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General Attorney

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Feb 2, 2021
Duties

Summary

This position is located in the U.S Merit Systems Protection Board, Office of General Counsel, Washington, DC. MSPB oversees federal merit systems and enforces compliance with merit systems principles, statutes, and regulations, primarily through adjudicating appeals of certain agency personnel actions. As relevant to this position, OGC provides legal advice on a broad range of internal agency matters, drafts certain Board decisions, and defends the Board's decisions before the federal courts.
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

  • The below description of duties represents the position of a non- supervisory attorney in the Office of General Counsel who is, at the full performance level, working on a mix of cases that spans the range of levels of complexity and difficulty.
  • The duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Prepares draft opinions and orders on compliance issues, court remands, requests for regulation review, and cases of original jurisdiction.
  • Represents the Board in proceeding before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, other appellate courts, the district courts, and administrative tribunals; monitors cases litigated by the Department of Justice on such actions.
  • Prepares legal opinions on specific points of law in cases under review by the Board, and on the legal implications of policies and regulations proposed or issued by OPM, and on other issues important to the agency.
  • Provides legal advice on one or more of the following areas:
  • Internal labor relations and employment matters; the Freedom of Information Act; the Privacy Act; the Sunshine Act; the MSPB's Toughy regulations; contracts, procurement and appropriations law; ethics; and the Administrative Procedure Act.
  • Supports legislative activity functions by responding to Congressional correspondence, providing briefings for Congressional staff members, and conducting analysis of bills relating to MSPB.
  • Supports the regulatory function by drafting and coordinating the issuance of Board regulations.


Travel Required

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

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a US Citizen.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • As a condition of employment, a background investigation may be required for this position.
  • May be subject to satisfactory completion of a trial period.
  • 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/
  • This position is designated a public trust position and is subject to satisfactory completion and favorable adjudication of initial background investigation as a condition of employment.
  • In accordance with Office of Government Ethics regulations, the incumbent of this position may be required to submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of their effective date of appointment and annually thereafter.


Qualifications

To qualify, you must be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a state, Territory, or the District of Columbia and meet the following requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

GS-905-12: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus one of the following: a. One year of professional legal experience at the level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-11; or two years of professional legal experience, one of which must be at the level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-11; or b. Second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus one year of professional legal experience at the level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-11; or c. One year of professional experience; plus superior law student work (i.e, academic standing in the upper 1/3 of an accredited law school graduating class; work or achievement of significance on the law school's official law review or moot court board; special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school-such as, election to Order of the Coif; winning of a moot court team which represents the law school in competition with other law schools, full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program-as opposed to intermittent or prior to "casual participation"; significant summer law clerk experience; or other evidence of clearly superior achievement).

GS-905-13: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus one of the following: a. Superior law student work plus two years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-12; or b. Three years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-12; or c. Second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus two years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at the level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-12.

GS-905-14: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus one of the following: a. Superior law student work plus three years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-13; or b. Four years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-13; or c. Second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus three years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at the level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-13.

Education

Please see educational qualification requirement information above.

Additional information

  • OPM's Career Transition Resources website .
  • Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc) should contact: 1-800-877-8339.
  • MSPB IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER AND EMPLOYER and employment decisions are based on merit factors only. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in an employment decision by this agency, you have the right to seek counseling to resolve your complaint. You must do so within 45 days of the alleged discrimination action. If you desire to seek counseling, call the MSPB Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at 202 653-6772, Ext 4405.


How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your resume must support the following:
  • You are proficient in the areas described in the Major Duties section above.
  • Your resume must include dates of employment and a detailed description of each position you held. Failure to do so may impact your eligibility and may remove you from consideration.

  • Applications will be reviewed and eligibility determined based on the qualifications listed above. Applicants who fail to provide the required information will be determined ineligible. All eligible applications will be referred for further evaluation by subject-matter experts. The selecting official may select any eligible applicant with consideration of an individual's veteran's preference status as a positive factor. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you.

    To preview the application questionnaire, please visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11007695

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Not Required

    Drug test required
    No

    Position sensitivity and risk
    Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

    Trust determination process
    Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness

    Required Documents

    The following documents are required for your application to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
    • Resume that includes the following information: 1) job information for which you are applying; 2) personal information; 3) education; 4) work experience including the work schedule and hours worked per week as well as dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 5) supervisors phone number and e-mail address for each work period listed and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and, 6) other qualifications.
    • Law School Transcripts or List of Coursework: An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official law school transcript will be required prior to entering on duty. All education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university. Foreign education must be evaluated by an approved organization. For additional information, refer to the U.S. Department of Education web site at http://www.ed.gov . All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
    • Writing Sample: A legal writing sample such as a brief, memorandum of law, decision letter, or other material demonstrating proficiency in written legal analysis.
    • Cover Letter: A cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications is preferred, but not required.
    • DD-214 (Member 4 Copy): If you are an honorably discharged veteran who wishes to claim veteran's preference as a positive factor in your application. Please also submit an SF-15 with any other documentation required on the form, if applicable.
    • Current/Former Federal employees: MUST submit a copy of an SF-50, non-award Notification of Personnel Action, which preferably shows your current grade/position. If your current grade is not your highest permanent grade, submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing your highest grade. AND current Federal employees must also submit your most recently completed annual performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) which identifies the employee's official rating of record, signed by the supervisor, or a statement advising why the performance appraisal is unavailable (e.g., length of time in current position, personnel system outage, etc.).

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