Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to all U.S. citizens.

We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.

As a Supervisory General Attorney (Civil Rights) Regional Director, GS-0905-15, you will be responsible for:
•  Managing the regional office's enforcement program which ensures civil rights compliance by recipients of Federal funds through the conduct of complaint investigations, proactive compliance activities, and technical assistance.   
• Making civil rights compliance determinations that align with OCR’s statutory and regulatory provisions and ensures that complaints and proactive enforcement activities are processed in accordance with the Assistant Secretary's directives, case law, and conform to established case-processing procedures.    
• Ensuring that the work products of the regional office are of high quality, are factually accurate, thorough, and legally sound, based on applicable legal standards. Implements strategies, including internal controls, to ensure that the compliance determinations of the regional office are consistent both within the regional office and nationwide and that all remedies obtained through resolution agreements are effective in eliminating noncompliance and are closely monitored to ensure their timely implementation.    
• Developing and implementing the regional office’s proactive enforcement and technical assistance activities, consistent with the priorities set forth by the Assistant Secretary.     

Conditions of employment

• Must be a US Citizen
• Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Relocation will not be paid.
• You may be subject to serve a one-year supervisory probationary period.

Condition of Employment:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a probationary period or trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: • your performance and conduct; • the needs and interests of the agency; • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period OR trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualification Requirements for GS-15:

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 five years professional legal experience, at least one of the five 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 four years professional legal experience, at least one of the four 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 four years professional legal experience, at least one of the four 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:

1. Academic standing in the upper third of the law school graduating class.
2. Work or achievement of significance on his/her law school’s official law review.
3. Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, such as election to the Order of the Coif.
4. Winning of a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team that represents the law school in competition with other law schools.
5. 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).
6. Significant summer law office clerk experience after beginning law school.
7. Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement.

Specialized Experience for the GS-15

One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-14 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments:

1. Experience providing, overseeing, and managing litigation before courts and administrative agencies; including providing legal advice, representation, and counsel concerning complex employment, procurement or other litigation matters. .
2. Experience demonstrating leadership experience directing an effective cadre of attorneys and supporting personnel, and collaborating with non-attorney staff, ensuring high quality service to meet clients’ needs and/or accomplish organizational mission and goals.
3. Experience providing legal advice and services related to one or more of the following areas of practice: appropriations, contracts, federal surplus property, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), intellectual property, Federal Advisory Committees Act (FACA), labor-management relations, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), reorganizations, suspensions and debarment, employment law, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act, and the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA)

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

Supervisory: Oral Communications, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Decision Making, Customer Service, Leadership, Planning and Evaluating, Influencing/Negotiating, Strategic Thinking and Human Capital 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.

• Some jobs require proof of a specific license, like a driver's license or professional license. See the job announcement for details.
• Your resume should include relevant work experience, applicable education and your contact information. For current or previous federal employees, include the pay plan, series and grade.

You must submit (REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS):

•A resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Please limit your resume to 2 pages with the font size no smaller than 10 points. If your resume is more than 2 pages, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed and considered for the qualifications determination.. 

Cover letter if applicable. You are not required to submit bar card or transcripts to apply to the vacancy announcement, but you will be required to submit them upon request from hiring panel or the HR Specialist.  Writing sample and/or list of references may be required of selected applicants at later stages in the selection process.

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. 

Next steps