Law Clerk / Attorney-Adviser (General) Job in Fort Sam Houston, TX

Vacancy No. CHAT245010206024 Department HQDA Field Operating Agencies and Staff Support Agencies
Salary $73,591.00 to $136,357.00 Grade 11 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/13/2024 Close Date 11/27/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Fort Sam Houston, TX


Summary

About the Position: This position is located with U.S. Army Legal Services Agency Office of Soldier's Counsel Fort Sam Houston, TX.

A recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized.

This is a developmental position to the full performance GS-13 grade level.

If you are currently serving in a permanent, competitive service appointment in the Federal service, and are selected for this position, the appointment will remove you from the competitive service while you occupy this position.

Duties

  • At the entry level of Law Clerk GS-0904-11 you will perform the below responsibilities;
  • Serves as Law Clerk in the Office of Soldiers’ Counsel. Under close supervision and review of the attorney to whom assigned, provides, interpretations and determinations on matters involved in Soldiers Physical Evaluation Board Counsel (SPEBC).
  • Performs legal research in final form, on a variety of complex and difficult legal problems in all areas of responsibility of the Office of Soldiers’ Counsel.
  • Law Clerks prepare drafts of pleadings and motions in connection with cases in litigation.
  • They conduct investigations to obtain facts, study legal precedents, and prepare recommendations.
  • They assist attorneys in charge of court cases by cross-examining witnesses and by drafting findings of fact, conclusions of law, and orders based upon the record.
  • Responds to inquiries concerning the work of the of the office and prepares in final form and for signature of proper official.
  • At the full performance Attorney-Adviser (General) GS-0905-13 level you will perform the below responsibilities;
  • Serves as Attorney Adviser (General) at the Regional Office of Soldiers’ Counsel (ROSC) under the direct supervision of the Supervisory Attorney Adviser (General).
  • Responsible for providing Soldiers Physical Evaluation Board Counsel (SPEBC) legal services within the Office of Soldiers RSOC.
  • Incumbent provides legal advice and counsel to clients in the PEB phase of IDES processing upon completion of the MEB.
  • Prepares the client’s formal board case file by conducting research in connection with pending and past cases, analyzes factual and legal issues, gathers and analyzes medical records, diagnostic evaluations, and formulary tables.
  • Coordinate and support the Soldiers Medical Evaluation Board Counsel (SMEBC) during the MEB process; research and analyze medical and legal issues and complete work product in a timely and professional manner.
  • Thoroughly prepares the client, witnesses, and documents for presentation to the PEB, using material evidence, persuasive legal argument, and relevant precedent.
  • Prepares post-hearing briefs, appeals, and correspondence, to include appeals to the US Army Physical Disability Agency (USAPDA) of PEB decisions, rating appeals to the appropriate VA office.
  • As directed by ROSC, serves as Soldiers’ Medical Evaluation Board Counsel (SMEBC), represents and advises clients during the MEB process in support of IDES.
  • GS-11 and GS-12 attorneys will be assigned less complex work and require more supervision that those at the full performance (GS-13) level.

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.
  • Position requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain active bar membership, in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
  • This position may require Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel of up to 5% of the time.
  • Appointment at the Law Clerk GS-0904-11 level requires Bar membership to be obtained within 1 year of appointment to the position.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

Applicants will be evaluated to determine if they meet the minimum qualification requirements and on the extent to which their application shows possession of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the position. KSA's:
  • Skill in identifying and researching highly technical and complex legal issues.
  • Skill in providing legal, technical, and policy guidance.
  • Ability to effectively, professionally, and ethically manage a heavy caseload of clients with complex legal needs.
Qualification Requirements: The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:

Education Requirements for Law Clerk GS-0904-11: Position requires the possession of the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) within 90 days of application.

Education Requirements for Attorney-Adviser GS-0905-11/12/13: Position requires the possession of the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.). Applicants for initial appointment into attorney positions within the Department of Army must be graduates of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of the applicant's graduation. As indicated below, a law school transcript must be submitted with your application materials.

Bar Membership: To be considered for the Attorney-Adviser GS-11, GS-12 or GS-13 level, applicants must currently be a member in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. As noted below, proof of such membership and good standing must be submitted with your application materials.
If no Bar Membership is possessed, you will still be considered for the Law Clerk GS-0904-11 position.

Experience for Law Clerk GS-0904-11: In addition to the requirements above, applicants who have NOT yet passed a state bar exam are qualified to be hired as GS-0904-11 Law Clerk for their first assignment and then noncompetitively converted to a GS-0905 attorney after admission to the bar and submission of required documentation. Bar membership must be obtained within 1 year of appointment to the position.

Experience for Attorney-Adviser GS-0905-11: In addition to the requirements above, applicants who have passed a state bar exam are qualified to be hired as GS-0905-11 Attorney-Adviser for their first assignment.

