Duties

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-14. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

• Incumbent either assists in drafting or reviews and comments on proposed legislation and either assists in drafting or reviews and comments on rule making and notice documents for publication in the Federal Register. Upon enactment of legislation, incumbent provides advice and assistance to program administrators, and coordinates, as needed, with legislative drafters and rule writers to effect implementation of policies and procedures by means of regulations, handbooks, mortgagee letters, and other directives.
• As an experienced staff attorney in the Multifamily Mortgage Division, incumbent provides high quality and sensitive legal counsel to many parties. Incumbent's responsibilities include providing legal advice and options on all aspects of the multifamily and healthcare mortgage insurance programs. The request for advice may come from the Assistant Secretary for Housing-FHA Commissioner, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Healthcare Programs, and their staff as well as other HUD officials, staff in other Federal agencies, Members of Congress, State and local government officials, and numerous private parties and their counsel. Incumbent provides advice and options based on interpretations and the application of statutes and regulations, which have the effect of broadening or narrowing the Department's activities. As a result, incumbent's interpretations impact significantly on mortgagors, mortgage bankers, investors, State housing agencies, and other public and private interests. Often, time is of the essence and incumbent is required to act quickly and decisively. Incumbent, however, is required to exercise discretion in identifying issues, which require clearance from higher authority in OGC before acting.
• Incumbent may be required to give advice, provide options on legal documents prepared by outside counsel, and may be required to perform redrafting when necessary to ensure that the interests of the Department are protected. Incumbent negotiates changes to these documents with outside counsel and, in doing so, must effectively present the Department's position and defend its interests. Incumbent reviews appeals from outside counsel of proposed changes to or substitutions of legal documents that may have been rejected by HUD Field Counsel. The transactions reviewed may involve sophisticated real estate financing transactions. Therefore, incumbent's role in reviewing these transactions is critical, and incumbent must perform as an experienced real estate practitioner and a skilled advocate and negotiator.
• Incumbent may be asked to develop legal advice to be provided to mortgagees, lenders, and HUD program staff on servicing matters related to HUD-insured and HUD-held multifamily mortgages, including: the handling of escrow accounts, fees and charges after endorsement, late charges, partial payments and prepayments, collection actions, forbearance agreements, reinstatements, bankruptcy matters, and assignments of mortgages. Incumbent may also be asked to provide legal advice to program staff on sales of HUD-held properties and on HUD's multifamily property disposition program.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

The official duty station for this position will be in Washington, District of Columbia. Failure to report to duty at this location may be grounds for a disciplinary action, including removal.

Key Requirements:

• Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
• A 2-year trial period is required. (unless already completed)
• Must successfully complete a background investigation.
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
• Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
• Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
• Please refer to "Additional Information Section for additional Conditions of Employment."

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Basic Requirements:
Applicants MUST:
(1) be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LL.B. or J.D.;
(2) be a current member of a bar with a valid license to practice law in a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
(3) meet all specialized experience requirements as described in the vacancy announcement.

AND

Specialized Experience: for GS-12, GS-13, and GS-14 are defined as:

Demonstrated legal expertise working with HUD multifamily mortgage financing or insurance programs; residential care facilities, hospital financing or insurance programs; or experience in commercial real estate transactions. Experience with federal, state and local regulations affecting real estate and housing laws such as regulations impacting municipal corporations, municipal and private financing, creditors rights, bankruptcy, or administrative law.

For the GS-14, you must:

Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus four (4) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service.

OR

Have a second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus three (3) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service.

OR

Have a first professional law degree (LL.B., or J.D.), plus superior law student work (academic standing in upper 1/3 of the law school graduating class, high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, winning of a moot court competition with other law schools, significant work or achievement on the school's official law review, significant summer clerkship or other evidence of clearly superior achievement) plus three (3) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service.

For the GS-13, you must:

Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus three (3) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service.

OR

Have a second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus two (2) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service.

OR

Have a first professional law degree (LL.B., or J.D.), plus superior law student work (academic standing in upper 1/3 of the law school graduating class, high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, winning of a moot court competition with other law schools, significant work or achievement on the school's official law review, significant summer clerkship or other evidence of clearly superior achievement) plus two (2) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service.

For the GS-12, you must:

Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus two (2) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-11 level in the Federal service.

OR

Have a second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus one (1) year of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-11 level in the Federal service.

OR

Have a first professional law degree (LL.B., or J.D.), plus superior law student work (academic standing in upper 1/3 of the law school graduating class, high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, winning of a moot court competition with other law schools, significant work or achievement on the school's official law review, significant summer clerkship or other evidence of clearly superior achievement) plus one (1) year of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-11 level in the Federal service.

The experience may have been gained in either the public or private sector. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/date/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.

Education

Attorney positions do have an education requirement.

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LL.B. or J.D. For positions with an education requirement, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. In addition you must provide proof of bar or your bar number in the vacancy questions .

The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions .

Additional information

OTHER INFORMATION:

• We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
• Relocation expenses will not be paid.
• Relocation incentive will not be paid.
• Recruitment incentive will not be paid.
• This is a bargaining unit position.
• This position is Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
• HUD offers alternative and flexible work schedules.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT (CONTINUED):
HUD employees are subject to a number of government-wide and HUD specific ethics laws and regulations, including restrictions on working in a real estate related business, and having Section 8 tenants, along with other prohibited interests and activities. To review applicable ethics rules and HUD specific restrictions, please visit https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/general_counsel/ethics .