ATTORNEY-ADVISOR (GENERAL) Job in Andrews AFB, MD

Vacancy No. 9L-AFPC-12602269-625719-DPW Department Air Force Legal Operations Agency
Salary $99,200.00 to $181,216.00 Grade 12 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/6/2024 Close Date 11/20/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Andrews AFB, MD


Summary

GS-12 & GS-13:
The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a litigation attorney who defends the Air Force's interests in any litigation pertaining to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act, Constitutional Torts, and Right to Financial Privacy cases. This position also represents the Air Force in all administrative FOIA and Privacy Act appeals and provides advice to the field on Touhy matters, subpoenas, and witness requests for civil litigation.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from U.S. Citizens (U.S. citizenship required at time of application).

Duties

GS-14:
The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a senior litigation attorney who defends the Air Force's interests in any litigation pertaining to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act, Constitutional Torts, and Right to Financial Privacy cases. This position also represents the Air Force in all administrative FOIA and Privacy Act appeals and provides advice to the field on Touhy matters, subpoenas, and witness requests for civil litigation.

DUTIES:

GS-12:

  • In conjunction with senior attorneys, the incumbent represents the Department of Air Force as agency counsel before United States District Courts, United States Courts of Appeal, United States Court of Federal Claims, and administrative and adjudicatory tribunals of other federal and state agencies and state courts, commissions and boards, including those with tax jurisdiction.
  • With limited supervision, the incumbent prepares the administrative appeals of denied FOIA and Privacy Act requests for final action by the Air Force Appellate Authority, the Secretary of the Air Force or his or her designee.
  • With limited supervision, the incumbent responds to any and all requests for the release of official Air Force information in private litigation.
  • Provides counsel on a variety of the most complex and difficult legal problems in all areas of responsibility to the Legal Operation Agency.
GS-13:
  • In conjunction with senior attorneys, the incumbent represents the Department of Air Force as agency counsel before United States District Courts, United States Courts of Appeal, United States Court of Federal Claims, and administrative and adjudicatory tribunals of other federal and state agencies and state courts, commissions and boards, including those with tax jurisdiction.
  • Prepares the administrative appeals of denied FOIA and Privacy Act requests for final action by the Air Force Appellate Authority, the Secretary of the Air Force or his or her designee.
  • Responds to any and all requests for the release of official Air Force information in private litigation.
  • Provides counsel on a variety of the most complex and difficult legal problems in all areas of responsibility to the Legal Operation Agency.
GS-14:
  • Represents the Department of Air Force as Operation Agency counsel before United States District Courts, United States Courts of Appeal, United States Court of Federal Claims, and administrative and adjudicatory tribunals of other federal and state agencies and state courts, commissions and boards, including those with tax jurisdiction.
  • Prepares the administrative appeals of denied FOIA and Privacy Act requests for final action by the Air Force Appellate Authority, the Secretary of the Air Force or his or her designee.
  • Responds to any and all requests for the release of official Air Force information in private litigation.
  • Provides counsel on a variety of the most complex and difficult legal problems in all areas of responsibility to the Legal Operation Agency. These areas include but are not limited to financial privacy cases, torts, and litigation.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • If authorized, PCS will be paid IAW JTR and AF Regulations. If receiving an authorized PCS, you may be subject to completing/signing a CONUS agreement. More information on PCS requirements, may be found at: https://afciviliancareers.com/regulatory/
  • Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov.
  • Attorney appointments are subject to serve a one-year probationary period.
  • Candidates are not required to have active duty service or veterans’ preference to be referred and considered. All qualified candidates who meet the recruitment assessment criteria will be referred to the selecting official.
  • Advance in hire may be authorized if there is demonstrable proof on your resume
  • Leave accrual may be authorized upon request
  • Must have a law degree (JD) from an accredited law school and be a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a state or the District of Columbia or other Federal Bar, as appropriate
  • Must be available for temporary duty travel by military or civilian aircraft as may be required
  • Overtime may be required as workload demands
  • Incumbent is required to file an Office of Government Ethics (“OGE”) Form 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, upon appointment, and will be required to file annually
  • This position meets the professional exemption criteria for the Fair Labor Standards Act (5 CFR 551.207)
  • Incumbent must be able to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance

Qualifications

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
  • You MUST have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD).
  • In addition, at the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status with a bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status.
GS-12:
Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirement, you must have professional legal experience in excess of two (2) years that commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position at equivalent to the GS-11 level or National Security Personnel System (YA-02) level, or The second professional law degree (LL.M.), plus one year of professional legal experience at the GS-11 level or National Security Personnel System YA2 level.

