Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to All U.S. Citizens. All qualified applicants are considered and Veterans' preference does not apply.

The Office of General Counsel, DeCA, has a robust and varied legal practice in support of DeCA and its mission. Our attorneys provide legal advice, counsel and representation in substantive areas including federal labor and employment law, commercial law, fiscal law, procurement law, construction law, environmental law, government standards of conduct and ethics, administrative law, and issues arising under the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act. Our attorneys represent DeCA before various administrative bodies and provide litigation support to U.S. Attorney Offices for matters pending in Federal courts.

As an Assistant General Counsel for Personnel Law, the incumbent reports to the Deputy General Counsel for Personnel Law and assists in discharging the responsibility of DeCA OGC to provide legal advice, counsel and representation in all aspects of federal employment law, including but not limited to employee appointment, classification, compensation, benefits, conduct, performance, termination of employment, labor management relations, whistleblower protection, and equal employment opportunity. The incumbent independently performs in-depth legal research and analysis, as well as writing briefs, legal memoranda, and other documents. The incumbent represents the agency before third parties, including but not limited to the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and the Office of Special Counsel, and is responsible for the investigation, preparation and presentation of the agency's positions and defenses before such tribunals.The incumbent addresses difficult and novel legal policy questions where frequently there is an absence of clearly applicable precedents. The incumbent provides support to the Department of Justice in matters litigated in Federal courts. The incumbent provides legal advice in the areas of the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, and government ethics and standards of conduct. The incumbent may perform the duties of the Deputy General Counsel for Personnel Law in his/her absence and other duties as assigned.

This position is in the Excepted Service.

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 documents (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit an SF 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF15, 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.) If two of more applicants for an attorney position are determined to be equally "best qualified" for the position, but one of the applicants is a preference eligible veteran, the preference eligible veteran has preference over the non-preference eligible applicant.

TRAVEL REQUIRED- Occasional Travel- Business travel is required less than 20% of the time

RELOCATION EXPENSES- PCS may be authorized-budget permitting

KEY REQUIREMENTS

- U.S. Citizenship is Required
- Direct Deposit of Pay is Required- Tour of Duty: Full Time
- FLSA: Exempt- Bargaining Unit: No
- License/Certification: Bar Certificate of Good Standing reflecting Active Status

Conditions of employment

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service System or exempt from registration. See http://www.sss.gov/ for more information.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must apply by 11:59 EST on closing date of the announcement
• Work Schedule: Full Time Monday through Friday
• Position is telework eligible – as determined by agency policy
• Security Clearance: Other
• Position Sensitivity: Non-Critical/Sensitive
• Trust Determination Process: Suitability/Fitness.
• Position may be subject to occasional overtime.
• Occasional business travel is required.
• Position is Exempt from Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
• Position is Not Eligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit.
• Drug Testing is not required.
• Position is not obligated.
• Financial Statement Required. Employment and Financial Interest.
• License/Certification: Bar Certificate of Good Standing reflecting Active Status.

Qualifications

• Qualification requirements for Attorney positions can be found in DoD Instruction 1442.02, "Personnel Actions Involving Civilian Attorneys."
• The minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration.
• Applicant must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD) from that institution.
• Bar Membership: An applicant must currently be an active member of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
• Applicant must have professional legal experience in excess of 3 years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.
• BASIS FOR RATING: The experience described in your resume will be evaluated and screened for basic qualification requirements, and the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position. Errors or omissions may affect an applicant's rating or consideration for employment.

• SELECTIVE FACTORS: Selection will be based on the judgment of the selecting official as to which applicant is best qualified to perform the duties of the position. The breadth and depth of relevant experience and knowledge and the quality of past performance will be the primary considerations used for selection. Attorneys performing duties at the GS-14, or equivalent-level, are expected to perform with substantial independence even when working on the most complex or difficult matters. Important selection factors are demonstrated substantial experience in the following: legal analytical ability and sound professional judgment; excellence in oral and written communication skills across audiences; strong client and colleague relations and interpersonal skills; ability to interpret law and provide authoritative legal advice; recognized ability as an advocate, including the ability to balance competing interests and provide alternative courses of action to advance agency interests; skill in resolving extremely complex and difficult legal questions which will be precedent-setting in nature and demonstrated advisory and conflict-resolution skills.

• A selection panel may be used and oral interviews may be conducted with all, with some, or with none of the applicants, solely at the option of the selecting official.

• OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
• A one to two year trial/probationary period may be required.
• Financial Disclosure Required

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 narrative) 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.

Resume. Learn more about creating a suitable resume by watching this video or reading What to include. Using the USAJOBS Resume Builder will help you submit a complete resume.

Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the Qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We do not assume you have the necessary experience to successfully perform in this job regardless of your employment history or academic career.

At a minimum, your resume MUST contain your name, address, and contact information, and the following for each listed job experience: Job title; Series and grade, if it is a federal civilian position; Employer's name and address; Employment beginning and ending dates (Month/Year); Number of hours worked per week, and Description of duties performed. If selected, you must provide official transcripts before receiving a firm job offer. A photocopy of your degree/diploma is not acceptable.

Transcripts: Required when using education to qualify and/or if the position requires education (positive education requirement)

Unofficial transcripts from colleges, universities, schools, or institutions education accredited by the U.S. Department of Education are acceptable for the application process if they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned.

When using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to qualify, you must show that a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign education programs (credential evaluation service) has deemed the foreign education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program or that a U.S. accredited college or university has given full credit for the foreign courses. In addition to your transcript, you must include a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing when you apply. Documents must be in English or include an English translation. The hiring employer for this position does not evaluate degrees from foreign colleges or universities.

If selected, you must provide official transcripts before receiving a firm job offer. A photocopy of your degree/diploma is not acceptable.

Questionnaire. Preview at https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12971697.

Writing Sample: Demonstrated by a legal brief, memorandum, letter, etc. (10 pages or less)

SF 50 Notification of Personnel Action. Current and former federal employees submit a copy of your most recent SF 50 showing your current position title, pay plan-series-grade, tenure and position occupied. To obtain a copy of your SF 50, all current Department of Defense (DoD) employees can access MyBiz, employees receiving HR servicing from DLA can access eOPF and former civilian employees can request a copy from the National Archives.

Future military retirees and/or Future military separatees: must include a copy of their terminal leave request, if applicable, AND a copy of retirement DD214 [if available]. If DD214 not available, submit a certification document* or a copy of your retirement letter.
*A written document from the armed forces certifying the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certificate is signed. The certification must be on letterhead signed by the adjutant, personnel officer, unit commander or higher headquarters and include your rank, dates of active duty service, type of discharge, character of service, and, if applicable, the date your terminal leave begins. This document is sometimes called a Statement of Se

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