Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Offices of Hearings and Inquiries (OHI).

As a ATTORNEY-ADVISER, GS-0905-13, you will review administrative appeals for the purpose of identifying and
analyzing complex legal issues in order to provide advice and recommend actions concerning these issues and to develop proposed Board actions.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

Exclusive posting for Office of Hearing and Inquires.

Duties

Develop draft written recommendations for the Board’s approval regarding jurisdiction.
Develop, prepare and write PRRB substantive decisions, ensuring that all aspects of the case are identified and properly addressed.
Review records of the PRRB to ensure that pertinent law, regulations, rulings, etc., have been properly cited and applied; review briefs and position papers for legal accuracy.
Advise and assist the parties' legal counsel and other representatives on legal, technical, and substantive aspects of preparing for a hearing before the Board.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.
Must possess and maintain a current, valid license with eligibility to practice law in a state, the District of Columbia, or any United States territory or commonwealth.
All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
Selection is subject to approval by the HHS Secretary prior to Appointment.
If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form 1-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System
This is an Excepted Service position.
TRIAL PERIOD: This job will be filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive service. Applicants selected for an excepted service position may be subject to a two-year trial period.
Must possess and maintain active bar membership any State, territory, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, or Federal Court is acceptable.

Qualifications

ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

Your resume (limited to no more than 2 pages) must include detailed information as it relates to the responsibilities and specialized experience for this position. Evidence of copying and pasting directly from the vacancy announcement without clearly documenting supplemental information to describe your experience will result in an ineligible rating. This will prevent you from being considered further.

Experience requirement for GS-13: Requires 2 years of professional legal experience post bar admission, with one year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 level.

Bar membership requirement: HHS Attorney positions require current active bar membership. Admission to the bar of any State, territory, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, or Federal Court is acceptable. Employees must maintain active bar membership while employed as an attorney with HHS. Active bar membership is verified prior to appointment.

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.

Education

Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the qualification requirements, all candidates must have the following educational requirements:

You must possess a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from an accredited school.

Proof that bar status is active, in good standing and eligible to practice in the highest court of a State, U. S. commonwealth, U. S. territory, or the District of Columbia

License: A current, valid license with eligibility to practice law in a state, the District of Columbia, or any United States territory or commonwealth is a continuing condition of employment for Federal attorneys.

You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts at the time of application. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted at the time of application. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.

Click the following link to view the occupational questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12972623

Additional information

Bargaining Unit Position: No.
Tour of Duty: Flexible.
Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized.
Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized.
Financial Disclosure: Not Required.

Excepted service: This position does not confer non-competitive conversion to the competitive service. Acceptance of an excepted service appointment from applicants in the competitive service may require a written statement of understanding when voluntarily leaving the competitive service.

Workplace Flexibility at CMS: This position has a regular and recurring reporting requirement to the CMS office listed in this announcement. CMS offers flexible working arrangements and allows employees the opportunity to participate in alternative work schedules at the manager's discretion.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced federal employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit the required documentation and be rated well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. A well-qualified applicant is one whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements of the position. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

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

Please note that HHS Attorney positions are in the Excepted Service. As such, these positions are not covered by the usual civil service hiring procedures. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications stated herein. We will perform an initial review of applications to determine basic eligibility and minimum qualifications for the position and numeric scores will not be assigned. There are no numerical rating systems through which to apply veterans' preference; however, CMS favorably considers veterans' preference eligibility in hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume. If selected, additional documentation may be required.

Required Documents

The following documents are REQUIRED:

1. Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. NOTE: As of September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes that are two pages or less in length. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and whether you are registered with the Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable), including the start and end dates (mm/yyyy) of each employment, along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). For resume and application tips, visit:
https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2026-required-documents.pdf

2. CMS Required Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Required documents may be necessary to be considered for this vacancy announcement. Failure to provide the required documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.

3. License/Registration. Since this position requires a specific license/registration, you MUST submit a copy of your valid and active license/registration at the time of application, attesting to your possession of the required license/registration. Failure to submit proof of license/registration at the time of application WILL result in an ineligible rating.

PLEASE NOTE: A complete application package includes the online application, resume, license/registration, and CMS required documents. Please carefully review the full job announcement, which includes the "Required Documents" and "How to Apply" sections. Failure to submit the online application, resume, and CMS required documents will result in your not being considered for employment.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Your complete application package, as described in the "Required Documents" section, must be received by 11:59 PM ET on 06/16/2026 to receive consideration.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION. We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:

Official Position Title (include series and grade if Federal job)
Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
Employer's name and address
Supervisor name and phone number
Start and end dates including month and year (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)

Determining length of general or specialized experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information WILL result in a finding of ineligible.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://login.usajobs.gov/Account/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please send an email to hrinquiries@cms.hhs.gov. The decision to grant reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Commissioned Corps Officers (including Commissioned Corps professionally boarded applicants) who are interested in applying to this position must send their 1-page cover letter and 2-page ONLY professional resume (not PHS Curriculum Vitae) to CMSCorpsJobs@cms.hhs.gov in lieu of applying through this announcement. The resume should specifically explain how you are qualified for this position and draw specific attention to your skills and experiences that demonstrate these qualifications. Also, send any transcripts, licenses, or certifications as requested in this announcement. Please send all documents in 1 PDF file. In the subject line of your e-mail, include only the Job Announcement Number. In the body of your e-mail, include your current rank name and serial number. Failure to provide this information may impact your consideration for this position.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

Agency contact information

CMS HR Inquiries

Email: hrinquiries@cms.hhs.gov

Address: Offices of Hearings and Inquiries
7500 Security Blvd
Woodlawn, MD 21244
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Within 30 business days of the closing date,06/16/2026, you may check your status online by logging into your USAJOBS account (https://login.usajobs.gov/Account/). We will update your status after each key stage in the application process has been completed.

ATTORNEY-ADVISER Job in Woodlawn, MD