Summary
About the Position: The Army Materiel Command (AMC) Command Counsel's Honors Program is available to recently graduated attorneys who will be admitted and good standing with a state bar at the time of their selection. The program offers a position as a GS-11 and the opportunity to acquire significant training and experience in various legal practice areas. Positions are open to individuals on a rolling basis who have superior academic qualifications or relevant experience.
Duties
- As an AMC Command Counsel’s Honors Program attorney, you will work for one of several major Army Commands including their respective activities.
- Depending on your based on your interests, qualifications, and the staffing needs of the particular legal office you will have the opportunity to work in diverse practice areas.
- Potential practice areas include environmental law, government contract and fiscal law, labor and employment law, federal administrative and national security law, and civil litigation and legal assistance.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
- A two year trial/probationary period may be required.
- This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance for access for the duration of employment.
- This position may require the incumbent to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278e) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) upon entry, and annually thereafter in accordance with DoD Directive 5500-7-R.
- This position requires the incumbent to maintain an active bar membership that permits the representation of the Federal Government in the courts of their jurisdiction to the extent that private practice attorneys are able to for their clients.
Qualifications
Who May Apply: Current and former Federal employees and US Citizens.
Qualification Requirements: Applicants must meet the following minimum qualification requirements:
1) Education: Assignments require the first professional law degree (Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctorate (J.D.)). Applicants for initial appointment into attorney positions must be graduates of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of the applicant's graduation. The Army General Counsel may make an exception upon a showing that a candidate possesses superior qualifications and that no well-qualified candidates from accredited law schools are available.
2) Bar Membership: Although applicants may apply prior to bar admission, at the time of selection, they must be active members in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of a State, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
3) Professional Legal Experience
GS-11: In addition to their first professional law degree (Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctorate (J.D.) and active bar membership at the time of selection, applicants must possess one or more special qualifications, such as a second professional law degree (Masters of Laws (LL.M.); academic standing in the upper third of the attorney's law school graduating class; work or achievement of significance on one of the attorney's law school's official law reviews or journals; special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school (e.g., membership in the Order of the Coif, winning of a moot court competition, or membership on the moot court team that represents the attorney's law school in competition with other law schools); full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program; significant summer law office clerk experience, or other evidence of clearly superior accomplishment or achievement.
4) Time in Grade (current Federal employees): Candidates selected for advancement will normally have completed at least one year of service that is one grade lower than the position to be filled. The selecting official may request a waiver of the one year requirement in cases where hardship or inequity exists.
NOTICE OF VETERAN'S PREFERENCE: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Defense 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 (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions.
Education
Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.
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.
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.
Your application package (resume and supporting documents) will be evaluated for basic qualification requirements and for the skills needed to perform the duties of the position, as described in this vacancy announcement and identified by the Selecting Official.
There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service, however the principles of veteran's preference will be followed to the extent that is administratively feasible.
Required Documents
The following documents are required at the time of application:
Your resume:
- Although your resume may be submitted in any format, it must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. It is recommended that page count for the resume is no more than five (5) pages, and it is recommended that you use twelve (12) point font. If a resume exceeds five (5) pages, it is possible that only the first five (5) pages will be considered.
- Applicants must list any bar(s) of the State(s), territories, or Districts of which they are active members in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar).
- You must include the following information in your resume:
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- Full name, email, mailing address, and day and evening phone numbers.
- Educational information, including the name, city, and state of colleges and universities attended, as well as the type of degrees received and the dates the degrees were received.
- Information about awards, honors, and special achievements, including work or achievement of significance on one of the attorney's law school's official law reviews or journals
- Information about special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school
- Any full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program; significant summer law office clerk experience, or other evidence of clearly superior accomplishment or achievement.
- Information about paid and non-paid work experience related to this position, including job title, duties and accomplishments, employer's name and address, duration of employment, and salary.
- If your resume does not contain the above information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
- For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
Applicants selected for interview must submit the following documents within 14 days of request:
- Official transcript of the applicant's law school record.
- Official statement of the applicant's standing in law school class. If the applicant's law school does not rank students, and the transcript does not explain that the school does not rank students, the applicant needs to submit an official statement from the school confirming the practice.
- Good Standing Certificate: Official certificate showing the applicant is in good standing with a state bar, dated within three months (before or after) of the date the application is submitted. Good standing status must permit the applicant to engage in the active practice of law in at least one State or jurisdiction in which they are licensed. Active status authorizes an attorney who is a member in good standing to immediately practice law before the highest court of the licensing authority.
- Fitness to Practice Statement: A sworn statement by the candidate that their fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction or; if either has been challenged, a sworn statement giving the facts, circumstances, and any other explanation that the applicant considers appropriate. As an alternative to a sworn statement, a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted in the following format: "I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on (date) (your signature)." The statement must be dated within 3 months (before or after) of the date the application is submitted.
- References: Contact information for three licensed attorneys, preferably prior or current supervisors/employers, who are willing to serve as references for the applicant.
- SF-50 (Current Federal Civilians):Submit a copy of your SF-50 showing when you were appointed to your current position.
- Military Candidate: Submit a copy of your orders, or other suitable documentation with a separation/retirement date from your respective Armed Forces branch. This document must be provided within 14 days of a request, unless you receive a waiver from the AMC Command Counsel.
- Writing Sample: Examples of writing skills as demonstrated by legal briefs, memorandum, and/or letters. Regardless of the number of writing samples submitted, the page count of all writing samples combined cannot exceed 10 pages in length. Extracts of selected sections of larger documents are acceptable.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
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 apply for this position, you must submit your resume to the following email address: usarmy.redstone.usamc.mbx.amc-attorney-honors-program@army.mil.
Next steps
Once you apply your name will placed on a list of applicants. As positions become available, you will be contacted to determine your interest in working at the particular location(s) and the area of legal practice and to confirm that you are or date that you soon will be admitted and in good standing with the bar of a State, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
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