General Attorney (Civil Rights), GS-0905-11/12/13 FPL GS-13 (Open Continuous)

Summary

This position is located in a regional civil rights office Washington, DC, Denver, CO, Seattle, WA, Atlanta, GA, Kansas City, MO. The office operates under the jurisdiction of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Acts of 1975, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act.

Duties

APPLICATION LIMIT: This is an open continuous announcement with cutoff dates. Applications will be referred based on receipt of application and established cutoff dates as follows: 1st cutoff date: 08/26/2026 2nd cutoff date: 09/09/2026 3rd cutoff date: 09/23/2026 Last cutoff date: 09/28/2026 This is an Excepted Service position. The job will be filled by alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service. Applicants selected for an excepted service position are subject to a one-year trial period. Join our Team! The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is looking for the best and brightest to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation. As a General Attorney (Civil Right), GS-0905-13, you will be responsible for: Ensuring that complaints and proactive enforcement activities are processed in accordance with the Assistant Secretary's directives, regulations, policies, case law and conform to established case-processing procedures. Ensures that appropriate remedies are obtained. Conducting legal research and provides legal and policy advice to team members on matters of considerable complexity relating to the investigation, negotiation, resolution of complaints, and compliance reviews Preparing and presenting training to team members on complex issues, complex statutory and regulatory standards, changes in case law, new policy decisions, investigatory techniques, negotiation skills and other case development issues Providing legal advice in the development of technical assistance materials (i.e., responses to recipient inquiries) and reviews such materials to ensure conformity with established legal and policy standards. Provides technical assistance to stakeholders As a General Attorney (Civil Right), GS-0905-12, you will be responsible for: Making civil rights compliance determinations and ensuring that complaints and proactive enforcement activities are processed in accordance with the Assistant Secretary's directives, regulations, policies, case law and conform to established case-processing procedures. Ensures that appropriate remedies are obtained. Participating in all aspects of complaint and proactive enforcement investigations including on-site investigations. Duties include: evaluating complaints; planning investigations; determining legal issues; determining investigation and legal strategy; conducting legal research; collecting/analyzing/interpreting investigation data/information and conducting necessary interviews; implementing approaches to organizing and conducting evaluation, planning, investigation, resolution and/or enforcement activities. Drafting letters (e.g., dismissal letters, notification letters, data requests, letters of finding) and other documents (e.g., statements of the case, legal memoranda, resolution agreements). As a General Attorney (Civil Right), GS-0905-11, you will be responsible for: Evaluating complaints; planning investigations; determining legal issues; determining investigation and legal strategy; conducting legal research; providing legal/policy advice; collecting/analyzing/interpreting investigation data/information and conducting necessary interviews; Implementing approaches to organizing and conducting evaluation, planning, investigation, resolution and/or enforcement activities; drafting letters (e.g., dismissal letters, notification letters, data requests, letters of finding) and other documents (e.g. statements of the case, legal memoranda, resolution agreements) Conducting legal research and provides legal advice to team members on matters of routine complexity relating to the investigation, negotiation, resolution of complaints and compliance reviews and directed investigations and the monitoring of corrective action agreements.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications Requirements for GS-11: Is an active member in good standing in the Bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. AND One year of professional legal experience at the level of difficulty and responsibility at the next lower grade level or equivalent. Specialized Experience for the GS-11 One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-09 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments: 1. Experience in assisting with legal compliance or the enforcement of state or federal laws, regulations, or policies that apply to public entities including but not limited to elementary, secondary, or post-secondary education programs. 2. Experience conducting legal research and drafting legal documents or portions of legal opinions. 3. Experience communication information through written memoranda and oral briefings to staff and supervisors. OR EDUCATION (see Education Requirement section of the announcement) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement). 1. Knowledge of basic principles of research and data gathering. 2. Ability to identify pertinent information relative to the issues. 3. Knowledge the civil rights laws as they apply in the context of education. Minimum Qualifications Requirements for GS-12: A. Is an active member in good standing in the Bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. AND B. Has obtained the first professional law degree or training which is permitted in some states in lieu of attendance at the law school. AND Two years of professional legal experience at the level of difficulty and responsibility at the next lower grade level or equivalent. AND Specialized Experience for the GS-12 One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-11 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments: 1. Experience in analyzing legal compliance or the enforcement of state or federal laws, regulations, or policies that apply to public entities including but not limited to elementary, secondary, or post-secondary education programs. 2. Experience with investigative, analytical, and evaluative techniques to support or lead compliance-driven casework. 3. Experience communicating complex legal information clearly and effectively through written memoranda and oral briefings to staff and supervisors. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement). 1. Ability to apply the civil rights laws and regulations. 2. Knowledge of investigative, analytical, negotiation, mediation, and resolution techniques. 3. Skills in oral and written communications and ability to analyze and resolve legal problem using civil rights legal research. Minimum Qualifications Requirements for GS-13: A. Has obtained the first professional law degree or training which is permitted in some states in lieu of attendance at the law school AND B. Is an active member in good standing in the Bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. AND Specialized Experience for the GS-13 One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-12 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments: 1. Experience in leading legal compliance or the enforcement of state or federal laws, regulations, or policies that apply to public entities including but not limited to elementary, secondary, or post-secondary education programs. 2. Experience with serving as a technical authority or subject matter expert civil rights laws, administrative law, or some other comparatively complex body of law. 3. Experience providing legal advice and developing legal strategies, opinions, and guidance on complex civil rights law, administrative law, or some other comparatively complex body of law. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement). 1. Ability to review complaints, apply regulations and case law, and determine appropriate remedies, including systemic corrective actions. 2. Ability to research complex legal issues and provide clear legal and policy guidance to support investigations, negotiations, complaint resolutions, and compliance reviews. 3. Ability to review complaints, apply regulations and case law, and determine appropriate remedies, including systemic corrective actions.