GS-13:
Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirement, you must have professional legal experience in excess of two (2) years that commensurate with the position's duties and responsibilities.

GS-14:
Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirement: you must have professional legal experience in excess of three (3) years that commensurate with the position's duties and responsibilities.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

1. Inclusive knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, and related statutes; court decisions interpreting them; and Federal, Department of Defense, and Air Force regulations implementing them.

2. Extensive understanding of Constitutional Tort and financial privacy case law principles. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

3. Ability to supervise and lead other attorneys responsible for handling Federal defensive litigation. Ability to establish work priorities and delegate tasks.

4. Ability to perform legal research using electronic and traditional methods. Knowledge of Department of Defense and Air Force structure and chain-of-command

5. Ability to gather facts and effectively evaluate and analyze them to develop evidence to support Air Force positions in litigation.

6. Comprehensive knowledge of law, regulations, and policy relating to the provision of federal witnesses and official information for litigation both in cases in which the United States is not a party and when requested by the Department of Justice.

At the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status and in good standing with a bar of the highest court of a State, US commonwealth, US territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status and dated within four months of application.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, and be currently licensed as an attorney, in active (or equivalent) status and in good standing, with the bar of a U.S. state, territory, or commonwealth. The attorney must maintain such bar membership in at least one jurisdiction during the entire course of employment with the Air Force.

Additional information

Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.

Current Federal Civilian employees may apply for temporary and term positions and if selected, a break in service may be required prior to appointment to the position.

Writing Example: Prior to receiving an offer, you will be asked to provide a writing sample demonstrating your legal analytical skills.

120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur.

Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.

Incentives: Recruitment and/or retention incentives may or may not be used.

Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here.

If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.

Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit GSA Bulletin FTR 20-04 here for additional information.

Benefits

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.

Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The resume/documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.

Applications who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming. Click here to view the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide and the required documents you must submit to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming.

  1. Online Application: Questionnaire
  2. Resume: For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees should list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume.
  3. License: At the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status with a bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status.
ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act requires federal agencies to treat an eligible active duty service member as a veteran, disabled veteran, and preference eligible (as applicable) when applying for civil service positions before the effective release or discharge date. Appointment of military members before the release or discharge date is permissible if the member is on terminal leave. At the time the active duty member applies for a civil position, he or she must submit a "certification" memo in lieu of a DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. The certification memo must originate from the member's military service branch on official letterhead and contain the following:
  • Name/Rank/Grade of Service Member
  • Branch of Armed Forces
  • Dates of Active Service (Start and End Date(s)
  • Expected Date of Discharge/Release from Active Duty
  • Terminal leave start date (if applicable)
  • Expected character of service/discharge (honorable/general) and type of separation (i.e. separation or retirement)
  • Must be certified within 120 days of anticipated discharge
  • Signature by, or by direction of the adjutant, personnel office, unit commander, or higher headquarters commander
NOTE: The VOW Act provides tentative preference. If appointed, a DD Form 214 must be submitted upon receipt.

NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE:
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation to their submissions.

Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim Veterans Preference must submit VOW certification memo or copy of the official DD Form 214, which must include the character of service, and a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov.)

NOTE: Applicants for attorney appointments do not require veterans' preference in order to be eligible for consideration.

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

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/20/2024

To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12602269

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume (your latest resume will be used to determine your qualifications). If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent (latest) version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent."

  • It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, you will not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., hours per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position.
  • Ensure your resume contains your full name.
2. A complete Application Questionnaire

3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name.

4. Optional Documents: Performance Appraisals for Current Federal Civilian Employees - Most recent performance appraisals (dated within last 3 years) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.

Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.

Agency contact information

Total Force Service Center
Address
AF Legal Operations Agency - Pentagon
1720 Air Force Pentagon
Washington, DC 20330
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your application package is received an acknowledgement email will be sent. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official.

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility and qualifications for consideration. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.

To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account, select My Applications, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.

If you do not provide an email address, you are responsible for checking status updates and notifications in USAJOBS. Hard copy notifications will not be sent to you.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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