Summary

Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is the legal department for CSOSA and Pretrial Services Agency (PSA), providing a full range of legal advisory and representational services to support CSOSAs mission, goals and objectives. This Office also provides advisory informational assistance to the United States Courts, United States Probation Officers and other Federal and state officials, all with respect to CSOSAs legal position on a wide range of criminal justice and administrative matters.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Clarification from the agency

United States Citizens

Duties

Assist the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel in responding to questions from agency staff related to conflicts-or-interest and financial disclosure concerns. Provides authoritative legal advice and formal opinions on criminal and correctional law issues, torts, liability, labor and employment, procurement, appropriations ethics, and FOIA/Privacy Act.

Serves as legal advisor on difficult and substantive legal problems affecting the plans and operations of several related programs. Conducts research on legal issues that affect a significant segment of public interest. Serves as an organizational or agency representative for discussions regarding legal issues in a specialty area, for example copy rights. Addresses legal issues that are specific to the specialty area. Provides legal assistance in litigation involving CSOSA and PSA (Pretrial Services Agency), e.g., prepares answers to interrogatories, draft pleadings, performs legal research of complex legal issues for use at trial, provides advisory assistance to U.S. Attorneys in trial and appellate presentation.

Incumbent prepares investigative reports and position papers, based on CSOSA policy, statutory authority and case law. Prepares authoritative descriptive and background reports, compilations, surveys, comparisons of laws and bills, and other written products on significant legal issues of national or international significance.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable
Background security investigation, drug test, and favorable adjudication
Appointment may require completion of a two-year trial period.
This is not a virtual or remote position; you must live within or be willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the duty location which is Washington D.C. (District of Columbia).

Qualifications

Applicant must possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree and be an active member of the bar in good standing (any jurisdiction). In addition, applicant must have four years of post J.D./LL.B. experience, four years of which were in or related to Federal laws, rules and regulations related to labor-management relations, torts, criminal law, FOIA, Privacy Act, EEO, Federal employment law, human resources management, Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), Bivens, appropriations law, Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and the Administrative Procedures Act.

Moreover, incumbent must have prior litigation experience and must have experience practicing before a minimum of one of the following forums: the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the Merit Systems Protection Board; the Federal Labor Relations Authority; arbitrators; or before a federal or state court.

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

Applicant must possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree, accredited by the American Bar Association

Positive Education Requirement: This position has a specific education requirement; all applicants must verify completion of this basic education requirement by submitting a copy of college unofficial transcripts by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.

If you are an eligible Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant, you may apply for special selection over other applicants for this position. Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the CTAP or ICTAP must be well qualified for the position. To be well qualified, applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and meet the mid-level (scoring between 85 and 89) of the rating criteria for all factors or the established cutoff score. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill future vacancies for identical positions within the next year.

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

Bargaining Unit Status: Not Eligible

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments directly deposited into a financial institution of their choosing.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

CSOSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

CSOSA uses E-Verify, if you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System. Federal law requires DHS to use the E-Verify System to verify employment eligibility of all new hires, and as a condition of continued employment obligates the new hire to take affirmative steps to resolve any discrepancies identified by the system.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your résumé and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the applicant questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, CSOSA considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF-15), Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF-15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s).

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Decision Making
Legal, Government and Jurisprudence
Writing

Required Documents

You must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
-Your responses to the Online Assessment Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).To apply for this position,
- Your current resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
-Law school transcript (unofficial)
-Current certificate from a government agency confirming that the applicant is a member in good standing of a State or District of Columbia bar.
-Written narrative demonstrating experience in 3 or more of the above-mentioned subject matter areas of a federal practice within a General Counsel's office or the private sector equivalent.
- Writing sample shall not exceed 10 pages including cover sheets, tables of content, etc. Any pages after page 10 will be discarded and not considered.
- Most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held (if applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service)
- DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
-Copy of the applicant's most recent performance appraisal (or an explanation of why a performance appraisal cannot be provided)
- Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and will not be considered any further.

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 apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the 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 Vanessa Willis at Vanessa.Willis@csosa.gov or 202-220-5443 to obtain an alternative application.

Agency contact information

Vanessa Willis

Phone: 202-220-5443
Email: Vanessa.Willis@csosa.gov

Address: CSOSA
800 North Capitol Street NW, Ste 700
Washington DC, DC 20002
US

Next steps

Once you successfully complete the application process, you will receive an acknowledgement e-mail of receipt. Your application package will be reviewed to ensure you meet the basic eligibility and qualifications requirements. A review will be made of your applicant questionnaire and the documentation you submitted to support your responses. A list of highly qualified applicants will be created and sent to the selecting official, and you will be notified via email if this occurs. The selecting official may choose to conduct interviews, and once the selection is made, you will receive a notification of the decision.

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