Clarification from the agency

Open to all U.S. Citizens

In this position, you will serve as a Legal Assistance Attorney under the general supervision of the Staff Judge Advocate, furnishing legal counsel, advice, and services to individuals eligible for legal assistance within the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

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

• Rendering substantive advice guidance and services for estate planning, including probating issues, tax implications related to death, by-pass trusts, credit shelter trusts, special needs trusts, Uniform Gift to Minors Act, Uniform Trust for Minors Act, guardianship, child welfare trusts, and advanced medical directives.
• Drafting wills, trusts and others documents necessary to properly complete an estate plan; drafting military testamentary instruments; drafting medical directives; rendering substantive advice regarding landlord-tenant disputes; rendering substantive advice regarding consumer affairs matters, etc.
• Assist eligible personnel with legal problems occasioned by deployment, including periodic pre-deployment briefings to crews of high and medium-endurance cutters and other deployable Coast Guard units.
• Providing legal assistance to Reserve members being recalled to active duty; such mobilization may result in a temporary "surge" in legal assistance cases with relatively large numbers of eligible personnel needing assistance in a short period of time.
• Drafting pleadings, client correspondence, settlement agreements and other written documents in support of all practice areas.
• Representing clients in judicial, quasi-judicial, and administrative hearings.
• Propose instructions and directives relating to legal assistance and reviews proposed instructions and directives and those circulated by higher authority.

Conditions of employment

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

Do NOT include the following types of information in your resume:

• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Date of Birth (DOB)
• Photos of yourself (if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position)
• Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

Key Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov
• Must have bar membership in one of the 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, kor the US Virgin Islands.
• A one-year probationary period may be required.
• To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation.
• Selectee must able to obtain/maintain a valid state driver's license.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

The Office of Personnel management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule, C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package.

You MUST meet the following requirements:

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

To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. Examples of specialized experience include performing the following types of tasks on a regular and recurring basis.

• Providing legal advice;
• Drafting legal documents;
• Representing clients;
• Developing litigation strategy
• Advising on compliance with relevant laws and regulations;
• Assisting with dispute resolution through negotiation, mediation, or litigation.

NOTE: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or related applicable assessment) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

NOTE: Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

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. The following factors are of particular importance to the position to be filled, and applicants should provide specific detailed information in these areas as part of their application. These areas must be addressed in a document separate from the resume and submitted as part of the application package. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

• Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence
• Technical Competence
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication
• Administrative Law

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

Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.

In order to receive full consideration, you must submit:

1. 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.

2. A copy of your J.D. or LL.B. transcript.
3. A legal writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages.
4. 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.
5. Information related to the skills and experience listed under the Evaluations section above, may be done on a separate document, or incorporate it within your resume.

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.

Are you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held; your current promotion potential and proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions.

Political Appointees: OPM must authorize employment offers for former or current Political Appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Sched A, Sched C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information. Submit proof of your former or current status, such as your SF-50. Please see here.

CTAP & ICTAP applicants MUST submit documentation verifying your eligibility. This includes a copy of your agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, most recent SF-50-Notification of Personnel Action noting your current position, grade level and duty location, & documentation from your agency showing your current promotion potential. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.

All documentation as outlined above must be received by the closing date of the announcement. NOTE: Failure to provide required documents could result in elimination of consideration.

Next steps