General Attorney - Office of General Counsel

GSA; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 128,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

Sick leave and vacation time

Thrift Savings Plan

Flexible work schedules

Job summary

GSA is seeking a General Attorney to serve as an Ethics attorney within the Office of the General Counsel. The position involves providing legal counsel on ethics rules and policies, with ongoing vacancies and periodic review cut-offs.

The role requires a Juris Doctor and active Bar membership, and offers opportunities to contribute to training and disclosures across the agency, with the potential for a multi-period application process.

Qualifications

• Requires a J.D. from ABA-accredited law school.
• Active Bar membership in good standing is required.
• At least three years of professional legal experience after bar admission.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice and opinions on matters related to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch and related statutes.
• Participate in confidential and public disclosure reporting processes and communicate with filers regarding disclosures.
• Assist in investigations of ethics-related criminal statutes and regulations as needed.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for ethics-related questions from program clients.
• Assist with coordinating training programs with agency officials.

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from ABA-accredited law school

Job description

Summary

As a General Attorney, you will serve as an Ethics attorney in the Office of the General Counsel.

Location of position

Ethics Law Division (LE). LE is responsible for providing legal counsel on ethics rules and policies.

We are currently filling multiple vacancies.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

This is an open continuous announcement. It will remain open until the closing date of February 10, 2027 or until all vacancies are filled.

Applications must be submitted and complete by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the specific cut-off dates listed below to be considered for that initial review period:

Cut-off Dates

• First Cut-Off Date: October 06, 2026
• October 20, 2026
• November 3, 2026
• November 17, 2026
• December 01, 2026
• December 15, 2026
• December 29, 2026
• January 12, 2027
• January 26, 2027

Application Consideration & Rollover

• Eligible Applicants: If you apply before a cut-off date, your application will be referred for consideration. Once referred, your application will be considered until the closing date of this announcement.
• Late Submissions: If your application is received after a cut-off date, it will not be reviewed for the current batch. It will automatically roll over into the next review period.
• Update Restrictions: Once a cut-off date passes, your application for that specific batch is locked. Any updates made to your profile or resume will only apply to future cut-off periods.

Notice of Closing

This announcement may close early without prior notice if all available positions are filled.

Job Responsibilities

• Work with the Ethics Law Division on providing advice and opinions on complex matters related to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch and the criminal conflict of interest statutes.
• Participate in the agency's confidential and public financial disclosure reporting process and communicate with filers regarding their financial disclosure reports.
• Assist Ethics Law Division supervisory attorneys and the Office of Inspector General, as needed, in the investigation of violations of ethics-related criminal statutes and regulations.
• Serves as a primary point of contact, as needed, for ethics-related questions from program clients on matters of first impression.
• Assist with coordinating training programs with appropriate agency officials.

Conditions of employment

• US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
• Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
• Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

Additional employment conditions

• Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or NonCareer SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
• Serve up to a two year trial period, if required.
• Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 2 investigation level).
• Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security’s e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
• Complete a financial disclosure report to verify that no conflict, or an appearance of conflict, exists between your financial interest and this position.

Qualifications

To evaluate your qualifications, your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience described below. Your resume must not exceed two pages. To ensure your qualifications can be fully evaluated, we recommend including the following information:

• Name, address, telephone number, email address;
• Job Title (if Federal Service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade);
• Relevant work experience—should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how you meet the required qualifications in the job announcement.
• Education, certifications or licensures—If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure to include the required information and any required documents like transcripts.

Your resume should contain enough information to make a valid determination that you fully meet experience requirements for each grade level you are applying to. If you do not provide enough information for us to determine your qualifications, you may be rated ineligible.

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

The GS-14 salary range starts at $127,829. Locality pay will be determined upon selection.

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their law school transcript(s) by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.

To qualify, you must possess all of the following:

• A Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (at the time of graduation); AND
• Candidates must be an active member of the Bar in good standing (licensed to practice law) in any State, a Territory of the United States, District of Columbia or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; AND
• At least three years of professional legal experience acquired after being admitted to the bar.

Additional information

Incumbent may be eligible for appointment to a higher grade in the future, subject to performance, responsibilities and availability of funding.

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Applicants are encouraged to make their resume searchable in their USAJOBS.gov profile. This will allow Federal hiring specialists and hiring managers across agencies to find their resume as part of agency recruitment campaigns or staffing searches.

If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency or visit GSA's webpage.

Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility.

Incentives

• Credit toward vacation leave if you are new to the federal government

Additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area as needed; through other means; or not at all.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

You will have access to many benefits including:

• Health insurance (choose from a wide range of plans)
• Life insurance coverage with several options
• Sick leave and vacation time, including 11 paid holidays per year
• Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k) plan)
• Flexible work schedules
• Transit and child care subsidies
• Flexible spending accounts
• Long-term care insurance
• Training and development

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.