Summary

This Honors Attorney Program position is located in the Legal Division, Strategic Planning and Operations Group of the FDIC. The Program allows students in their final year of law school, new law school graduates in a post graduate program, and recently graduated judicial clerks to learn and work in support of the FDIC’s mission.

Additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement to fill identical vacancies that occur subsequent to this announcement.

Why Join the FDIC?

The FDIC is a cornerstone federal agency upholding, protecting, and maintaining stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system. As an independent federal agency that insures deposits, the FDIC is charged with examining and supervising financial institutions for safety, soundness and consumer protection; making large and complex financial institutions resolvable; and managing receiverships. Created in 1933 in response to the thousands of bank failures that occurred in the 1920s and early 1930s, the FDIC was established to maintain public confidence in the nation’s financial system and to provide a Federal guarantee of customers’ deposits, within certain limits, in the event of a financial institution failure.

Since the start of FDIC insurance on January 1, 1934, not one depositor has lost a cent of insured funds as a result of a failure of a financial institution. The FDIC sign - posted in insured financial institutions across the country - is a symbol of confidence.

During the recent financial crises, the FDIC played a critical leadership role in stemming the global crisis, including an unprecedented use of emergency authorities. FDIC attorneys made critical contributions to the FDIC’s actions in containing the systemic risk within the banking industry and restoring financial stability after the failure of almost 500 insured depository institutions. Further, FDIC attorneys have been leaders in creating regulatory changes in the wake of the Great Recession.

For many years, the FDIC has routinely been ranked as one the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government. We provide highly competitive pay and comprehensive benefits that include health, life, and dental insurance, paid vacation time, paid parental leave, flexible spending and 401(k) savings accounts, and enrollment in the Federal Employee Retirement System. Furthermore, employment with the FDIC may qualify you for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. The FDIC remains committed to helping employees maintain a work/life balance through reasonable work hours and flexible schedules.

Legal Practice at the FDIC

The practice of law at the FDIC reflects the broad nature of the FDIC's work as well as its unique statutory powers. Unlike many federal agencies, the FDIC has independent litigating authority and our attorneys are able to practice before all courts as well as administrative tribunals. FDIC attorneys develop case strategy, write briefs, and appear in court for arguments on behalf of the Corporation. FDIC attorneys maintain active practices in the following areas:

Bank regulatory matters

• Developing, drafting, and providing legal opinions on legislation, regulations, and policy statements relating to insured depository institutions;
• Providing advice on deposit insurance coverage, and assessments of insured depository institutions, and consumer protection laws;
• Providing advice to foreign countries that are developing deposit insurance programs;
• Working closely with examiners to ensure compliance with banking and consumer protection laws and regulations, while maintaining the continued safety and soundness of insured depository institutions;
• Providing advice to bank innovators and fintechs in deploying new technology and innovative solutions;
• Working on the development of new “reg-tech” strategies to meet the supervisory challenges of evolving technological advances in payment systems, digitalization, machine learning and artificial intelligence; and
• Preparing and litigating enforcement cases before administrative law judges and in federal courts.

Litigation

• Litigating multimillion dollar actions against financial institution directors, officers, attorneys, accountants and other parties when negligence and/or malpractice contributed to the failure of insured depository institutions;
• Managing large, complex commercial litigation arising out of the business lines of failed institutions, as well as civil and other claims owned by receiverships;
• Coordinating the FDIC's anti-fraud efforts with the Department of Justice, prosecutors, and FBI agents across the country in the investigation and prosecution of criminal conduct in insured depository institutions; and
• Defending the FDIC against challenges to its statutory authority and appeals from its administrative determinations.

Complex Financial Institutions

• Providing legal advice on the FDIC’s responsibilities under the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) involving complex financial institutions;
• Supporting the FDIC’s execution of policies and program initiatives concerning the development of resolution strategies and resolution planning for complex financial institutions;
• Reviewing and assessing resolution plans developed by complex financial institutions under the Dodd-Frank Act; and
• Participating in the FDIC’s international outreach and coordination efforts with regard to the resolution of complex financial institutions.

Resolution and Receivership Matters

• Developing resolution, receivership, and marketing strategies for failed banks involving hundreds of millions of dollars in deposits and loans;
• Providing legal advice on the FDIC’s responsibilities under the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) involving complex financial institutions;
• Supporting the FDIC’s execution of policies and program initiatives concerning the development of resolution strategies and resolution planning for complex financial institutions;
• Reviewing and assessing resolution plans developed by complex financial institutions under the Dodd-Frank Act; and
• Participating in the FDIC’s international outreach and coordination efforts with regard to the resolution of complex financial institutions.

