Summary
The Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition enforces the nation's antitrust laws to protect the American public from anticompetitive mergers and conduct. For more information, visit Bureau of Competition | Federal Trade Commission.
Duties
Opportunities vary by division and are based on the agency's current staffing needs. Please refer to the FTC's Bureau of Competition Legal Careers website for a list of divisions that are currently hiring. Each division investigates and challenges anticompetitive conduct, mergers, and acquisitions in a wide range of industries, including: Mergers I: pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer health products, defense, aviation, and technology sectors. Mergers II: semiconductors and other high-tech hardware; industrial chemicals, mining, commercial software, music, and video games. Mergers III: energy-related industries including crude oil and natural gas, retail gas stations, terminals, and pipelines, as well as online real estate and mortage origination systems, and consumer products. Mergers IV: health care providers, office supply distribution, food distribution, casino services, supermarkets, specialty retail stores, and consumer goods. Anticompetitive Practices I: investigates potentially anticompetitive conduct in industries other than health care and pharmaceuticals. Anticompetitive Practices II: investigates and challenges anticompetitive business practices, including both unilateral and coordinated anticompetitive conduct, in an array of industries. The Division's recent work has included FTC v. Amazon. Health Care: price-fixing, group boycotts, exclusive dealing, monopolization, and mergers-involving physicians and other health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and other institutional providers. Technology Enforcement: investigates and litigates claims of anticompetitive conduct in markets in which digital technology is an important dimension of competition, including online platforms, digital advertising, social networking, software, operating systems, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. Successful incumbents across all divisions will: Conduct all phases of antitrust merger or conduct investigations, including making initial determinations as to whether cases should be investigated further, identifying legal theories and plans for preliminary investigations, obtaining evidence from a variety of sources, and negotiating settlements. Confer with government agencies, public authorities, attorneys, businesspersons, and other members of the public to obtain information relevant to Commission investigations and to provide them with information on matters of law, Commission procedures, and policy. Prepare antitrust cases for trial by securing and preparing evidence, conferring with witnesses, participating in pretrial conferences, examining and cross-examining witnesses, and drafting legal documents needed during the various stages of litigation. Prepare internal documents for review by the Commission and perform special assignments as directed.
Education
This position has an education requirement. You must submit a copy of your transcripts. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package; however, official transcripts will be required prior to receiving an official offer. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated based on the overall strength of your credentials as demonstrated by your cover letter, resume, writing sample, and experience. The most qualified candidates will be selected for interviews, which will also be considered in making the final decision. Application of Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Federal Trade Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. If you are eligible for veterans' preference, you are encouraged to include that information in your cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214 or other substantiating documents) to your submission.