Duties

• Identify, research, and address extremely complex and difficult legal questions affecting USACE missions.
• Prepare legal opinions, or other legal instruments, and render advice to clients on matters which require for their solution a high order of original and creative legal endeavor in order to obtain a reasonable balance of conflicting interests.
• Advice regarding national programs is reviewed by supervisor for consistency with agency policy before it is rendered to clients.
• Represent the office to which assigned in meetings, negotiations, conferences, presentations, hearings, administrative litigation, or other forums, with municipal, state, other federal agencies, and private stakeholders.
• Receives miscellaneous requests for the review of documents and/or for interpretation of Federal, state, and local laws, Engineer Regulations, Army and Special Regulations, etc.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment.
• Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel is required up to 10% of the time.
• This position requires you to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

The minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:
Bar membership: Applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Experience: For GS-14 equivalent - Applicant must have three 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.

****ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS BY05/23/2022****
1) A resume with vacancy announcement number annotated.
2) Law school transcripts and an official statement of relative class standing. Unofficial copies are acceptable when applying and official copies must be provided if selected. This does not apply to current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Attorneys.
3) A writing sample which shall not exceed 10 pages including cover sheets, tables of contents, etc.
4) Federal employees/reinstatement eligible must submit a copy of their latest SF 50 and most recent performance evaluation; and applicants currently serving in the military must submit a copy of their most recent OER and/or DD 214.

****APPLICANTS SELECTED FOR AN INTERVIEW MUST SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS ****
1) Three recent letters of recommendation, dated within 6 months of the opening date of this announcement, from attorneys-at-law, are required to be submitted if you are called to be interviewed. One of these letters should be from a current supervisor if possible. Legible copies of dated and signed letters of recommendation are acceptable. This does not apply to current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorneys.
2) Official certificate showing that the applicant is a member in good standing of the bar and a sworn notarized statement by the candidate that his or her fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction or; if either has been challenged, a sworn and notarized statement giving the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that the applicant considers appropriate. As an alternative to a sworn and notarized statement, a statement with 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)(signature of applicant)." The official certificate and statement of fitness must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. The certificate and statement are required to be submitted by all applicants including attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of the Judge Advocate General of the Army. This does not apply to current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorneys.

NOTE: ALSO ALL APPLICANTS SHOULD ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES, IN NARRATIVE FORM:

A. Technical Knowledge & Experience: Specialized experience regarding federal laws, regulations, policies, and procedures related to the organization's missions and programs.

Examples of this rating should demonstrate the ability to independently advise or represent the agency in one or more of these areas: labor & employment, contracts, Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act, investigations, ethics, or fiscal law.

B. Legal and Policy Advisor: Ability to function effectively as a counselor and advisor to senior management officials and project delivery teams.

Applicant demonstrates knowledge, skill and experience that reflects the ability to provide innovative approaches to or problems or issues resolution and to successfully communicate policy and legal advice on complex issues with senior officials.

C. Contributing to a positive working environment. Ability to work well with co-workers and clients to accomplish the mission; treat co-workers and clients respectfully; be courteous and seek acceptable compromise in areas of difference. Demonstrate the ability to listen to, and the intellectual flexibility to consider, opposing points of view.

Applicant demonstrates ability to work respectfully and accomplish the mission with a diverse group of co-workers and clients. Applicant demonstrates ability to consider opposing points of view and to and to seek acceptable compromise in areas of difference.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: If currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government you must have completed 1 year at the next lower level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade as the position being filled.

Education

For this job, you may qualify if your education meets the definitions below:

An applicant must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD).Official law school transcripts must be submitted prior to accepting the position. These transcripts must show successful completion of a full 3-year course of study in an school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) leading to a professional law degree ( LLB or JD) that included a major field of study or specific course requirements.

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 .

Foreign education must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency in order to be considered for this position. Please include this information in your resume.

NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE:
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of 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 (for example, DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their sub-missions.

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 a 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/."

Attorney spouses of active duty military may apply for available positions in accordance with the military spouse program, as identified in DODI 1500.25 Volume 315.

Additional information

• 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.
• Two year trial/probationary period may be required.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• 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 Career Program (CP) 56 - Legal position.
• You may claim military spouse preference (MSP).
• If a MSP applicant is determined best qualified and selected, placement must be at the full performance level for priority consideration.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website .
• If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .
• Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
• Due to COVID-19, the agency is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within a designated time frame identified by the organization. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the agency's telework policy.
• Information may be requested regarding the vaccination status of selectees for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols. For more information, visit https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/faq/vaccinations/ .