Federal Judicial Clerkship (2 Years) (2027)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission · Department of Energy
This job in plain English
This is a two-year law clerk job with the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) inside the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Washington, DC. Clerks help administrative law judges research energy law questions, draft decisions, and sit in on hearings. The announcement has few vacancies, is a temporary full-time appointment, and requires you to pass a bar exam within 14 months.
Can you apply?
Yes, if you are a U.S. citizen: this job is open to everyone.
- Open to everyoneAny U.S. citizen or national can apply. Some jobs also accept non-citizens; the announcement says so.
The job is open to the public. The conditions say you must be a U.S. citizen or national.
What you would do
- Research legal and factual questions for the assigned judge.
- Draft decisions, orders, and memos for the judge's review.
- Attend trials, oral arguments, and mediations with the judge.
- Answer questions from inside and outside the agency about OALJ activities.
- Handle several assignments at once, working alone or in a team.
Do you qualify for GS-11?
With education: You must have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from an accredited college or university. The degree must be in hand by immediately after the spring 2027 academic semester. Schools must be accredited by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Licenses and certifications you need:
- Pass a state, federal district, or other bar exam within 14 months of starting
How to apply well
What to send:
- Resume of 2 pages maximum showing position title, employer, dates (month/day/year), and hours per week
- Resume must list duties, series and grade for federal jobs, and education with degree type and major
- Vacancy questionnaire, completed online
- College and law school transcripts (unofficial copies accepted at application; official copies needed before start)
- Cover letter (may be required)
- Writing sample showing persuasive and analytic writing (may be required)
- DD-214 or VA letter if you claim veterans' preference
- SF-15 Application for 10-point Veteran Preference if you claim 10-point preference
How you will be rated: You will be rated on your resume, questionnaire answers, and required assessments, based on the listed competencies such as attention to detail, reasoning, and teamwork. You must complete USA Hire online assessments, which take about two hours. Overstating your experience or cheating on an assessment can get you removed from consideration.
Tips for this job:
- Attach your law school and college transcripts when you apply, or your application will be marked incomplete.
- Keep your resume to 2 pages and list hours worked per week for each job.
- Do not copy the duties, specialized experience statement, or questionnaire text into your resume.
Good to know before you apply
Schedule: Full-time, two-year term
Conditions of employment:
- U.S. citizen or national
- Two-year trial period may be required
- Background investigation required
- Bargaining unit position (AFGE Local 421)
- Generally, male applicants must be registered with the Selective Service
- Relocation expenses will not be paid
- You may have to sell or divest certain energy-related securities
- Mandatory ethics training
- Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to check suitability
- One-year probationary period may be required
- Financial disclosure statement may be required within 30 days of appointment
- OPM authorization needed if you were a political Schedule A, C, or Non-Career SES employee in the last 5 years
- Identity verification with Form I-9 and E-Verify
- Direct deposit of federal pay
We wrote this summary automatically from the official announcement. The announcement on USAJOBS is the only one that counts: read it before you apply.
Job details
- Salary
- $85,447 – $111,087 per year
- Pay scale and grade
- GS-11 · General Schedule
- Location
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Appointment
- Temporary
- Work schedule
- Full-time
- Service
- Excepted
- Openings
- Few
- Security clearance
- Not Required
- Travel
- Not required
- Drug test
- Not required
- Supervisory
- No
- Occupation
- Law Clerk (0904)
- Announcement
- FERC-OALJ-ES-27-13102538
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