Summary
The position is telework eligible consistent with the Agency’s telework and remote work program policy.
This position is located in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Ethics Division in Washington DC. The incumbent serves as a legal adviser to the Designated Agency Ethics Official and Assistant General Counsel for Ethics on all Federal Government ethics and standards of conduct matters.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
This announcement is open to all U.S. citizens.
Duties
APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 125 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 125th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first.
We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.
As a General Attorney, GS-0905-12, you will be responsible for:
- Developing and implementing, as appropriate, Department regulations, policies and guidelines reflecting the specific and general Government laws and regulations on ethics/standards of ethical conduct.
- Coordinating the implementing and execution of the Department’s ethics program in Department regional offices and other appropriate offices.
- Developing and participating in the execution of agency-wide training program and individual sessions
- Reviewing and providing legal advice to employees on such topics, including, but not limited to, public and confidential financial disclosure reports submitted by agency employees; acceptance of travel payments from outside, non-agency sources; conflict of interest matters; lobbying activity; political activity; gifts from outside, non-agency sources to employees and the Department; procurement integrity requirements; fundraising activities; and use of Department and staff resources for non-official purposes.
- Providing legal advice to Department officials on sensitive agency matters in connection with federal ethics laws and regulations related to the conduct of employees on the job, and in certain respects, in their personal lives.
As a General Attorney, GS-0905-13, you will be responsible for:
- Developing and implementing, as appropriate, Department regulations, policies and guidelines reflecting the specific and general Government laws and regulations on ethics/standards of ethical conduct.
- Coordinating the implementing and execution of the Department’s ethics program in Department regional offices and other appropriate offices.
- Developing and participating in the execution of agency-wide training program and individual sessions.
- Reviewing and providing legal advice to employees on such topics, including, but not limited to, public and confidential financial disclosure reports submitted by agency employees; acceptance of travel payments from outside, non-agency sources; conflict of interest matters; lobbying activity; political activity; gifts from outside, non-agency sources to employees and the Department; procurement integrity requirements; fundraising activities; and use of Department and staff resources for non-official purposes.
- Providing legal advice to Department officials on sensitive agency matters in connection with federal ethics laws and regulations related to the conduct of employees on the job, and in certain respects, in their personal lives.
- Collaborating, as appropriate, with the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) on complex and sensitive issues in connection with ethics laws and standards of conduct that have cross-agency implications or require an analysis of or recommendation for policy.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Relocation will not be paid.
- You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period.
- Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
- Must be a US Citizen
You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement.
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. We will consider all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience.
Conditions of Employment
TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY:
- You may be eligible for occasional telework in which you are required to report to the office on a regular basis. Participation must be requested and approved by the supervisor and there must be a signed telework agreement. The number of telework days approved is determined by the agency policy, emergency situations, the approval of your immediate supervisor. You must have access to high speed internet and cell phone service meeting current Agency policy from the approved work location.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualification Requirements for GS-12:
- You must be a graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
AND
- Proof of admission to the Bar of the highest court of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and current membership in such Bar as would permit the practice of law. You must be a member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar.
AND
- Has two years professional legal experience, at least one of the two years MUST be at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled, OR
Has one-year professional legal experience at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled, PLUS a second professional law degree (LL.M.) which requires one full year of graduate study OR
Has one-year professional legal experience at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled, PLUS record showing superior law schoolwork, or activities as demonstrated by one of the following:
- Academic standing in the upper third of the law school graduating class.
- Work or achievement of significance on his/her law school’s official law review.
- Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, such as election to the Order of the Coif.
- Winning of a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team that represents the law school in competition with other law schools.
- Full-time or continuous participation, for one year or two semesters of law school, in a legal aid program (as opposed to one-time, intermittent, or casual participation).
- Significant summer law office clerk experience after beginning law school.
- Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement.
AND
Specialized Experience for the GS-12:
One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-11 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:
- Experience analyzing criminal laws applicable to the Federal sector and/or equivalent government sectors (e.g., State, County, Tribal and/or local government levels) that apply ethics laws and regulations.
- Experience researching, analyzing and/or litigating legal issues applicable to the Federal sector and/or equivalent government sectors (e.g., State, County, Tribal and/or local government levels) that apply ethics laws and regulations.
- Experience advising/counseling and communicating with individuals/employees on a full range of ethics issues including, but not limited to, conflicts of interest, standards of conduct, lobbying, political activity, fundraising and travel.
