Duties

Summary

The professionals at the National Security Agency (NSA) have one common goal: to protect our nation. The mission requires a strong offense and a steadfast defense. The offense collects, processes and disseminates intelligence information derived from foreign signals for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes. The defense prevents adversaries from gaining access to sensitive of classified national security information.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of an Attorney at the NSA can include:

• Advising the Agency on legal matters involving a particular subject matter (e.g., intelligence operations, procurement, research and development, information security, patents, security matters, legislation, employment/personnel issues, ethics)
• Analyzing legislation, programs, policies, regulations, or plans to determine impact on the Agency
• Representing the Agency's official position in legal and legislative proceedings
• Representing the Agency in interactions with outside customers, DoD, Congressional representatives, foreign partners, or the general public
• Conferring with/educating clients, customers, or stakeholders on legal or policy issues
• Determining the legal sufficiency of documents
• Advising the Agency on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act (PA), or Federal Records Act (FRA) questions
• Drafting legal briefs, pleadings, etc
• Making legal determinations in accordance with laws, regulations, professional standards, or Agency policies and procedures

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Some travel away from the home office may be required.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

The ideal candidates is a highly-motivated and qualified attorney with three years minimum experience, with excellent oral and written communications skills, a desire for continual learning, possesses problem-solving, analytic, and interpersonal skills, and is:

• detail oriented,
• customer and results oriented,
• able to adjust to changing situational requirements,
• able to build relationships across the Agency and with external stakeholders,
• able to manage multiple tasks with competing timelines and deliverables

Experience and knowledge of law in one or more of the following areas is required:

• intelligence operations
• procurement
• research and development
• information security
• information management (to include FOIA, PA and FRA issues)
• environmental law
• patents
• telecommunications
• security matters
• legislation
• employment/personnel issues
• ethics
• litigation

Qualifications

*The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position. Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.

Entry for Grade 13 is with a Professional Law Degree (LLB or JD). Degree must be a Professional Law Degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and requires active membership in the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Grade 13: Must have in excess of 2 years of relevant experience. Relevant experience as determined by the Office of the General Counsel (or the Office of the Inspector General for positions in the OIG) must be professional legal experience that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. See DoD Instruction (DoDI) 1442.02 for exceptions to the grade-level standards. Active membership in the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia is required.

Entry for Grade 14 and Grade 15 is with a Professional Law Degree (LLB or JD). Degree must be a Professional Law Degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and requires active membership in the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Grade 14-15: Must have in excess of 3 years of relevant experience. Relevant experience as determined by the Office of the General Counsel (or the Office of the Inspector General for positions in the OIG) must be professional legal experience that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. See DoD Instruction (DoDI) 1442.02 for exceptions to the grade-level standards. Active membership in the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia is required.

Education

Additional information

Because the twin missions of NSA - signals intelligence and information assurance - encompass counterterrorism and cybersecurity, two of the most important and dynamic challenges our Government faces today, there is rarely a typical day for an NSA attorney. We are routinely presented with exciting and novel legal issues at the intersection of technology and law. In tackling these challenges, our attorneys work directly with senior officials at the Department of Justice's National Security Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council at the White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Department of Defense, as well as other agencies in the Executive Branch and relevant committees of Congress. NSA attorneys work in a highly classified setting and are entrusted with tremendous responsibility as they advise the Director and other senior leaders at the Agency on a diverse and complex spectrum of issues related to gathering the foreign intelligence information needed to fight international terrorism, espionage, transnational crime, and narcotics, to defeat foreign cyber adversaries trying to steal national secrets, and to provide intelligence support to critical military overseas tactical operations, all while protecting our civil liberties and ensuring strict compliance with the Constitution and our laws. Because the NSA is a Department of Defense agency, our attorneys have a unique opportunity to be directly involved in national security operations working alongside military and civilian colleagues, as well as to interact with the private sector in cybersecurity and other matters. In short, many OGC attorneys say they can't imagine working in a more exciting and important position. NSA OGC has several exciting and challenging career opportunities available in a range of legal practice groups that provide advice in the areas of: Intelligence Law; Information Assurance & Cyber Security Law; Legislation; Litigation; Acquisition, Research & Technology Law; Law & Policy; and Administrative Law & Ethics.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Professional Law Degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and requires active membership in the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Must have in excess of 2-3 years of relevant experience. Relevant experience as determined by the Office of the General Counsel (or the Office of the Inspector General for positions in the OIG) must be professional legal experience that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. See DoD Instruction (DoDI) 1442.02 for exceptions to the grade-level standards. Active membership in the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia is required.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

Resume and Transcripts required.

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.