Attorney Adviser (General) Job in Houston, TX

Vacancy No. 240813-28785-004867-CB-EXC Department U.S. Coast Guard
Salary $83,671.00 to $155,034.00 Grade 11 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/7/2024 Close Date 10/21/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Houston, TX


Summary

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Chief Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Office, Houston, TX.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all U.S. Citizens. Position is in the Excepted Service.

Duties

As an Attorney-Advisor (General), you will be responsible for conducting legal research and analysis of laws, regulations, case law, interpretations, and opinions; attending hearings; and drafting various judicial orders and final decisions.

Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include:

  • Serving as advisor to an ALJ in preparation of cases. Studies and analyzes the case file; conducts detailed analysis of the factual and legal issues; conducts legal research and analyzes and the statutes, Executive orders, regulations, and rules applicable to the cases heard by CG ALJs, as well as the Administrative Procedure Act and the Federal Rules of Evidence.
  • Developing and preparing complex orders, requiring legal research and discussions of points of law to respond to motions or pleadings, to compel discovery, and to prepare the cases for hearing. Draft orders to pre- and post-hearing motions.
  • Reviewing settlement agreements, default motions and other pre-hearing motions to ensure legal sufficiency and policy compliance.
  • Once case has been heard, review testimony, pleadings, briefs of counsel, exhibits, hearing records, charges, and derives inferences.
  • Researching and analyzing statutes, regulations, previous decisions, Commandant's Decisions on Appeal, District Court, Circuit Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court decisions and opinions, and other legal authorities on the points of law. Citing applicable case law and precedents and citing such findings to the case.
  • Drafting proposed decisions and orders for the Judge's review and approval. Prepares written analysis of the facts and legal issues; prepares the decision in its final form to be issued to the parties in the case and/or offices in the Department for the official action to be taken.
  • Attending hearings with the ALJ providing legal advice and assistance as needed.
  • Deciding and issuing DHS Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) appeals.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Key Requirements:

  1. U.S. Citizenship is required.
  2. This position requires current membership in good standing of the appropriate licensing authority of any state, territory of the United States, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or District of Columbia bar.
  3. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.

Qualifications

Basic Requirement for all grade levels:

1. You must be a graduate with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited law school;

AND

2. You must have bar membership in one of the 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico or the US. Virgin Islands.


Minimum Requirements:
The minimum qualifications for hiring at each grade level (or equivalent) are as follows:

GS-11: One (1) or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar; commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of this position. Specialized experience must include:
  • Experience reviewing and recommending disposition of legal issues that require individual expert level handling; and
  • Experience participating in legal research and legal writing that contributed to an organization's decision on significant cases; and
  • Experience providing recommendations to policies, regulations, procedures, and proposed legislation that affects the organizations functions.
GS-12: One (1) or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar; commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of this position. Specialized experience must include:
  • Experience reviewing and recommending disposition of legal issues that require individual expert level handling; and
  • Experience participating in legal research and legal writing that contributed to an organization's decision on significant cases; and
  • Experience providing recommendations to policies, regulations, procedures, and proposed legislation that affects the organizations functions; and
  • Providing legal advice to senior attorneys or judicial body or government entity; and
  • Managing legal cases to final disposition in a timely manner.

GS-13: Two (2) or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar; commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of this position in a government agency, private sector entity, or non-profit organization. Specialized experience must include:
  • Experience reviewing and recommending disposition of legal issues that require individual expert level handling; and
  • Experience participating in legal research and legal writing that contributed to an organization's decision on significant cases; and
  • Experience providing recommendations to policies, regulations, procedures, and proposed legislation that affects the organizations functions; and
  • Providing legal advice to senior attorneys or judicial body or government entity; and
  • Managing legal cases to final disposition in a timely manner; and
  • Producing legal document or judicial decisions and orders independently with minimal errors.
This experience must be fully supported and articulated in your resume to receive consideration. Please do not cut and paste the position description, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

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

Education

Education Requirements:
This position has a positive education requirement.

All Candidates must possess a J.D. or LL.B degree from an accredited law school; AND, must be a member in good standing of the appropriate licensing authority of any state, territory of the United States, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or District of Columbia bar.

If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at click here

NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

Applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. Certain responses on the form could pose a problem with suitability for employment determinations. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete/make updates to the OF-306 and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, or imprisonment.

DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about e-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities at click here

Recruitment incentives may be authorized.

If selection is made below the full performance level, the incumbent may be promoted up to the target grade without further competition, if all legal and regulatory requirements are met and when recommended by the supervisor. However, promotion to the full performance level is not guaranteed and is dependent on successful performance at the lower grade level(s).All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 202-795-6328. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation

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.

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.

We will review your cover letter, resume, and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualifications requirements. Qualified candidates will be rated by comparing each candidate's qualifications to the skills and experience pertinent to the position to be filled. Experience, education, training, awards, and performance will be considered.

NOTE: Qualified candidates may be invited for an interview. Final selection will be made on the basis of relevant experience, writing assessment, education, training, performance appraisal, job-related awards, interview, and the skills and experience identified above.

Required Documents

In order to receive full consideration, you must submit:

1. A cover letter.
2. A resume or any other written format of your choice which clearly identifies the following information:

  • Job Information-Announcement number, title and grade.
  • Personal Information- Full name, mailing address (with zip code), email address if available, day and evening phone numbers (with area code), country of citizenship, veterans' preference, highest Federal civilian series and grade held, if applicable.
  • Education- College or University name, city and state, major(s)and type and year of any degrees received.
  • Work Experience- job title, duties and accomplishments, current and former (within the last 10 years) employers' names and addresses, current and former supervisors' names and phone numbers where available, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours per week, salary, and indicate whether your current supervisor may be contacted.
  • Qualifications- job-related training courses (title and year), skills, certificates and licenses, honors, awards, and special accomplishments.

3. A copy of your J.D. or LL.B. transcript.

4. A legal writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages.

5. You will be required to submit proof of current membership, in good standing, with the appropriate licensing authority of any state, territory of the United States, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or District of Columbia bar.


You may find general application information and other forms at the website of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, www.usajobs.opm.gov.None of the application documents will be returned.

In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard offers Career Transition Assistance Placement (CTAP) coverage to Attorneys within the Department of Homeland Security. Individuals who have special priority selection rights under CTAP provisions must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. If you are eligible under CTAP, you must submit a copy of your certificate of surplus status, certificate of expected separation, or your specific Reduction-in-Force notice establishing your eligibility under CTAP, a copy of your most recent SF-50 noting current position, series, grade level and duty location. You must clearly indicate the grade from which you separated or declared surplus.

All documentation as outlined above must be received by the closing date of the announcement.

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

To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. We encourage you to apply online.

Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM eastern standard time on 10/21/2024.

It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

  • If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Cherelle Brown at cherelle.b.brown@uscg.mil to obtain an alternative application.

Agency contact information

Cherelle Brown
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the announcement is closed, we will conduct an evaluation of your application and qualifications to determine your ranking. The most qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. To check the status of your application, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information." You may also opt to receive email notifications of application status changes by logging into your USAJOBS account and enabling notifications.

For more information on applying for federal employment click here

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.


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


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