Experience for Attorney-Adviser GS-0905-12: In addition to the requirements above, applicants for the GS-12 or equivalent Attorney positions must also possess a year of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Graduation from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or an advanced law degree such as an LLM may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience.

Experience for Attorney-Adviser GS-0905-13: In addition to the requirements above, applicants for the GS-13 or equivalent Attorney positions must also possess two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Graduation from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or an advanced law degree such as an LLM may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience.

Time in Grade: The Qualifying Authorities (QA's) will make a determination as to the applicability of time in grade based on the requirements of the position. If you are currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government you must have completed one year at the next lower grade level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade level as the position being filled.

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.

Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference", and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. The SF 15 will identify the supporting documentation required along with the list of the types of 10-point preference. The SF 15 is available from the OPM at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/sf/.

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.

Additional information

  • PLEASE NOTE THAT REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATION, TIME IN GRADE, AND EXPERIENCE MAY BE WAIVED BY THE APPLICABLE AUTHORITY AND THE REQUIREMENTS SHOULD NOT DETER ANY INDIVIDUAL FROM APPLYING FOR THE POSITION.
  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a Professional Services Career Field position.
  • Management has the prerogative to select at any grade.
  • If selected as a Law Clerk GS-0904-11, within the first year of employment you must pass a state bar exam and obtain bar membership.
  • If selected as a Law Clerk GS-0904-11, within the first year of employment you may be non-competitively converted to an Attorney-Adviser GS-0905-11 after admission to the bar and submission of required documentation. AND if management determines at that time that you meet the qualifications/professional legal experience requirements set forth in relevant regulations, including Army Regulation (AR) 690-300.
  • If selected as an Attorney-Adviser GS-0905-11, after a year or more of service you may be non-competitively promoted to the grade of GS-12 if management determines at that time that you meet the qualifications/professional legal experience requirements set forth in relevant regulations, including Army Regulation (AR) 690-300. Promotion to GS-12 however, is NOT automatic. You must meet the minimum qualifications set forth in the regulations before you can be considered for promotion.
  • If selected as an Attorney-Adviser GS-0905-12, after a year or more of service you may be non-competitively promoted to the grade of GS-13 if management determines at that time that you meet the qualifications/professional legal experience requirements set forth in relevant regulations, including Army Regulation (AR) 690-300. Promotion to GS-13 however, is NOT automatic. You must meet the minimum qualifications set forth in the regulations before you can be considered for promotion.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
  • Recruitment and relocation incentives may be authorized.
  • Student loan repayment may be authorized.
  • Salary negotiations, including an advanced in hire, for candidates new to Federal service or who would otherwise qualified, may be authorized.
  • Credit for prior non-Federal experience and certain military service for leave accrual rates may be authorized.

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.

Veteran's preference requirements do not apply to attorney positions in the excepted service, however the principles of veteran's preference will be followed to the extent which is administratively feasible.

Required Documents

The following documents are required:

Your resume:

  • Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this 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.


The following documents are preferred at the time of application, but not required:

PLEASE NOTE: If you do not have your law school transcripts, certificate of good standing, or fitness to practice statement, you should not be deterred from applying for this position. While not required at the time of application, these documents will be required for the attorney to enter on duty.

Official Law School Transcripts:

  • Official law school transcript and an official statement of relative standing in class. Photo static copies of documents are acceptable when applying but certified documents must be furnished before entering duty.

Good Standing Certificate: (If applying for Attorney-Adviser GS-0905-11/12/13)
  • Official certificate showing that you are a member in good standing of the bar dated at any time. However, in the event the candidate is selected for an interview and/or during the hiring process, the candidate must provide an official certificate dated within three months. The certificate is required to be submitted by all applicants to include attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of The Judge Advocate General (including active-duty Army Judge Advocates).

Fitness to Practice Statement: (If applying for Attorney-Adviser GS-0905-11/12/13)
  • A sworn (notarized) statement from you that your fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction to the best of your knowledge, or if either has been challenged, a sworn (notarized) statement concerning the facts and circumstances, together with any explanation that you deem appropriate may be submitted.
  • As an alternative to a sworn (notarized) statement, a statement which includes 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)." (28 U.S.C. 1746)."
  • The statement must be dated within three months of the date that the application package is submitted. The statement is required to be submitted by all applicants to include attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of The Judge Advocate General (including active duty Army Judge Advocates).

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.

If you are a current or former GS federal employee, please provide a copy of your most recent non-award SF50 with your application package.

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates 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 complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/27/2024 to receive consideration

  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12606024).
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
  • It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
  • Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Address
HT-W0KE9V US ARMY LEGAL SERVICES AGENCY
DO NOT MAIL
Fort Cavazos, TX 76544
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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