Attorney Advisor (General) Job in Washington DC, DC

Vacancy No. 20250128-75819-002554-JP-DE Department U.S. Coast Guard
Salary $167,603.00 to $195,200.00 Grade 15 to 15
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 4/24/2025 Close Date 5/21/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington DC, DC


Summary

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC), Legal Division located in Washington, DC.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all U.S. Citizens. Position is in the Excepted Service. All applicants who meet the basic qualification requirements will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for further consideration. The "Rule of Three", Category Rating, Veterans Preference, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

The U.S. Coast Guard's National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC or Center) was created to implement Title I of the Oil Pollution Act (OPA), which addressed issues associated with preventing, responding to, and paying for oil pollution. Title I of OPA established oil spill liability and compensation requirements, including the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) to pay for expeditious oil removal and uncompensated damages. Under the direction of the Chief Legal Officer, this attorney will be responsible for handling highly complex and difficult types of legal work on behalf of the NPFC and must possess very specialized expertise and broad experience in maritime and environmental law, federal litigation practice, cost recovery, oil and gas law, bankruptcy law, insurance law, administrative law, claims adjudication, settlement negotiation, and public speaking. The incumbent consults with and gives legal advice and guidance to Coast Guard officials at the Center and in field concerning the statutes, regulations, judicial opinions, Executive Orders, decisions of the Attorney General or the Comptroller General and internal Coast Guard directives pertaining to Center related operations including expenditures from the Fund and recovery of Fund expenditures from responsible parties. Negotiates, adjudicates or recommends adjudicatory action on claims against the Fund in accordance with relevant statutes, regulations and directives. The incumbent will be required to lead and mentor junior attorneys as they prepare cases for litigation by the Department of Justice and defend against challenges to decisions by NPFC. The incumbent also acts as Agency Counsel by supporting the Department of Justice when defending and prosecuting lawsuits arising from Center activities. The incumbent may also be required to assist with preparing determinations adjudicating claims against the OSLTF and then assist with defending challenges to those determinations.

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

-Researching, analyzing and evaluating the facts and law involved in lawsuits arising from Center activities or from claims by or against the Fund. Applying expert knowledge of federal litigation practice, admiralty and maritime law, environmental law, debt collection law, oil and gas law, natural resource damage law, insurance law, fiscal law, contract law, bankruptcy law, administrative law, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)/Privacy Act (PA) law, ethical standards, and procurement law.
-Extracting and organizing facts from case files, analyzes the facts in relation to the applicable law and drafts appropriate litigation referrals and reports. May be required to assist Department of Justice attorneys in pre-trial preparation through identifying additional facts, gathering and organizing evidence and preparing briefings and conducting discovery.
-Reviewing letters, memoranda, instructions, operating procedures, certificates and other documents for legal sufficiency and legal implications prior to issuance or publication.
-Collaborating, as appropriate, with officials from Headquarters and other Government agencies, members of private industry and public interest groups, the general public, and their attorneys on legal aspects of the Center's involvement with oil spill and hazardous substance pollution matters.
-Providing legal representation for the Center in dealing with Congress, the courts, and other federal, state and foreign government agencies, and provides legal counsel for the Center in its relations with the general public and industry.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

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

Key Requirements:

  1. Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  2. Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov
  3. A one-year probationary period may be required.
  4. Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
  5. Must provide unofficial J.D. or LL.B. transcripts at the time of application.
  6. Membership in good standing with a state Bar.

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-15: To qualify for the GS-15 level position, you must have successfully completed at least one full year of Specialized Experience as a practicing attorney equivalent to the GS-14 level in federal service as reflected in the nature and complexity of casework and legal issues for which responsible. The types and complexity of cases and work involved in handling them are evaluated to determine the level at which you have performed. "Specialized Experience" is experience that included duties requiring:
  1. Expert knowledge of, and experience with the Oil Pollution Act, 33 USC 2701 et seq.; Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 USC 1321 et seq.; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, 42 USC 9601 et seq.; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42 USC 9601 et seq.; and international oil pollution liability and compensation regimes;
  2. Expert knowledge of, and experience with, admiralty law, maritime law, environmental law, contract law, procurement law, oil and gas law, fiscal law, bankruptcy law, FOIA/PA, ethical standards, insurance, and natural resource damage law;
  3. Expert knowledge of, and experience with, the federal litigation process in the particular areas of cost recovery litigation, environmental litigation, maritime litigation, and administrative law litigation;
  4. Demonstrated expert ability in drafting legal memorandums and opinions that thoroughly and meticulously explain both the relevant facts and the law;
  5. Demonstrated expert ability to lead junior attorneys including reviewing and editing work product produced by others and coaching on how to improve legal skills; and
  6. Demonstrated expert ability to effectively communicate verbally with high-ranking military and civilian officials, representatives of the public, private and government organizations at various levels and attorneys representing opposing parties.

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 206-815-4129. 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.

Your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Under the provisions of direct hiring authority, rating, ranking and veterans' preference does not apply; therefore, your responses to the questionnaire will not be used to determine a scored rating. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications in the job opportunity announcement, will be referred for selection consideration. While veterans' preference does not apply, preference eligible are encouraged to submit their supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.).

Applicants applying as CTAP or ICTAP candidates, and are determined CTAP or ICTAP eligible, must exceed the minimum qualification requirements to be referred under this selection priority placement program by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. For those deemed eligible and who meet the minimum qualifications, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions). Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles who are not determined well-qualified by scoring at least 85 will not be referred under the CTAP/ICTAP selection priority placement program; however, will be referred for selection consideration with other minimally qualified applicants.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements for this position. Qualified candidates will be analyzed 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 a part of their application. These areas may be addressed in a document separate from the resume and submitted as part of the application package.

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.

Required Documents

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 Specialize Experience identified above, may be done on a separate document, or incorporate it within your resume.

6. If the applicant is a current or former federal employee, submit the following: (a) a copy of the applicant's most recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level, step, and salary; and (b) a copy of the applicant's most recent performance appraisal (if a copy of the most recent evaluation is unavailable, please submit an explanation as to why it is unavailable).

7. Coast Guard attorney positions are in the Excepted Service. As such there is no numerical rating system through which to apply a veteran's preference. However, the Coast Guard considers veteran's preference eligibility as a positive factor when hiring. Applicants who are eligible for a veteran's preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume. Eligible applicants should also attach supporting documentation to the submissions (e.g. copy of DD-214 indicating character of service or VA Disability Letter with percentage of disability or documentation of disability determination from a branch of the Armed Services.

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 05/21/2025.

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 Joseph Parks at joseph.p.parks@uscg.mil to obtain an alternative application.

Agency contact information

Joseph Parks

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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