TRAVEL REQUIRED:

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

RELOCATION AUTHORIZED:
Relocation expenses reimbursed No

KEY REQUIREMENTS:
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You must be a US Citizen or US National

Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt

Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check

Direct Deposit ? Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/

Must submit Cover Letter, Resume, Proof of Bar membership, Law School Transcripts, and Narrative

Review of the OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and the Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (eQIP) entries have been reviewed and determined to be satisfactory

Requires a favorable credit check as part of the background investigation

Additional selections may be made from this announcement

Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance

Obtain and use a Government issued charge card for business-related travel

May be subject to satisfactory completion of a two year probationary or trial period

Subject to limited telework after six months completed and only by managerial approval and subject to change at any time from the Agency or Department

The duties listed below are described at the FPL GS-14, the GS-13 are developmental leading to such performance.

• The incumbent performs legal services primarily in connection with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, governing employment discrimination matters before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the federal sector, other civil rights matters, and in mixed cases or mixed appeals before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), other litigation responsibilities related to employment discrimination, labor and employment law in other forums and such others duties as may be assigned by the Associate or Assistant General Counsel.
• Reviewing investigative reports, preparing pleadings in administrative proceedings; preparing exhibits and interviewing witnesses in the preparation for trial or hearing of such matters; participating in prehearing or pretrial conferences; examining and cross-examining witnesses; arguing motions in the course of such proceedings; preparing briefs in support of the Government's case; preparing and participating in the oral arguments of such matters; preparing pleadings in civil or criminal court actions, conferring with appropriate officials regarding case work.
• Serving as an advisor and consultant to departmental and agency officials and attorneys in other divisions of the Office, attending and giving oral advice at conferences and meetings both internal and external to the Department; maintaining routine contact with administrative officials of the different client agencies; frequently contacting opposing counsel and respondents involved in administrative proceedings and DOJ attorneys; consulting with representatives of other Federal agencies, members of various industries, public interest groups and other members of the general public.

For consideration, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications for attorney positions:

• Successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the America Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD) (Law School transcript required) and
• 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.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE
Applicants should have demonstrated specialized experience in legal research, and have excellent writing and communication skills, and a strong academic record. This experience should be clearly documented in the cover letter and resume.

GS-13: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the (GS-12) level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that has equipped me with the particular competencies to successfully perform as an Attorney Advisor. Examples of such experience include: Provide professional legal services to major components of USDA and its agencies. Ability to apply the principles and techniques of legal analysis and practice in order to prepare legal documents. Thorough knowledge of activities and program initiatives of USDA and its agencies to provide timely and relevant legal advice regarding program operations to management officials. Expertly represent clients in negotiations and legal proceedings.

GS-14: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the (GS-13) level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that has equipped me with the particular competencies to successfully perform as an Attorney Advisor. Examples of such experience include: Ability to plan and assign priorities to tasks and assignments to further develop knowledge of complex assignments. Works independently to determine methodologies, milestones, goals, and termination points for most assignments. Completes assignments to management requirements with satisfaction of organizational objectives.

NOTE: This experience must be demonstrated on your resume/supporting documents.

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.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S.accredited college or university.

Narrative: You must submit a written statement, in your cover letter or in a separate document, explaining your interest in working for USDA's Office of the General Counsel, and noting any relevant course work, training, or prior experience that you believe should be considered in evaluating your application.

It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above requirements(education and bar membership). Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
You MUST submit a copy of your transcript if you want to substitute your education for experience. If you claim qualifications based on education, and do not submit a transcript, your education will not be used in making a qualification determination and you may be found "not qualified".

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.

Pay Scale: The below salary reflects the pay range from GS 13 Step 1 to a GS 14 Step 10. This position starts at the GS-13 level only however, the full performance level is a GS-14. Below are the salary ranges for each grade level:

GS-13: $96,970.00 - $126,062.00
GS-14: $114,590.00 - $148,967.00

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.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc) should contact: USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

This is a bargaining unit designated position.

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You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service.

However, 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, Proof of Bar Membership or other supporting documentation.

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the education, experience, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below:

• Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence
• Written Communication
• Oral Communication
• Attention to detail
• Mastery of the principles and techniques of legal analysis and practice in order to prepare pleadings, motions, briefs, litigation reports and related documents in connection with suits by and against the government and determine in each case the nature of action or defense, the legal issues and complaints involved, the most effective course of action, and optimal strategies and tactics to be employed.
• Mastery of the techniques of written and oral communication to speak and write with clarity and tact to provide guidance on complex legal issues, secure acceptance of recommendations, prepare complex legal opinions, and effectively represent the Department.
• Mastery of statutes, regulations and precedents related to major USDA program areas or relevant subject matter expertise, as appropriate in order to 1) defend the Secretary in federal sector complaints of employment discrimination or appeals before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); (2) develop litigation strategies and procedures; 3) aid the Department of Justice in the trial of complaints of employment discrimination or involving decisions appealed from the EEOC, and other complaints related to employment matters; and advise the client agency to (4) determination of the strengths and weaknesses of cases in order to determine whether to negotiate or participate in negotiating settlements on behalf of the Department, including those involving large and small sums of money.

Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from Federal service.

Read more Security clearance Other

Drug test required No