Attorney Advisor (Assistant Counsel)

Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Office of Legal Services (OLS). OLS' mission is to provide advisory, representational, and transactional services to OIG personnel necessary to carry out the mission under the Inspector General Act of 1978.

Duties

At the Full performance Level: Manages complex legal portfolio supporting OIG audits investigations and other critical OIG activities, including matters pertaining to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Privacy Act, the Ethics in Government Act, the Records Act, and other statutes, regulations, and executive orders. Provides expert advice related to civilian personnel law, including Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and Office of Special Counsel (OSC) matters to assist leadership, senior management officials, supervisors, and the servicing personnel office regarding the interpretation and application of civil service personnel laws, rules, and regulations on a portfolio of matters involving litigating administrative and judicial proceedings. Independently performs-and also instructs and advises colleagues and junior attorneys on appropriate methods and sources of-legal research in connection with OIG-related portfolio involving the agency's most complex or novel issues. Conducts extensive analysis of federal and state law, court decisions, legislative hearings and committee reports; and analyzes factual and legal issues while managing multiple projects and under tight deadlines. Written and oral communication must be appropriate to the audience. Develops litigation strategy based in administrative or judicial litigation involving complex anddiff icult legal issues requiring interpretation of statutes and regulations oft en with little to noprecedents. Responsible for independently preparing the Government's case from pre-trialpractice, including expert and general witness depositions, and gathers full informationpertaining to the case. Examines and evaluates proposed legislation for the OIG. Prepares or reviews proposedregulations and regulatory guidance and amendments to existing regulations and regulatoryguidance. Determines impact of legislation and regulations on scope of OIG operations andauthority. Prepares or reviews congressional testimony and other responses to congressionalrequests for information.

Qualifications

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. To qualify for an attorney position, applicants must possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); be a member in good standing of the bar of a court of general jurisdiction of a state, territory or possession of the U.S.; and have acquired the amount of experience indicated below for each grade level. For GS-12, applicants must have at least one (1) year of qualifying post-law school graduation legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform work at this level. This includes the ability to, with minimal assistance, resolve legal and factual issues that affect OIG equities and oversight of DOL programs by performing analysis of laws and facts and to providing conclusions or recommending solutions to questions and issues presented. At least one year of qualifying experience at the GS-11 level or equivalent must be specialized experience as defined in bold below. For GS-13, applicants must have at least two (2) year of qualifying post-law school graduation legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform work at this level. This includes the ability to independently resolve legal and factual issues that affect OIG equities and oversight of DOL programs by performing analysis of laws and facts and to providing conclusions or recommending solutions to questions and issues presented. At least one year of qualifying experience, at the GS-12 level, must be Specialized Experience as defined in bold below. For GS-14, applicants must have at least three (3) years of qualifying post-law school graduation progressively responsible legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform the work at this level. This includes the ability to independently resolve legal and factual issues that affect OIG equities and oversight of DOL programs by performing analysis of laws and facts and to providing conclusions or recommending solutions to questions and issues presented. At least two years of qualifying experience, at the GS-13 level, must be Specialized Experience as defined in bold below. Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to: Prepared memoranda, pleadings, briefs or other legal documents, detailing the facts and legal issues involved to explain the application of legal principles and precedents, and to justify recommendations or conclusions. Presented conclusions, recommendations, and/or positions orally to a variety of audiences, and in varying contexts. Engaged in all aspects of litigation, including depositions and other discovery matters, representing clients in mediation and settlement discussions, and serving as a first-chair in administrative hearings and/or trials. Experience providing authoritative guidance, interpretation and recommendations on both administrative matters and legal. Experience advising and representing agencies or private employers in employment law and equal employment law matters. Experience providing legal advice and guidance on difficult and novel factual and legal issues. Trial advocacy skills, including proficiency in the development of case strategies, direct examination and cross-examination of witnesses, and oral argument. Experience involving contact with government witnesses, administrative judges, and opposing counsel in trying cases before the MSPB, EEOC, or other federal administrative forum. NOTE: A LL.M. may be substituted for a maximum of one year of experience. Transcripts: You must provide a copy of your law school transcript to be considered for this position. Verification of your academic degree(s) is necessary to determine your qualifications or eligibility for this position, you will be required to submit an official transcript for verification purposes before you are hired. However, unofficial transcripts may be submitted during the application phase of the process. Please note that your J.D. or LL. B degree must be conferred before you can begin working.

