Requirements
Conditions of employment
- U.S. Citizenship Required.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
- This is an Excepted Service position.
- Incumbent is required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and is subject to random drug testing for the duration of service with DoW OIG.
- Current DoW civilian employees are not required to submit to drug testing if moving from one Testing Designated Position (TDP) to another with no break in service, unless deemed appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
- If you have not previously completed a probational period with the Federal government in a similar position, you will be required to serve a two-year probational period.
- All qualifications and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
- Federal employees currently serving in the Competitive Service must acknowledge that they will voluntarily leave the Competitive Service by accepting an offer of employment in the Excepted Service.
- You may be required to complete a financial disclosure (OGE-450).
- Position has been designated as security designation level Special Sensitive. Incumbent is required to obtain and maintain a Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance.
- The incumbent must adhere to the DoD Standards of Conduct.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements:
- To meet the basic requirements, you must possess a J.D., LL.B., or LL.M degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
- Applicants must be an active member, in good standing, of the bar of the highest court of a state, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. Territory, or the District of Columbia, and be permitted to engage in the practice of law.
In addition to the basic requirements noted above, resume must document the specialized experience listed below.
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade (GS-12) or equivalent which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position is required. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience applying the principles of mediating and drafting legally supportable settlement agreements to resolve matters under the Administrative Dispute Resolution Acts of 1990 and 1996 and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 1998. Experience also includes demonstrated knowledge of and experience with whistleblower reprisal statutes, reviewing and evaluating complaints, prioritizing workloads, and developing training.
In addition to the basic qualifications, candidates must have at least three (3) years of specialized legal experience as an attorney in the fields of federal criminal, civil, or administrative law, which demonstrates that candidates can successfully perform the duties of a GS-0905-13 Attorney. Experience also includes demonstrated knowledge of and experience with whistleblower reprisal statutes, reviewing and evaluating complaints, prioritizing workloads, and developing training.
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
There is no substitution of education for experience at this level.
Additional information
NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of War considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (see below) to their submissions.
- You must submit a copy of your DD Form-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty", showing the dates of active duty service, type of discharge and the character of service. Alternatively, if you are a current military member in active duty service and do not have a copy of your DD Form-214, you must submit a written documentation (certification) from your branch of service certifying that you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application for this position. The certification should also include your rank, dates of active duty service and what they condition of discharge is thought to be.
- If claiming 10-point preference and/or are a 30% or more Disabled Veteran, you must submit both a DD Form-214 or expected discharge documentation as described above AND a copy of a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or your branch of service certifying the presence of service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of disability.
- If you are claiming eligibility based on 10-point derived veterans' preference (i.e. a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran claiming veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it), you must also submit a Standard Form 15 (SF-15) "Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference" and any required documents indicated on the SF-15 to substantiate the claimed preference.
- If you do not have a copy of your VA letter, you can download it at VA.gov. https://www.va.gov/records/download-va-letters/.
Submission of a resume alone is NOT a complete application. This position may require the completion of additional form/s and/or supplemental materials. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment.
Military retirees seeking to enter civil service in the Department of War now require a waiver if they are within 180 days following their official date of retirement (5 United States Code 3326.).
All applicants are encouraged to apply electronically. If you are unable to apply on-line, you may contact 317-212-4434 for assistance.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
Review our 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.
Once the announcement has closed, your résumé and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics).
Criminal History Inquiries- If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency @ dfas.indianapolis-in.zh.mbx.ssc-cc@mail.mil.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Resume: Your resume showing relevant experience and should include the following: where you worked, job title, series and grade, if applicable, duties and accomplishments, employer's name and address, supervisor's name and phone number, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week and salary. PLEASE NOTE: A two-page maximum resume is required. Applicant guidance on the two-page resume requirement may be found at: Learn more about the new resume requirements. (cover letter optional).
- SF-50(s): If you are a current or former federal employees you must submit a SF-50. If your SF-50 does not show you meet time-in-grade requirements or competitive status eligibility, you must submit additional SF-50s for verification. If you fail to provide the required documentation, by the closing date of this announcement, you will not receive consideration.
- Performance Appraisal: Current Federal employees must submit a copy of their most recent completed annual performance appraisal received within the past 18 months. The performance appraisal must include the final rating. If a completed performance appraisal does not exist, is incomplete or unavailable, you must submit an explanation as to why it is not available at the time of your application submission. Mid-year progress reviews will not be accepted.
- Current Bar Certificate: indicating active membership, in good standing, excluding current agency employees. If a certificate is not available by the closing date of the announcement, you may certify to your status as an active member in good standing in responding to the assessment questionnaire. You will be required to submit a current Bar Certificate prior to appointment.
- Transcripts and/or Certifications: All applicants to include current agency employees, must submit proof of education if the job announcement requires education to meet the basic qualification requirements. For additional information on acceptable documents, click here https://www.dfas.mil/Careers/howtoapply/transcriptscertifications/ . All applicants to include current agency employees/contractors must also document your education and/or certifications in your resume.
*NOTE: You do not need to submit proof of bar membership if you have recently graduated from law school and have yet to receive confirmation of bar exam passing and subsequent admittance to the bar of a State, the District of Columbia, a U.S. Territory, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Applicants must have taken a bar exam by the closing date of this announcement.
Failure to submit a complete application package including any required documentation by the closing date of the announcement or at the time of application for announcements with an extended closing date, may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and More Information. The Details page will display the status of your application. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, or faxed is received, legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers submitted by an applicant.
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.