Attorney-Adviser Job

Vacancy No. AWA-AGC-25-92657AN-93601 Department Federal Aviation Administration
Salary $94,368.00 to $109,733.00 Grade G to G
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/14/2024 Close Date 12/23/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
El Segundo, CAWashington, DCCollege Park, GADes Plaines, IL


Summary

Seeking entry level Attorneys to provide legal counsel on various law practice areas within the Office of the Chief Counsel. The legal areas include, but are not limited to: employment & labor law; regulations; aviation litigation; information law; contracts, acquisitions and fiscal law; airports & environmental law; international & national security; legislation; and ethics. Detailed information about each practice area can be found here: Legal Practice Areas.

Duties

Attorney-Adviser applies basic professional legal knowledge to assignments. Performs progressively more difficult assignments consisting of specific tasks designed for orientation purposes to enhance the attorney's knowledge of FAA's programs, policies, and related legal issues and relieve higher level attorneys of routine detailed work. Receives direction from a manager or higher level attorney regarding use of time and resources. The degree of guidance supplied varies with the attorney's familiarity with assignments and experience. Laws and regulations applicable to assignments are clear and specific. Work is reviewed frequently while in progress and at completion for quality and timeliness. Typical assignments include:

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.

Produces communications that are well-organized, clear, and persuasive. Provides advice tailored to the client and requirements of the agency relevant to the legal practice area. Adjusts communications to meet the audience expectations and level of understanding.

Demonstrates interpersonal skills needed to develop and maintain strong client relationships. Actively participates with clients to identify and meet client goals and objectives. Seeks consensus with client as to the timing and scope of work. Proactively identifies and appropriately pursues solutions to effectively represent the agency’s interest in responding to high priority areas. Puts forth effort to meet established proficiency level goals and objectives. Keeps client informed of developments, to include why and when an extension may be necessary.

Develops and demonstrates knowledge and a full understanding of key client business processes, priorities, and objectives relevant to the practice area. Accurately identifies client business objectives and issues when providing legal advice. Provides appropriate alternative solutions as needed to meet client’s strategic business objectives. Provides legal risk/reward analysis in support of business decisions.

Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of when and the willingness to go to more senior-level of client based on risk-levels. Demonstrates skill in representing the agency. Consistently puts forth effort needed to accomplish tasks and produce work that is timely and of professional quality.

Keeps practice area and AGC management informed of client issues and activities that may or should be discussed at a higher management level. Keeps supervisor timely informed of developments on legal matters discussed at a higher management level. Educates clients about efficient and effective use of legal resources. Effectively prioritizes work such that priorities are achieved and deadlines are met. Uses available staff resources and technology to manage work flow and product. Seeks feedback from clients regarding quality and timeliness of service. Pursues new ideas or approaches to strengthen professional effectiveness. Follows established office administrative policies and procedures. Effectively participates in appropriate training and/or learning activities.

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.
  • Designated or Random Drug Testing required.
  • This position has a positive education requirement. Transcript(s) required.
  • This announcement may be used to fill multiple vacancies in any organization within the Office of the Chief Counsel (AGC).
  • Positions may be non-bargaining or represented by the AFSCME bargaining unit. Bargaining unit status will be determined by the organization to which the selectee is assigned.
  • This position requires favorable adjudication of a Minimum Background Investigation (MBI) background investigation or Secret/Top Secret clearance prior to appointment, unless a waiver is obtained.

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; and

(3) be an active member of that bar.

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. 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 requirements must be met by the closing date of the 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.

Additional information

We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions.
Position may be subject to a background investigation.
A one-year probationary period may be required.

The U.S. Department of Transportation strives to ensure that equity, transparency, accountability, collaboration, and communication permeate all that we do for the betterment of the Department, the traveling public, and our nation. As such, DOT values a highly diverse workforce of persons who promote a culture of belonging by respecting the personal dignity and worth of each individual and fostering a positive environment where all feel safe and welcome. If these commitments coincide with your personal ideals and professional aspirations, please consider joining the DOT family.

This position is covered by the Department of Transportation's Drug and Alcohol Testing Program. Any applicant tentatively selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment or pre-appointment drug screening. Persons occupying a "testing designated position (TDP)" will be subject to random drug and/or alcohol testing.

NOTES:

1) As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills & Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. As an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box below each KSA.

In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a human resource specialist as appropriate.

2) This position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation plan. Additional information about core compensation is available on the following website: http://jobs.faa.gov/FAACoreCompensation.htm.

3) The maximum base salary of the G Band will be adjusted based 2025 Locality Pay rates as applicable for the advertised duty locations.

4) Interviews: Some, none or all of the referred applicants may be interviewed.

5)Security Clearance Requirements: Positions assigned to the Acquisition and Fiscal Law (AGC-500), or International Affairs and National Security Law (AGC-700) Divisions require favorable adjudication of a Level 2 (Secret) or Level 3/4 (Top Secret/SCI) background investigation prior to appointment unless a waiver is obtained. Positions assigned to all other AGC Divisions are Level 5 (Moderate Risk; Public Trust) positions and require favorable adjudication of a Minimum Background Investigation (MBI) background investigation prior to appointment unless a waiver is obtained.

6) This announcement is limited for the receipt of applications. Once at least 100 applications are received, it will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on that date, or on the initial closing date, whichever occurs first.

Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA

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.



IMPORTANT: Applicants may be rated on the extent and quality of experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of the position(s). All answers provided in the on-line process must be substantiated. Ensure that your application package/resume supports your responses.

Required Documents

ALL applicants MUST submit all of 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).

Only the documents listed above will be accepted in combination with your on-line application. These documents MUST be uploaded at the time of application of this announcement.Failure to submit all required documents 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).

Forms:
  • SF-15  : Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference

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.

Agency contact information

Amber Newkirk
Phone
1 (202) 267-6268
Fax
1 (202) 267-8330
Email
amber.newkirk@faa.gov
Address
Federal Aviation Administration
HQ Employment Services Branch
800 Independence Ave, SW, Room 523
AHF-110
Washington, DC 20591
US
Learn more about this agency

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.


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


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