Corporate practice

• Providing legal opinions on a wide range of topics, including statutory powers of the FDIC, the role of the FDIC as a federal agency, and corporate governance;
• Handling all labor and employment issues, including administrative hearings on employee-related matters and negotiations with the bargaining unit representative;
• Handling FDIC contracting, including contracting for the services of outside counsel; and
• Addressing Legal Division information technology needs and issues.

Duties

• Provides legal research and analysis.
• Demonstrates knowledge of corporate, commercial, constitutional, and administrative law as well as knowledge of statutory construction.
• Prepares legal opinions on a wide variety of subjects.
• Prepares legal documents such as complaints, motions, briefs, and regulations, and legal memoranda/forms.
• Complete assigned tasks and/or projects of limited scope and complexity designed to develop skills and proficiency.

Qualifications

Conditions of Employment

Bar membership required.

Successful completion of the Honors Attorney Program may lead to a permanent appointment in the FDIC's Legal Division.

In order to qualify for the Honors Attorney Program, you must meet the following qualification criteria:

1) A J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school; AND 2.) A current judicial law clerk, who's judicial law clerk experience began no later than nine months after law school graduation and has been no longer than three years in length; AND 3.) Active member in good standing of the bar of at least one state, territory commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; AND 4.) Be in at least the upper thirty-three percent (33%) of your law school class and/or have an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 unrounded based on a scale of 4.0. NOTE: If your law school does not calculate class rank, and also does not provide traditional grades or a GPA, you should include a link to the school’s grading policy and should provide a narrative explanation of how your law school performance correlates with our requirements.

There is no substitution of education for the experience for this position.

Additional Information

The FDIC is an independent agency of the federal government.

The FDIC is an equal opportunity employer.

Applications will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, disability, gender identity, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or any other non-merit factor.

FDIC provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate.

Candidates who are eligible for veterans' preference will receive consideration.

Selected candidates will be assigned to our headquarters offices in Washington, DC and Arlington, Virginia.

Successful completion of the Honors Attorney Program may lead to a permanent appointment in the FDIC's Legal Division.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and supplemental information. If your complete application meets the minimum position qualifications, your application will be referred to the selecting official.

Your complete application must be submitted during the open period and reflect how you meet the minimum qualification and ideal candidate criteria listed under the "Qualifications" section.

Please keep in mind your resume is of key importance for evaluating your knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position. If you rated yourself higher than what is supported by your resume, your overall qualifications assessment may be adversely affected.

All candidates that meet the minimum qualifications will be referred to the selecting official for further review and consideration.

The assessment questionnaire when applying on USAJOBS is designed to measure your ability in the following competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs):

1. Ability to perform research, recognize legal issues, weigh and evaluate complicated information and utilize both facts and law in developing legal arguments and alternative positions.
2. Knowledge of rules of evidence, appellate and civil procedure and practice.
3. Ability to draft legal memoranda, legal opinions, regulations, pleadings, motions, briefs and other legal documents.
4. Ability to convey ideas effectively and persuasively to others in writing.
5. Ability to coordinate work with attorneys, paralegals and other support staff to ensure work is accomplished correctly and in a timely manner.

You do not need to respond separately to these KSAs. Your answers to the online questionnaire on USAJOBS and resume will serve as responses to the KSAs.

Required Documents

A complete application consists of:

1. Cover letter stating anticipated date of graduation or availability;
2. Resume, which should include unrounded law school GPA and undergraduate GPA. The resume may exceed one page and should emphasize honors, awards and achievements awarded during law school and undergraduate school;
3. Persuasive unedited writing sample of 15 pages or less;
4. The names of two references including email addresses and daytime phone numbers;
5. Law school transcript from ALL LAW SCHOOLS ATTENDED, official or unofficial in a format generated by the law school (photocopy acceptable), and class rank, only when present on an official transcript. Self-prepared transcripts cannot be submitted in lieu of a law school transcript;
6. Explanation of unusual grading system, if applicable; and
7. Proof of Bar admission reflecting good standing status. 

When deciding which candidates are qualified for an interview, we look at the candidate’s total application package including undergraduate academic record, law school academic record, any law review or law journal participation (including service as an editor), judicial clerkship, national or regional moot court competition participation, and other special qualifications (such as another advanced degree in a related area) or life experience and writing sample. An appropriate writing sample should demonstrate the candidate’s legal research, analytical problem solving, and writing skills, (i.e., organization, grammar, spelling, and persuasiveness). Applicants should not submit an edited work, such as a published law review article or opinion issued by a court; however, a draft that is totally your work (i.e., not edited by anyone other than you) is acceptable. Writing samples should not exceed 15 pages.

The application process is completely automated through the USAJOBS website. Only applications completed through USAJOBS will be evaluated.

For more information, email your questions to HonorsAttorneyProgram@fdic.gov.