employment must be confirmed by a background investigation.

Veterans and individuals with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply. If you qualify for veterans preference and want the Agency to consider that preference as a positive factor in reviewing your application, you must include in your application appropriate documentation such as DD214(copy 4), your VA letter, or Standard Form-iS (disabled veteran).

Salary

The salary will be at the GS-i 1 level (currently starting at $67,963). Full benefits are also provided. Relocation expenses are not authorized. The Fellowship is a two-year term position. This position is in the Excepted Service (and not in Competitive Service) and does not confer competitive status.

Please submit the following no later than May 28, 2013:

Cover letter explaining the applicant's interest in the Fellowship.
Resume, including significant accomplishments, work experience, law school class rank, contact telephone numbers, and e-mail address.
Official transcript of law school grades and proof of law school degree.
Name, address and telephdne numbers of 3 references, including a current or former employer and a law school professor or advisor.
Proof of active bar membership and license to practice law in any State, U.S. Territory, Puerto Rico or the District of Columbia.
Veterans Preference supporting documents, if applicable.

All applications should be submitted by email to: R9ORCHonors@epa.gov.
Applications should include "2013 Fellowship Application" in the subject line of the message. Documents may be attached in Word, WordPerfect, or PDF formats.

Selected applicants will be invited for telephonic interview(s). A writing sample will be required of each
selected candidate prior to the interview.

For any questions, please send an email to R9ORCHonors@epa.gov with "Inquiry" in the subject line of
the email.

For other information about the EPA Pacific Southwest regional office, please visit our website.

For further information about CRC, please visit our webpage.

Please note that other EPA legal offices may have their own honors attorney fellowship programs which are administered separately. Our website provides links to those programs.

EPA is an equal opportunity employer. Selection for this position will be based solely on merit
without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, political affiliation, disability,
sexual orientation, marital or family status or other differences.

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Honors Attorney Fellowships in Other EPA Offices

Other EPA Regional Counsel Offices and EPA Headquarter's Office of General Counsel may or may not have Honors Attorney Fellowship programs for 2013. See the links below for more information:

Law Clerks and Interns

Summer Law Clerks

For Summer 2013, we will have a small volunteer program for two to four second-year law students. The 10-week program will begin in late May or early June.

The deadline for applications is October 15, 2012; applications should be e-mailed to r9orcsummer@epa.gov and must include:

Cover letter
Resume, including significant accomplishments, work experience, class rank, contact telephone numbers, and e-mail address
Official or unofficial transcript of law school grades
References
Veterans should include appropriate documentation, such as DD214 (copy 4), your VA letter, or Standard Form-15 (disabled veteran).

Selected applicants will be invited for telephonic interviews. A writing sample will be required of each selected candidate prior to the interview.

Semester Interns

If you have questions about any Office of Regional Counsel hiring, please contact Robert Moyer (moyer.robert@epa.gov), Deputy Regional Counsel, at (415) 972-3877.

During the school year, we accept law students as volunteer interns receiving credit in connection with a clinical program. Our Fall 2012 openings have been filled, but in the future, applications should be sent by July 30 for the Fall semester and by November 30 for the Spring semester.
For any internship opportunity, please include a cover letter, resume, and law school transcript in any application. Our contact e-mail is r9orcsummer@epa.gov.

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