Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to ALL U.S. Citizens. ***The selectees must relocate to the selected city or be willing to commute. These positions are not eligible for remote work, oustationing, or telework.***

• The incumbent serves as a General Attorney within Law and Policy (LP), providing legal services to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
• The incumbent advises other Law and Policy (LP) attorneys, Supervisory Attorneys, Senior Supervisory Counsel (SSC) and Executive Counsel (EC) on unique, critical, and sensitive matters...
• (Cont'd) involving the individual's areas of responsibility, which may include program, non-program or personnel matters.
• The incumbent provides legal counsel and advice, may litigate matters in administrative tribunals and federal courts, and acts in cooperation with the Department of Justice, as appropriate, in handling a wide variety of Social Security matters.

Conditions of employment

• Background and/or security investigation required
• Job offers are contingent on background / security investigation results.
• Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt
• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Applicant must submit proof of membership in any state bar.
• Law School Transcript with degree and date conferred
• Selectees are required to serve a 2-year trial period.
• These positions are in the excepted service.
• Incumbent may be promoted noncompetitively provided work at the higher levels continues to exist, and the incumbent has demonstrated the ability to perform it and provided further that time-in-grade and other administrative requirements are met.

Qualifications

Attorneys joining PFD Law will have significant responsibility for their own caseloads. Attorneys should have demonstrated strong analytical, research, and writing skills, as well as sound oral advocacy skills to represent SSA's interests. Attorneys also must have the ability to quickly form positive relationships with internal clients and external partners. Fiscal Law attorneys also may have the opportunity to work with the Department of Justice in representing SSA in Federal courts. Candidates should have a strong desire to serve the public; have excellent research, writing and communication skills; and have strong litigation experience or aptitude. We encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds, qualities, and experiences to apply.

Resumes exceeding two pages in length will not be considered, please visit the new resume guidance for more information.

Applicants must hold a law degree from a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association. Applicants must be a member in good standing of the Bar of a State, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Applicants must provide one of the following to show that they are a member in good standing of the Bar of a State, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

1. An original or copy of a Certificate of Good Standing from the clerk of the highest court (e.g., Supreme Court) of the state having authority over admission to practice law in the jurisdiction where the applicant is admitted; OR
2. An original or copy of a Certificate of Good Standing from the State Bar Association of the state/jurisdiction where the applicant is admitted; OR
3. A copy of a bar membership card or a screenshot from a state bar website with a valid date that shows a current bar membership.

An example of #1 or #2 would be the certificate of admission an applicant received upon his/her swearing-in ceremony from the clerk of the highest court of the state having authority over admission to practice law in the jurisdiction where admitted, or from the State Bar Association of the state where admitted.

For purposes of applying, we only require proof that an applicant is a member in good standing of the Bar of a State, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Once selected for the position, an applicant must provide proof of an ACTIVE bar membership before he/she can enter on duty. Holding an ACTIVE bar membership is a continuing requirement of the position. You can provide #3 above both as proof of membership in good standing, and as proof of an ACTIVE bar membership.

SSA has discretion to determine what grade level and salary may be offered.

Specialized Experience:

To qualify for the GS-12: applicants must possess 2 years of professional legal experience working as an attorney handling all aspects of Federal contracting and appropriations law. One year of this experience must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service.

To qualify for the GS-13: applicants must possess 3 years of professional legal experience working as an attorney with at least 2 years handling all aspects of Federal contracting and appropriations law. One year of this experience must be equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service.

To qualify for the GS-14: applicants must possess 4 years of professional legal experience working as an attorney with at least 2 years handling all aspects of Federal contracting and appropriations law. One year of this experience must be equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service.

Please note: your resume must specifically document your experience as a Fiscal Law attorney providing legal guidance on a wide variety of contracting and appropriations law issues, including legal advice and guidance regarding federal contracting, proper use of agency funds, agreements with other agencies, and associated Federal Regulations. Fiscal Law attorneys also represent the agency in bid protests.

Applicants MUST meet all eligibility and qualification requirements on or before the closing date of the announcement to be considered for the position.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application will be compared to the requirements for the position. It is your responsibility to include all information in your application that is needed to evaluate your qualifications and determine if you meet the requirements for the position. If there is insufficient information, your application will be found ineligible. Please make sure you answer all questions and follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. The questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. To preview the questions, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12909167

You must submit supporting documentation by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

Resumes exceeding two pages will not be considered. To be considered, your resume must:

• Be no longer than two pages
• Clearly demonstrate your qualifications for the position
• Include your contact information

We recommend using a clear, easy-to-read format and focusing on information most relevant to the job announcement.

RESUME: Include the following information: 1) personal information (full name, mailing address, work and home phone numbers); 2) education; 3) work experience (paid and unpaid, including clerkships/internships). Show job title, including series and grade if Federal employment, detailed duties and accomplishments, employer's name and address, supervisor's name and phone number, starting and ending dates (mm/dd/yy), hours per week, and salary; 4) other qualifications (skills, certifications/licenses, honors, awards, special accomplishments, and job-related training courses). Please note that providing the mm/dd/yy for all work experience is critical for evaluating your application. If actual dates are not known, provide your best-estimated timeframes. We recommend applicants build a resume using the USAJOBS Resume Builder. Please refer to How to Build a Resume for instructions.

PROOF OF EDUCATION: Submit a copy of your law school transcripts with the course title, number of credits, grade, and date of completion. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at the time of application; however, self-prepared transcripts WILL NOT be accepted. The degree must be from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education completed in a foreign institution must be certified as equivalent to coursework completed at a U.S. college or university. Certification of equivalency must be submitted at the time of application. For a list of Credential Evaluation Services, log on to: Credential Evaluation Services. (See Education section for specific transcript information.)

PROOF OF CURRENT BAR MEMBERSHIP: Proof of active Bar Membership (e.g., screen print of your profile from a bar web site which reflects your name and active status, a letter from the bar certifying that you are licensed and authorized to practice law, OR copy of a recent bar card.) (See Qualifications section for specific Bar Membership information.)

WRITING SAMPLE: One current substantive legal writing sample that reflects your own work and is no more than 15 pages in length. Your sample must be sanitized or redacted to prevent possible Privacy Act violations. Writing samples will be critiqued based on your ability to analyze a legal problem and clearly and concisely articulate legal rationale.

REFERENCES: List of three professional references. (Note: We will not contact references without first obtaining your permission to do so). SF-50: If applicable, all current excepted service employees and former excepted service employees eligible for reinstatement MUST submit a copy of their last SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing Excepted Service career, career-conditional, or reinstatement eligibility and showing highest grade held.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE: If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your military discharge certificate (DD-214 member 4 copy preferred) or an official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty. To be acceptable, the document must contain dates and show Character of Service. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference based on a service-connected disability, you must also submit an Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference (SF 15) and the required documentation specified on the reverse of the SF-15. Applicants claiming derived preference must submit the SF-15 and the required documentation specified on the reverse of the SF-15. Preference will be granted based on the documents received.

Note: If you are a current active duty military member who does not have a DD-214 and are claiming preference under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces indicating that you will be discharged or released under honorable conditions from active duty within 120 days of the date on the certification. Certifications must be on letterhead from the appropriate military branch and include the following information: military dates of service and expected discharge or release date, the character of service, military rank, type of discharge, and date when terminal leave will begin. Certifications must be signed by or under the direction of military members' military personnel offices, unit commanders, or higher headquarters.

For more information visit the Vet Guide.

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