Education

You may meet the minimum qualification of this position by meeting the following education options. GS-11 1. Second professional law degree (LL.M.) which requires one full year of graduate study; OR 2. The applicant's record shows superior law student work or activities. GS-12 and GS-13 Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level. Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, please click Foreign Education.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: 1. Click the Apply Online button. 2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. 3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. 4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. 5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. 6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. 7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. 8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Required Documents

-A resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Please limit your resume to 2 pages with the font size no smaller than 10 points. If your resume is more than 2 pages, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed and considered for the qualifications determination.. Cover letter if applicable. You are not required to submit bar card or transcripts to apply to the vacancy announcement, but you will be required to submit them upon request from hiring panel or the HR Specialist. Writing sample and/or list of references may be required of selected applicants at later stages in the selection process. If you are claiming Veterans' Preference you must submit: -A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge, member copy 4 (Separated Members only); OR -A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable ...

Minimum Qualifications Requirements for GS-11: Is an active member in good standing in the Bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. AND One year of professional legal experience at the level of difficulty and responsibility at the next lower grade level or equivalent. Specialized Experience for the GS-11 One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-09 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments: 1. Experience in assisting with legal compliance or the enforcement of state or federal laws, regulations, or policies that apply to public entities including but not limited to elementary, secondary, or post-secondary education programs. 2. Experience conducting legal research and drafting legal documents or portions of legal opinions. 3. Experience communication information through written memoranda and oral briefings to staff and supervisors. OR EDUCATION (see Education Requirement section of the announcement) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement). 1. Knowledge of basic principles of research and data gathering. 2. Ability to identify pertinent information relative to the issues. 3. Knowledge the civil rights laws as they apply in the context of education. Minimum Qualifications Requirements for GS-12: A. Is an active member in good standing in the Bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. AND B. Has obtained the first professional law degree or training which is permitted in some states in lieu of attendance at the law school. AND Two years of professional legal experience at the level of difficulty and responsibility at the next lower grade level or equivalent. AND Specialized Experience for the GS-12 One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-11 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments: 1. Experience in analyzing legal compliance or the enforcement of state or federal laws, regulations, or policies that apply to public entities including but not limited to elementary, secondary, or post-secondary education programs. 2. Experience with investigative, analytical, and evaluative techniques to support or lead compliance-driven casework. 3. Experience communicating complex legal information clearly and effectively through written memoranda and oral briefings to staff and supervisors. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement). 1. Ability to apply the civil rights laws and regulations. 2. Knowledge of investigative, analytical, negotiation, mediation, and resolution techniques. 3. Skills in oral and written communications and ability to analyze and resolve legal problem using civil rights legal research. Minimum Qualifications Requirements for GS-13: A. Has obtained the first professional law degree or training which is permitted in some states in lieu of attendance at the law school AND B. Is an active member in good standing in the Bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. AND Specialized Experience for the GS-13 One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-12 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments: 1. Experience in leading legal compliance or the enforcement of state or federal laws, regulations, or policies that apply to public entities including but not limited to elementary, secondary, or post-secondary education programs. 2. Experience with serving as a technical authority or subject matter expert civil rights laws, administrative law, or some other comparatively complex body of law. 3. Experience providing legal advice and developing legal strategies, opinions, and guidance on complex civil rights law, administrative law, or some other comparatively complex body of law. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement). 1. Ability to review complaints, apply regulations and case law, and determine appropriate remedies, including systemic corrective actions. 2. Ability to research complex legal issues and provide clear legal and policy guidance to support investigations, negotiations, complaint resolutions, and compliance reviews. 3. Ability to review complaints, apply regulations and case law, and determine appropriate remedies, including systemic corrective actions.