Summary
The Personnel Appeals Board's General Counsel Office (PAB/OGC) is seeking an experienced attorney to join its team at either the PA-II or PA-III level. PAB/OGC attorneys conduct investigations regarding a wide range of personnel and labor matters and may represent GAO employees, other charging parties, or the PAB/OGC in administrative proceedings before the PAB.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
You must be a United States citizen
Duties
PAB/OGC attorneys perform functions similar to attorneys who handle investigation and litigation functions at the FLRA, the EEOC, and OSC. PAB/OGC attorneys conduct investigations regarding a wide range of personnel and labor matters and may represent employees, other charging parties, or the PAB/OGC in administrative proceedings before the PAB. PAB/OGC attorneys also provide advice and counsel to GAO employees on issues within the jurisdiction of the PAB.
A PAB/OGC attorney's typical work assignments may include the following:
Investigations
- Investigate charges filed with the PAB/OGC alleging prohibited personnel practices, discrimination, retaliation, prohibited political activity, and unfair labor practices.
- Creating investigation plans, drafting requests for information and documents and conducting interviews of GAO officials, employees and other persons to obtain relevant information.
- Significant level of interactions with charging parties, counsel for GAO, and witnesses.
- Conducting legal research, analyzing the factual evidence and legal requirements of each case, and recommending appropriate action to the PAB General Counsel.
- Drafting the statement of investigation.
Litigation
- Litigation before the PAB. Handling all aspects of case litigation including, interactions with counsel for GAO, the preparation of the petition for relief, drafting written discovery, taking and defending depositions, motions practice, drafting pre- and post-hearing briefs, and representing the petitioner at pre-hearing conferences, motion hearings, and the evidentiary hearing.
- Handling all aspects of settlement negotiations, including the drafting of settlement agreements.
Advice and Counsel
- Prepare legal memoranda on issues within the jurisdiction of the PAB, including on complex legal issues involving the interpretation of federal and GAO personnel laws, rules and regulations.
- Provide advice to GAO employees on issues within the jurisdiction of the PAB.
- Draft comments on proposed changes to GAO regulations and policies.
- Represent the PAB/OGC at speaking engagements before GAO employee groups on matters within the jurisdiction of the PAB.
For more information regarding the job's requirements please contact Darian Jackson, at jacksond@gao.gov.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a United States citizen.
- You must be able to meet and maintain the suitability and security requirements for the position.
- You must submit a financial disclosure report.
- You must be registered with the Selective Service, as applicable.
- You must complete a two-year probationary period unless you previously completed a trial or probationary period at GAO after October 1, 1980.
- You must remain an active member in good standing of the bar in any United States jurisdiction while in this position.
- If contacted for an interview, you will be required to submit a writing sample.
- If selected, you will be required to provide your official law school transcript that supports your claim that you meet the education requirements for the position.
Qualifications
You must meet the qualification requirements by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
- You must be an active member in good standing of a bar of a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia.
- To qualify for the Trial Attorney, PA-II level, you must have a minimum of three years post J.D. experience as a practicing attorney which demonstrates:
- researching federal employment and labor laws that address prohibited personnel practices, discrimination, retaliation, prohibited political activity, and/or unfair labor practices;
- identifying and gathering evidence through investigations and/or discovery;
- preparing pleadings, motions, briefs, and other litigation-related documents; and
- interacting with opposing counsel.
- To qualify for the Senior Trial Attorney, PA-III level, you must have a minimum of four years post J.D. experience as a practicing attorney which demonstrates:
- researching federal employment and labor laws that address prohibited personnel practices, discrimination, retaliation, prohibited political activity, and/or unfair labor practices;
- identifying and gathering evidence through investigations and/or discovery;
- preparing pleadings, motions, briefs, and other litigation-related documents; and
- interacting with opposing counsel.
This position will be filled at either the PA-II or PA-III level.
Education
You must meet the education requirements by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
You must have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
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.
Basis for rating
- The experience listed in your resume and whether your experience and skills match what we're looking for.
- Answers to the online assessment
- Interview
- Writing sample
Required Documents
All applicants must submit:
- Proof of Bar membership
- Upload under "Proof of Bar membership" document type in the agency application system.
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
You must submit your complete application package by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement to be considered for this position.
To apply for this position, you must complete the application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section of the announcement.
How to apply online
- 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.
- Follow the prompts to select your résumé 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.
- 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/.
How to apply using an alternative application
- If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application. Please contact at to get instructions on how to apply using an alternative application.
Next steps
- You get a confirmation that we received your application
- Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email.
- We do an initial screening of the applications
- After the announcement closes, we will review your application package to determine if you are eligible, meet the qualifications requirements, and provided the required documents.
- We rate the applications
- If you reach this phase, a panel of executives will rate the breadth and depth of your executive qualifications.
- If you are rated high enough you may be referred for an interview.
- We conduct interviews
- If you reach this phase, a panel of executives will interview you.
- The panel will make a recommendation to the selecting official on who to select for the position.
- We contact your references
- We may contact your references. We use this step to get additional information on your skills, performance, knowledge, and work history from a source other than yourself. This will help us assess your potential for success in the position.
- We send you a tentative job offer
- If you're selected, we will make you a tentative job offer and begin negotiating your salary.
- We conduct a background investigation
- If you're not a current GAO employee, you will need to complete a background investigation. We use the background investigation to determine if you're suitable for federal employment.
- We send you a final job offer
- We will work with you and your hiring manager at GAO to set an onboarding date.
- After your onboarding date is approved, you will get your final job offer.
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