Education

A LL.B or J.D. is a requirement for this position. If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation necessary to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy. Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

How You Will Be Evaluated

This is an Excepted Service position and is open as well to Non-Citizens as allowed by law. This position will be filled through an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service. Applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements for this position will be further evaluated against the following evaluation factors. Current and/or past supervisors may be contacted unless specified otherwise. A panel and/or the selecting official or his/her designee may interview applicants. Evaluation Factors: Interpersonal Skills Self-Management Legal Analysis Legal Research Legal Writing Oral Advocacy and Communication Trial Litigation It is the responsibility of the applicant to supply sufficient information to provide a basis for rating each of the evaluation factors listed above. INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. You are not required to submit a document if it does not apply to you. Resumes: Required and applicants must provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses. Bar Certification: Should you be selected for this position, you will be required to submit documentation verifying that you are an active member of the Bar in Good Standing of any State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court under the U.S. Constitution. This letter and/or certificate should be dated within the last six months of the closing date of this job announcement. Transcript(s): Should you be selected for this position; you will be required to submit documentation verifying that you have completed your first professional law degree. Applicants who claim substitution of education for experience with an LL.M must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification. Writing Sample (If Applicable): Applicants must submit a writing sample. Some examples of documents demonstrating writing skills are briefs, legal memoranda, and opinion letters. These examples should total no more than 10 pages in length. Extracts of selected sections of larger documents are acceptable. This work must be your own, not edited by someone else. Veterans Documents (if applicable): Attorney appointments within the Department of Labor are positions in the excepted service, not the competitive service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference in attorney appointments; however, the Department of Labor considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. In order to receive positive consideration, you must indicate your eligibility, in response to the appropriate item on the vacancy questionnaire. Additionally, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD214 showing the type of discharge and dates of active duty and, if applicable, a VA letter certifying the present existence of the service-connected disability which indicates the percentage of your disability. (For active-duty service members expecting to be honorably discharged or released within 120 days, click Active Duty) Without this documentation, you will not receive the veteran's consideration. Additional information is available at Feds Hire Vets - Veterans Preference You may also find more information on positive considerations for attorney hiring. Displaced Employee Placement Documents: These documents are only required if you are requesting priority consideration under ICTAP/CTAP Eligibility. Applicants with disabilities (SCHEDULE A) applying under the area of consideration must submit proof of certification by counselors, State vocational rehabilitation agencies, or the Veterans Administration. Cover Letter(s) are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted. Applicants selected for employment that are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, or non-citizenship as allowable in Excepted Service hiring through P.L. 112-10, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your 1 -year probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

How to Apply

Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online ...

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. To qualify for an attorney position, applicants must possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.); be a member in good standing of the bar of a court of general jurisdiction of a state, territory or possession of the U.S.; and have acquired the amount of experience indicated below for each grade level. For GS-12, applicants must have at least one (1) year of qualifying post-law school graduation legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform work at this level. This includes the ability to, with minimal assistance, resolve legal and factual issues that affect OIG equities and oversight of DOL programs by performing analysis of laws and facts and to providing conclusions or recommending solutions to questions and issues presented. At least one year of qualifying experience at the GS-11 level or equivalent must be specialized experience as defined in bold below. For GS-13, applicants must have at least two (2) year of qualifying post-law school graduation legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform work at this level. This includes the ability to independently resolve legal and factual issues that affect OIG equities and oversight of DOL programs by performing analysis of laws and facts and to providing conclusions or recommending solutions to questions and issues presented. At least one year of qualifying experience, at the GS-12 level, must be Specialized Experience as defined in bold below. For GS-14, applicants must have at least three (3) years of qualifying post-law school graduation progressively responsible legal experience of a professional nature which demonstrates the ability to perform the work at this level. This includes the ability to independently resolve legal and factual issues that affect OIG equities and oversight of DOL programs by performing analysis of laws and facts and to providing conclusions or recommending solutions to questions and issues presented. At least two years of qualifying experience, at the GS-13 level, must be Specialized Experience as defined in bold below. Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to: Prepared memoranda, pleadings, briefs or other legal documents, detailing the facts and legal issues involved to explain the application of legal principles and precedents, and to justify recommendations or conclusions. Presented conclusions, recommendations, and/or positions orally to a variety of audiences, and in varying contexts. Engaged in all aspects of litigation, including depositions and other discovery matters, representing clients in mediation and settlement discussions, and serving as a first-chair in administrative hearings and/or trials. Experience providing authoritative guidance, interpretation and recommendations on both administrative matters and legal. Experience advising and representing agencies or private employers in employment law and equal employment law matters. Experience providing legal advice and guidance on difficult and novel factual and legal issues. Trial advocacy skills, including proficiency in the development of case strategies, direct examination and cross-examination of witnesses, and oral argument. Experience involving contact with government witnesses, administrative judges, and opposing counsel in trying cases before the MSPB, EEOC, or other federal administrative forum. NOTE: A LL.M. may be substituted for a maximum of one year of experience. Transcripts: You must provide a copy of your law school transcript to be considered for this position. Verification of your academic degree(s) is necessary to determine your qualifications or eligibility for this position, you will be required to submit an official transcript for verification purposes before you are hired. However, unofficial transcripts may be submitted during the application phase of the process. Please note that your J.D. or LL. B degree must be conferred before you can begin working.