Requirements
Conditions of employment
- U.S. Citizenship required
- Selective Service Registration, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
- Fingerprinting and background and/or security investigation may be required
- Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results
- Selectees are required to serve a 2-year trial period
- Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire Assessment, if required
- Applicants must submit proof of Active Bar Membership
- Applicants must submit Law School Transcript with degree and date conferred
- All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement
- Relocation expenses will not be paid
- Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion or national origin
- These positions are in the Excepted Service
Qualifications
Resumes exceeding two pages in length will not be considered. Please visit the new resume guidance for more information.
READ ALL SECTIONS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY. THIS INFORMATION IS CRUCIAL TO SUBMITTING A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION.
Law Degree: Applicants must hold a law degree from a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association.
Bar Membership: Applicants must also be an active member of the bar, and in good standing. You must be duly licensed, authorized and eligible to practice as an attorney under the laws of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a U.S. Territory. This is a continuing requirement of the position.
Below is a list of acceptable documents. To be considered, at least one of the following three documents is required. Any proof of bar document submitted must include your name, status, state, and must be dated within one year of the closing date of the announcement:
- Letter or Certificate of Good Standing dated within one year of the announcement; OR
- Copy of your Bar card with the current year if it reflects a date that is within one year of the announcement; OR
- Screen print from a Bar website that reflects your active Bar membership (must include the state and be dated within one year of the announcement).
In addition to the above requirements, applicants must also meet the following criteria to qualify:
Applicants must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-13 level or equivalent, which is in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such experience must include:
- Personnel and employment law, AND
- Litigating cases before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), including preparing and arguing pleadings, briefs and motions, affidavits, or other materials involving personnel and employment law.
Please note: your resume must specifically document your experience as an attorney providing legal guidance on labor and employment related issues e.g. performance management, employee misconduct, labor and employee relations, EEO issues, and reasonable accommodation requests, or you will be found ineligible.
Applicants MUST meet all eligibility requirements on or before the closing date of the announcement to be considered for the position.
Education
Submit a copy of your law school transcripts that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and degree award date. Unofficial transcripts or screenshots of electronic/web transcripts with the required information will be accepted at the time of application. Self-prepared transcripts will not be accepted. You must submit your transcripts according to the application submission details of this announcement. Documents will not be accepted via email or regular mail. If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of the personnel action placing you into the new position.
Foreign Education: If your transcripts show education completed in foreign colleges or universities, you must also provide documentation that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in a conventional/accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
Additional information
Salary range listed is under 'Rest of U.S. (RUS)' locality pay table. Selectee's actual salary will vary depending on location being filled. To find out the salary range for your selected location, you can view the salary for each locality pay table here:
Additional selections may be made for this vacancy six months from the closing date of this announcement.
This is a non-bargaining unit position.
This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service.
This is a permanent, excepted service position that is being filled on a full-time basis. Flextime and/or alternate work schedules may be available.
Veterans who are preference-eligible and who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions may apply. (see Required Documents section for specific Veterans Preference information).
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests:If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request an RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire
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.
The evaluation you receive is based on your responses to the online assessments completed during the application process. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Reasoning
- Decision Making
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Flexibility
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.
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. Cheating on the online assessment may result in your removal from consideration.
Required Documents
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. Please refer to 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: . (
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.
Such proof must include the state, status, and be dated within one year of the closing date of the announcement! (See Qualifications section for specific Bar Membership information.)
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
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 .
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.