Duties
Reviews and analyzes aviation litigation and enforcement investigative reports and determines legal sufficiency for the initiation of legal aviation litigation actions for issues involving statutory and regulatory safety violations. Conducts research and discovery and prepares motions, pre-trial memoranda of law, and post-trial briefs in enforcement proceedings. In certain cases, prepares and submits administrative appeal briefs. Assists the Department of Justice (DOJ) with FAA enforcement actions adjudicated in U.S. District Court.
Provides legal advice and counsel to FAA management, including high-level agency officials, in enforcement investigative matters. Reviews and analyses complex and significant issues to ensure compliance with existing laws and agency policies.
Represents the agency in litigation arising under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), including aircraft accident litigation, in conjunction with the Department of Justice (DOJ). Provides legal advice and counsel to agency officials on legal issues relating to requests under 49 CFR § 9 (Part 9), and claims under the FTCA and the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees’ Claims Act (MPCECA), including reviewing, analyzing, and recommending disposition of all administrative FTCA and MPCEA claims.
Manages and prepares responses to routine requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Prepares responses to Congressional and other inquiries regarding enforcement actions or other matters.
Conducts thorough legal research by appropriately identifying and analyzing relevant legal and factual issues and arguments. Assesses legal strengths and weaknesses of available arguments to provide accurate, complete, and practical legal advice and conclusions. Identifies and learns emerging issues, principles, and practices relevant to the legal practice area.
Provides advice tailored to the client and requirements of the agency. Adjusts communications to meet audience expectations and level of understanding. Keeps client and practice area management informed of issues and activities that may or should be discussed at a higher level. Manages workload to ensure that priorities are achieved, and deadlines are met.
Participates in appropriate training and/or learning activities.
Performs routine, though varying, assignments in an advanced developmental capacity. Assignments include those associated with acquiring and applying legal expertise to less complex assignments or assisting higher-level attorneys on broader assignments. Plans and carries out assignments in accordance with instructions and the principles of professional practice. Represents the FAA in court.
Receives guidance from a manager or higher-level attorney on complex situations for which there are no clear precedents. Routine work is performed independently and is subject only to general review. Applies relevant experience and professional legal knowledge to individual assignments. Independently plans use of time and assigned resources to complete routine assignments and limited projects. Contacts are primarily local, although there may be external contacts commensurate with the nature of the assignments, including those with court officials. Contacts are made to share information, provide data, acquire information, and discuss the status of assignments.
Laws, regulations, orders, policies, and procedures cover most assignments, but sometimes require interpretation and application of precedents. Professional guidance is available from higher-level attorneys. The frequency and intensity with which work is reviewed is commensurate with the nature of the assignment.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- US Citizenship is required.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, ALL applicants MUST meet the following criteria:
(1) have a JD Degree from an accredited law school;
(2) be admitted to practice before the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction or within the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico;
(3) be an active member of that bar; and
(4) demonstrate at least one year (52 weeks) of SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE equivalent to the next lower grade/pay band (FG/GS-11 or FV-G) that is typically related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been at least equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as:
- Experience applying the laws, rules, regulations, case law, principles, and/or practices governing (a) litigation, (b) regulatory compliance, (c) Federal Tort Claims Act, (d) aviation accidents, or (e) administrative law matters.
You should include relevant examples of the specialized experience in your work history. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered.
Answer all questions to the best of your ability. DO NOT ASSUME THAT BECAUSE YOU HOLD, OR HAVE HELD THIS POSITION, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE FOUND ELIGIBLE. You may be asked to provide evidence or documentation that you have this type of experience later in the selection process. Your responses are subject to verification through job interviews, or any other information obtained during the application process. Any exaggeration of your experience or any attempt to conceal information can result in disqualification.
*Applicants who fail to demonstrate possession of any of the above criteria AND who do not provide the required documentation will receive no further consideration for this position.*
Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and/or selective placement factor(s) (SPF) may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) and/or Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: (1) score order; (2) category grouping; or (3) alphabetical, and referred to the selecting official for selection consideration.
Applicants may be asked to verify information on your application for employment with the FAA.
**All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.**
Education
This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page).
Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration.
Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/accreditation.
Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide such evidence at the time of application. For additional information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Applicants who are not currently in the 905 occupational series (Attorney) in the Federal Government and fail to provide a copy of an unofficial or official transcript will not receive further consideration for this vacancy. Upon selection, if not currently employed in the 905 occupational series (Attorney), you will be required to submit an official transcript prior to appointment. If you do not have an official transcript (original, with the raised seal), you should contact your school immediately to request it.
Preview Job Questionnaire
Make sure your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications and answers to the job questionnaire.
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.
Required Documents
ALL applicants MUST submit the following:
(1) resume with complete work history;
(2) proof of active membership to the bar of any U.S. jurisdiction or within the District of Columbia. (Please provide bar association number(s) and verification of active status.);
(3) writing sample (not to exceed 10 pages in length); and
(4) copy of unofficial or official transcript from an accredited law school verifying JD degree.
Applicants who are or have been employed by the Federal Government SHOULD also upload a copy of the most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action).
For guidance on how to create a Federal resume, visit http://www.archives.gov/careers/jobs/forms/resume-guide.pdf.
Only the documents listed above will be accepted in combination with your on-line application. These documents MUST be uploaded or before the closing date of this announcement.
Failure to submit all required documents by the closing date will result in a finding of ineligible. We are not responsible for incomplete, missing or illegible documents. Please DO NOT email application documents. Documents received via email will NOT receive consideration.
This position has a positive education requirement; college transcripts are required for ALL candidates newly appointed to the FAA in the 905 series.
College transcripts must be submitted from current FAA employees applying for internal vacancies if they have never held a position in the 905 series with the FAA.
College transcripts are not required from current FAA employees who are currently occupying a 905 series.
If selected, official transcripts are required prior to employment.
If you want consideration for one or more of the Special Hiring Authorities, documentation that must be submitted at time of application can be found at
Direct Hiring Authorities | Federal Aviation Administration (faa.gov).
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
Veterans' Preference:
Federal Aviation Administration attorney positions are in the excepted service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Federal Aviation Administration considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in the attorney hiring process. If you are eligible for veterans' preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include this information in your application along with the supporting documentation, e.g., SF-15, DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documents.
You must apply online to receive consideration. Your application must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the Close Date for it to be accepted. If you are applying for positions associated with FAA registers, your application must be submitted at the time a referral list is created in order to receive consideration for positions associated with a register.
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:- Job 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)
- Salary (optional)
Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information may result in a finding of ineligible.You may upload completed documents to your USAJOBS Account. This will provide you the opportunity to utilize the uploaded information again when applying for future vacancies. Please see this guide,
Document Upload Guide, for more information on uploading and re-using the documents in your applications.
Next steps
Once we receive your complete application, the Human Resources Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. Eligible and qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. You will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.
For instructions on how to check the status of your application, please go to: USAJOBS Help Guide.
Important - If you make any changes to your application, you must resubmit it. If you make changes to your application and do not resubmit it, your changes will not be considered part of your application package, and only your previously submitted application will be evaluated.
All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. DOT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact listed in the Agency Contact Information section of this announcement or the hiring manager. An employee with a disability must notify the decision-maker of the accommodation request. Job applicants and employees are required to follow up oral requests in writing. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Additional information on reasonable accommodations procedures or on EEO Programs is available on Office of Civil Rights (ACR) or by contacting the local FAA Civil Rights Office.