• Serves as a senior attorney providing authoritative legal advice and litigation support on complex, high-impact matters involving the federal nutrition programs.
• Develops and advises on litigation strategy for complex cases coordinating closely with the Department of Justice.
• Advises senior leadership on litigation risk.
• Provides expert legal counsel on administrative law and statutory interpretation.
• Provides guidance, mentoring, training, and technical legal expertise to OGC and client agencies.
• Exercises substantial independent judgment on matters of national importance with minimal supervision.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of two-year trial period, unless previously served.
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.
• If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.
• Must submit Cover Letter, Resume, Proof of Bar Membership, Law School Transcripts, and Narrative
• You must obtain and use a Government issued charge card for business-related travel

Qualifications

For consideration, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications for attorney positions:

• Successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the America Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (J.D. or equivalent) (Law School transcript required); AND
• Currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants should have a minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible litigation experience including serving as lead or first-chair litigation counsel with demonstrated responsibility for directing case strategy, representing a client in federal court, and managing all phases of litigation. This experience should be clearly documented in the cover letter and resume.

GS-15: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the (GS-14) level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies to successfully perform as Senior Counsel. Examples of such experience include: Mastery, knowledge, and a comprehensive understanding of federal programs. Demonstrated responsibility for directing case strategy, representing a client in federal court, and managing all phases of litigation. Ability to plan and assign priorities to tasks and assignments to further develop knowledge of complex subject-matter areas. Works independently to determine methodologies, milestones, goals, and termination points for most assignments. Completes assignments with an understanding of management requirements and meets organizational objectives.

NOTE: This experience must be demonstrated on your resume/supporting documents. 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 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.

Attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal rating system for applying Veterans' Preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service.

However, if you are eligible for Veterans' Preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with the supporting documentation, e.g., SF-15, DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation.

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the education, experience, and training you described in your application package. The Occupational Questionnaire will determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below will be:

• Administrative Law
• Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence
• Attention to detail
• Written communication
• Oral communication

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal service.

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.

• Your application may be disqualified if you include any of the information listed here: What should I leave out of my resume?

If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

Law School Transcript: An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, it must include student name, school name, and enough information to validate qualifications such as course names, prefixes, grades, semester or quarter credit hours, date degree was awarded, etc.

Bar Membership: Proof of Bar Membership

Written Narrative: In order for your application to be considered, you must submit a written narrative not to exceed 1,200 words, showing you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies listed in this announcement.

Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.

Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.

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