Attorney-Advisor, Energy Transition Job Posting – March 2023

Commercial Law Development Program, U.S. Department of Commerce

The Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) of the Office of General Counsel, U.S. Department of Commerce, is seeking individuals with exceptional analytical, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills to join our outstanding team of international technical assistance Attorney-Advisors to help countries meet their sustainable economic development and climate goals in the mineral sector.

CLDP’s mission is commercial legal reform. CLDP provides technical assistance; advisory and consultative services (including commenting on draft legislation and regulations); and policy planning support to help foreign governments improve the policy, legal, and regulatory conditions for trade and investment. This Attorney-Advisor position on the Energy Transition team would engage in cutting-edge legal reform work to support the sustainable investment in and responsible governance of minerals around the world. This work would involve advising foreign governments around the world on the policies, laws, regulations, contracts, and standards for them to increase sustainable mineral production, in particular those in the critical mineral supply chains.

This Attorney-Advisor would consult with senior foreign government officials; assess development needs and barriers to investment; and design, implement and evaluate legal reform technical assistance programs that meet the host countries’ economic development needs and are in line with U.S. climate and critical mineral policy goals. This Attorney-Advisor would collaborate across US Government agencies in the energy and minerals spaces, and support the US State Department’s Energy and Minerals Governance Program, Energy Resource Governance Initiative, and CHIPS initiatives. For more about CLDP’s Energy Transition team and what we do, please see our website here.

For this position: 

• Prior legal experience in mining, mineral resources, and/or mineral commodities. In this position, the Attorney-Advisor will be expected to be able to converse with a variety of stakeholders on the structuring of rules related to investment in the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources and processing of those
• Prior experience with the drafting, interpretation, and enforcement of legal, regulatory, and/or transactional documents in the mining sector, such as: mining codes, mining regulations, mining investment agreements and other host government instruments, mineral concessions and contracts, as well as project finance documents. Knowledge of, or familiarity with, environmental and social governance obligations in extractives, including climate and decarbonization of operations and supply chains is
• Prior experience and/or familiarity with working with foreign governments and/or development finance institutions is strongly
• Regular international travel will be required, averaging around 6-8 trips per year, to global and occasionally domestic destinations. CLDP Attorney-Advisors in this position carry out many of their programs in the host countries around the world, and also bring delegations to the S. for study tours.
• Knowledge of another language is not required but is
• Must be a S. Citizen and registered for Selective Service if applicable.
• Must be able to verify active bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S.
• Must be able to obtain a Secret level security

This position is based in Washington D.C., and the current U.S. Department of Commerce policy provides for two days of telework per week.

This position may be filled at the GS 13 or 14 grade level depending on experience. Starting Salary Range is $112,015 to $132,368 with promotion potential to GS-14/10 ($172,075). To qualify for GS-13, applicants must possess a JD, active bar membership, and a minimum of 4 years of relevant professional experience. To qualify for a GS-14, applicants must possess a JD, active bar membership, and a minimum of 6 years of relevant professional experience.

How to apply:

To be considered, please submit a current resume, law school unofficial transcript (if selected an official transcript is required), and cover letter to kweaver@doc.gov.

About the Organization

Established in 1992, CLDP is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce that helps achieve

U.S. foreign policy goals in developing and post-conflict countries through commercial legal reforms. CLDP’s unique, government-to-government technical assistance draws upon highly- experienced regulators, experts, judges, policymakers, business leaders, and attorneys from both the public and private sectors to deliver results that make meaningful and lasting changes to the legal and business environments of our host countries.

CLDP lawyers, resident advisors, program specialists and administrative personnel are multicultural and have expertise in international business, commercial laws, trade relations and development assistance. Partnering with many Commerce Department bureaus, the federal judiciary, other U.S. Government agencies and international organizations, CLDP designs and implements conferences and workshops, utilizes long- and short-term advisors and trains foreign delegations in the U.S. and other countries to improve commercial legal frameworks.

CLDP’s Energy Transition team provides legal technical support to governments grappling with the twin challenges of meeting national demand and climate goals for reliable energy and mineral resources.