Minimum Qualification Requirements for GS-13:
1. You must be a graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association,
AND
2. Proof of admission to the Bar of the highest court of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and current membership in such Bar as would permit the practice of law. You must be a member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar,
AND
3. Has three years professional legal experience, at least one of the three years MUST be at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled,
OR
Has two years professional legal experience, at least one of the two years MUST be at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled, PLUS a second professional law degree (LL.M.) which requires one full year of graduate study
OR
Has two years professional legal experience, at least one of the two years MUST be at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled, PLUS record shows superior law schoolwork or activities as demonstrated by one of the following:
- Academic standing in the upper third of the law school graduating class.
- Work or achievement of significance on his/her law school’s official law review.
- Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, such as election to the Order of the Coif.
- Winning of a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team that represents the law school in competition with other law schools.
- Full-time or continuous participation, for one year or two semesters of law school, in a legal aid program (as opposed to one-time, intermittent, or casual participation).
- Significant summer law office clerk experience after beginning law school.
- Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement.
AND
Specialized Experience for the GS-13:
One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-12 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments.
- Experience analyzing conflict of interest laws at 18 U.S.C. §§ 201-209 applicable to the Federal sector and/or equivalent government sectors (e.g., State, County, Tribal and/or local government levels) and accompanying implementing regulations.
- Experience researching, analyzing and/or litigating legal issues applicable to the Federal sector and/or equivalent government sectors (e.g., State, County, Tribal and/or local government levels) that apply ethics laws and regulations, including, but not limited to financial interests and assets/instruments, Federal travel regulations, lobbying activity, the Hatch Act and outside activities/employment.
- Experience advising/counseling and communicating with high level agency officials on a full range of ethics issues including, but not limited to, conflicts of interest, standards of conduct, lobbying, political activity, fundraising and travel.
Education
Foreign Education:
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, please click Foreign Education.
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.
As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a productive balance between work and home, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include telework and alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.
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.
We will review your application and documentation submitted to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications and competencies listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the Monster Competency Based Assessment(s) required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Non-Supervisory: Oral Communications, Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Technology Orientation, Customer Service, Attention to Detail and Self-Management
We will refer the best qualified candidates to the Selecting Official of the job for further review and consideration. You will be evaluated to determine if you meet qualifications required, and on the extent to which your application shows that you possess the knowledge, skills and abilities associated with this position as defined below. Please be sure to give examples in your resume and explain how often you used these skills, the complexity of the knowledge you possessed, the level of people you interacted with, and the complexity and sensitivity of the issues you handled. You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
You must submit (REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS):
1. A resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualification for the position
2. Interest letter
3. Bar card
4. Writing sample
5. Transcript if you have graduated from a law school for fewer than 5 years
If you are claiming Veterans’ Preference you must submit:
•A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge, member copy 4 (Separated Members only); OR
•A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date of application (Current Active Duty Members only); AND/OR
•The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference; AND/OR
•Proof of Sole Survivorship Preference (e.g., certificate of death or 100% disability as a result of serving in the armed forces). Veteran's Preference: Department of the Education attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Education considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor consideration in the attorney hiring process. 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.
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
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.
Step 2: Create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Ensure that your resume demonstrates your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiates your responses to the occupational questionnaire.
Step 3: Upload any required documents into your USAJOBS account (must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX)).
Step 4: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire and attach any required documents. Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the agency's hiring system. You will have the opportunity to upload any additional required documents in the agency's hiring system. Click “Finish” to submit your application.
NOTE: You may update your application or required documents at any time while the announcement is open by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking on "Application Status," clicking on the position title, clicking "Update Application,” and following the prompts.
In order to receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application, including all required documents, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the vacancy announcement has an application limit, we recommend that you submit your complete application at the time of initial application. We will not accept any required documentation after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
If you have any questions regarding submitting your application, please contact the HR Specialist listed under the Agency Contact Information.
Next steps
As an applicant, you may check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time. We will also notify you via email of your application status at three key stages in the recruitment process.
1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will inform you that your application has been received.
2. After we review your submitted resume and supporting documentation, we will inform you if you are eligible and qualified, if your application was referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation, and if you were amongst the most highly qualified candidates referred to the selecting official.
3. Finally, we will inform you of your final disposition for this announcement (e.g., if/when a selection is made, if/when the announcement is cancelled).
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