The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking an experienced attorney to oversee the agency's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Unit, which is responsible for ensuring that the FTC complies with the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act and thereby enables the public to have access to federal agency records.
Minimum Requirements Applicants must have attained the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited law school and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or a U.S. territory. Applicants must demonstrate excellent writing skills and be able to work effectively with other people, exercise sound judgment, and exhibit a strong interest in the work of the agency. Additional Requirements GS-15 Positions For attorney appointments: active member of the bar in good standing and 60 months of legal experience after graduation from law school. Note: Legal and nonlegal experience gained in the Federal Government before completing law school does not satisfy post law school experience. requirements. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). 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
The FOIA Unit is a highly collegial group composed of three attorneys and four government information specialists who process approximately 2,200 FOIA and Privacy Act requests per year. The Assistant General Counsel for FOIA will be responsible for: leading agency-wide compliance with the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act while protecting privileged and confidential information; serving as the deciding official for most FOIA and Privacy Act requests, and ensuring efficient assignment and work flow of incoming requests; where necessary, participating directly in negotiations with FOIA requestors and working directly with agency personnel to respond to requests; actively assisting internal and external agency counsel in ongoing FOIA litigation; tracking and managing the overall FOIA program; providing training to senior leadership and liaisons; implementing administrative appeal decisions made by the Chief FOIA Officer; and providing advice and counsel on aspects of the Freedom of Information Act and best practices for complying with the Act.