Department of Energy

Attorney-Adviser (General)

Lakewood, Colorado Full time

Attorney-Adviser (General)

Department: Department of Energy

Location(s): Lakewood, Colorado

Salary Range: $140239 - $182316 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is part of the WAPA Headquarters. As an Attorney-Adviser (General), you will perform professional legal work primarily in the field of Federal Power Marketing Law, including power and transmission rates, power and transmission contracts, power operations and reliability matters, and complex litigation, and to a lesser extent, Federal Administrative Law, including finance law, environmental law, property law, personnel law, labor law, and procurement law.

Major Duties:

  • As an Attorney-Adviser (General), you will: Represent a particular WAPA region/service area in matters of Federal Power Marketing Law. Prepare complex questions of law and policy recommendations for endorsement by the General Counsel. Review documents drafted by WAPA's regional/service area offices for legal sufficiency. Offers advice, opinions, and recommendations to all levels of WAPA management, leadership, and staff. Identify areas of legal significance and independently confer with appropriate agency personnel to arrive at workable solutions to complex problems. Represent WAPA as lead Attorney-Adviser in legal proceedings before administrative bodies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Qualifications: BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Meet the minimum education requirements of successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) with a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); AND Must be a current, active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as having experience in at least 2 of the 4 items listed below: Conduct extensive legal research of policies, regulations, and/or compliance questions, including researching precedent or opinions bearing on legal issues related to public utilities and draft memorandum and guidance to clients. Advise and review documents for legal sufficiency and provide written feedback to clients after such review. Prepare evidence and determine its value and completeness; prepare briefs, pleadings, exhibits and other necessary documents, interviews and deposes witnesses, and engage in discovery for use in a trial and/or administrative hearing. Represent agency or organization as lead Attorney in legal proceedings before administrative bodies, i.e. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/. To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation. You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date. You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/ If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-20