Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all U.S. Citizens.

• Assist and provide legal advice and findings in connection with a wide range of issues involving major USDA and OIG programs, policies and operations.
• Assist in the development of new/revised OIG policy and guidance on a variety of legal issues, including but not limited to issuance of OIG subpoenas, review of laws and regulations, legal processes, and ethics.
• Participates in all phases of litigation as agency representative/counsel for administrative matters and may serve as agency representative in civil and criminal cases when required.
• Handles ethics issues arising with respect to OIG employees and officials, and drafts responses to administrative appeals of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one or two year trial period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: All applicants must possess the following:

• Position requires the possession of the first professional law degree (J.D.) - AND -
• Applicants must currently be a member in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Proof of such membership and good standing must be submitted with your application materials.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, applicants must also meet the experience requirements below:

For the GS-11 level: None

For the GS-12 level: Applicants must possess at least one year of professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector performing duties such as assisting or conducting litigation, independently conducting legal research on or providing legal opinions/advice on matters involving the IG Act, USDA programs or legal authorities, criminal matters, the FOIA/Privacy Act, or Federal ethics authorities.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. The specialist will perform an initial review of applications to determine basic eligibility and qualifications for the position. Selection(s) will be based on the judgment of the selecting official as to which applicant is best qualified to perform the duties of the position. Once this announcement closes, candidates will be evaluated based on the application package submitted. An oral interview may be conducted with some, none, or all candidates, depending upon the relative qualifications of the applicants.

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

• Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experiencerelated to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year); title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
  • USA Jobs restricts resume uploads to a maximum of 2 pages. Resumes attached in other sections (such as "Documents" or "Other") will not be considered if longer than two pages. Do not submit multiple resumes. Failure to follow these formatting guidelines may result in disqualification from further consideration.
  • To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume.
  • For resume writing guidance, visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a federal resume?
• Transcripts: You must submit a copy of your law school transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
• Proof of bar membership: You must submit proof that you are licensed and a member in good standing with the bar.

If you are a current or Former Federal employee, you must submit:

• Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are in the excepted service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND
• Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.

There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service;

• Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit 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).You must also submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veteran's preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted. For more information on veterans' preference visit FedsHireVets.

Next steps