Summary
Join our team! The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) in the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, is seeking an experienced attorney to work in the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program Office. The PSOB Program provides death and education benefits to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders, and disability benefits to officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
Duties
Duties under this position include:
PSOB Law and Regulations
Addresses difficult legal issues in providing legal counsel to the OJP Assistant Attorney General, the BJA Director, the PSOB program's Legal Counsel, and many other stakeholders. Develops materials that justify the program's policies and procedures. Develops decisions, reports, briefs, opinions and other products linked to difficult legal issues in a specialty area affecting a significant segment of public interest. Drafts bills and regulations and prepares complete reports on changes in existing regulations pertaining to PSOB legal matters. Reviews proposed legislation and regulations to determine impact on the PSOB program and drafts memoranda and guidance regarding their impact. Makes recommendations based on the comments of operating organizations, personal program knowledge, awareness of the legal implications of proposed legislation and knowledge of it. Proposes alternative language and policy changes as warranted.
PSOB Operations
Under the direction of more senior counsel, oversees and manages legal review of PSOB claims. Trains PSOB legal personnel. Reviews and edits the work product of legal personnel assigned to the PSOB program, ensuring legal and factual accuracy and program consistency. Performs legal research in connection with issues of higher complexity that arise in particular claims and advises on federal laws, regulations, rules and policies of the Department and other federal agencies, opinions of OJP's General Counsel, the common law, administrative law and state laws. Prepares and renders legal advice for claims before the program. Recommends policies and develops procedures that implement the PSOB Act.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Subject to background/suitability investigation/determination.
- Federal payments are required to be made by Direct Deposit.
- Requires registration for the Selective Service. Visit www.sss.gov.
- Pre-employment drug testing required.
- Security Requirements: Non-Sensitive/Moderate Risk
- This appointment is subject to the completion of a 2-year trial period.
- This position requires active bar membership (any jurisdiction) in good standing.
- Submit all required documents and Online Assessment Questionnaire.
- Confidential Financial Disclosure may be required.
Qualifications
Eligibility Requirements and Minimum Qualifications
To be eligible for this position, applicants must:
- Possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited law school; and
- Be an active member of the bar in good standing (any jurisdiction).
GS-13 Qualifications:
- Have a minimum of three (3) years of post J.D./LL.B legal experience, two (2) of which must have been in at least one of the following areas:
- In handling legal matters involving programs such as those providing disability, death, and education benefits, or other complex programs governed by law, regulation and procedures;
- In handling Torts, insurance claims, workers' compensation or similar matters; or
- Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB).
GS-14 Qualifications:
- Have a minimum of four (4) years of post J.D./LL.B legal experience, three (3) of which must have been in at least one of the following areas:
- In handling legal matters involving programs such as those providing disability, death, and education benefits, or other complex programs governed by law, regulation and procedures;
- In handling Torts, insurance claims, workers' compensation or similar matters; or
- Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB).
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
Applicants must possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree.
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.
You will be rated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the education, experience and training you report relative to this position which shows that you possess the knowledges, skills and abilities required. Paid or unpaid experience will be considered.
Required Documents
REMINDER: ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MIDNIGHT Eastern Time (Washington, D.C. time) ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
1. Cover Letter
2. Resume (must include education, including name of undergraduate and law school, degree received and date graduated; date admitted to bar and jurisdiction; a general description of all past employment relevant to the practice of law, including dates of employment)
3. A writing sample demonstrating your legal analytical abilities, for which you must be the principal author (It should not exceed 10 double-spaced pages)
4. Unofficial law school transcripts (degree conferred must be reflected; official transcripts will be required if selected)
5. Proof of bar membership in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction)
6. Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable; see below for more information)
Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice 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). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
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 supporting documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the vacancy closing date 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 need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site .
If you are unable to apply via email, please contact Bradley Mitchell at Bradley.Mitchell@usdoj.gov for alternate application procedures.
Next steps
Once your completed application is certified and received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.
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