Summary
This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Coast Guard (USCG), Commandant, Vice Commandant, Judge Advocate General & Chief Counsel (CG-094), General Law Office, 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.
Duties
The incumbent provides legal advice, representation, and other support in the full range of traditional Coast Guard administrative law practice. The primary responsibilities of this position are to provide legal services to the Office of General Law (CG-LGL) leadership and clients, as well as senior leadership within the agency and collaborating with legal staffs of other Federal agencies, the military departments, and Congress.
Being a CG civilian makes you a valuable member of the CG team. Typical work assignments include:
- Providing legal advice, counsel, and assistance to the highest management tiers within the Coast Guard on matters pertaining to fiscal law. Also assist with matters related to administrative law, government ethics, and real property.
- Representing the agency in meetings, conferences, informal negotiations, seminars, and civil rights/Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) hearings.
- Participating in periodic process improvement initiatives for the legal program.
- Litigating matters before administrative courts and panels or provide litigation support to the Department of Justice.
- Providing periodic legal training to other members of CG-LGL or the Office of the Judge Advocate General.
- Mentoring and advising junior military attorneys on the manners of the legal profession, promote efficient methods of research, documentation, and communication.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period.
- Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
Qualifications
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.
AND
To qualify for the GS-14 level position, applicant must have successfully completed at least one full year of professional legal experience as a practicing attorney equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal, State, or Local government or equivalent public or private sector which will be determine by the nature and complexity of casework and legal issues for which responsible, the level of responsibility exercised, and the degree to which such experience equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of this position.
Applicant must have relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position include knowledge and experience with federal statutes, regulations, and rules in the area of fiscal law and familiarity with the following practice areas:
- Administrative Law
- Civilian and Military Personnel Law
- Ethics
- Real Property Law
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.
Note: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Also, MUST have the ability to travel throughout the country, often on short notice, for training, case preparation, or other necessary engagement.
Education
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
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.
DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(K)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and development opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select “Benefits”. Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.
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.
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:
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General Law
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Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence
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Oral Communication
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Written Communication
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Planning and Evaluating
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Administration and Management
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Administrative Law
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Train Others
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Technical Competence
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. You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
In order to receive full consideration, you must submit:
1. A resume showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education, and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/date/year to month/date/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered.
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 of 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 provided in a separate document, or incorporated 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.
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.
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
Complete applications for this vacancy must be received on-line by 11:59 p.m ET on the closing date of the announcement. To begin your online application, click the Apply Online button and follow the prompts to register or sign in to USAJOBS, take the online questionnaire and submit the required documents to provide proof of qualifications. If you are claiming veterans’ preference, you will be required to submit proof. See Required Documents section for more detail regarding a complete application package.
If applying on-line poses a hardship to you, the Help Desk listed on the announcement will provide assistance to ensure that applications are submitted on-line by the closing date. You must contact the Help Desk prior to the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance. Hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET, excluding Federal holidays.
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 "Track this Application".
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.
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