General Attorney

Summary

About the Position: This position is with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Southwestern Division, Ft Worth District, Office of Counsel with a duty station location of Ft. Worth, Texas. This is a Time Limited Appointment Not to Exceed (NTE) 13 months but may be extended up to a total of 3 years. This position will NOT be made permanent. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

Duties

Works under the technical and advisory supervision of the District Counsel. Responsible for the preparation or review of complex legal issues, instruments, assemblies, or the preparation of legal opinions on complex questions relating to state and Federal laws and regulations. Assigned cases involve extremely complex and difficult legal questions or issues involving novel questions of law and policy affecting several million dollars or more. Responsible for acting as an official legal representative of the office to which assigned in contacts with municipal, state, and federal agencies, other federal agencies, and private stakeholders.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration: Education: An applicant must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.). Law school transcripts must be submitted at the time of application. Bar Membership: An applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory, or commonwealth of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Professional Legal Experience: Experience for the GS-12 level: An applicant must have two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. NOTE: The qualifying authority may make exceptions to the experience requirements when nominees possess special qualifications in place of those specified. For example, a second professional law degree (master of laws) or graduation with a distinguished record from an accredited law school (for example, in the top 25 percent of the class) may be substituted for 1 year of professional legal experience. Experience for the GS-13 level: An applicant must have two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. NOTE: The qualifying authority may make exceptions to the experience requirements when nominees possess special qualifications in place of those specified. For example, a second professional law degree (master of laws) or graduation with a distinguished record from an accredited law school (for example, in the top 25 percent of the class) may be substituted for 1 year of professional legal experience. Time in Grade Requirement: If currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government you must have completed one year at the next lower grade level. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Your application package will be evaluated to ensure your experience, knowledge, skills, training and/or education meet the qualification requirements stated in this vacancy announcement. Quality of experience relates to how closely or to what extent an applicant's background and recency of experience and education clearly reflect that you possess the following required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of this position. The following KSA's must be addressed in your resume. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating or effect your overall rating. These Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's) must be related in the following areas of federal laws and practices: government contracts and fiscal law, civilian personnel and employment, labor-management relations, civil works project authorities, litigation, general administrative law, environmental law, standards of conduct, ethics and real estate. 1. Knowledge, skills, and abilities with research, analyze, and drafting legal opinions, memoranda, and instruments regarding complex and difficult legal questions (such as federal procurement, civil works, environmental, real estate, or administrative law). 2. Knowledge, skills, and ability as it applies to represent an agency or organization in negotiations, meetings, conferences, administrative hearings, or complex litigation in federal courts and before federal administrative tribunals. 3. Knowledge, skills, and experience in providing comprehensive, clear, and timely oral and written legal advice, guidance, and assistance to command leadership, staff, agency military and senior management with other governmental entities, and with private parties on day-to-day operations and varied legal matters. 4. Knowledge, skills, and experience to work independently with minimal supervision, applying legal principles, analyzing conflicting precedents, and developing creative solutions to novel or precedent-setting legal issues. 5. Knowledge, skills, and experience to communicate clearly and persuasively complex legal concepts effectively, both orally and in writing, to negotiate resolutions on varied and complex topics with diverse clients and constituencies.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Best Qualified. Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position. Highly Qualified. Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for the announced position. Qualified. Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for the announced position. You may claim Military Spouse preference. Military Spouse Preference (MSP) applicants will receive preference consideration and will be placed (if selected) at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined best qualified, up to and including the full performance level. You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements. As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 1. Your resume: Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position. Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy. For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume. 2. Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses This position requires a job-related license or certification. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses 3. ***ALL APPLICANTS (EXCEPT FOR CURRENT USACE ATTORNEYS) MUST SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS*** Official law school transcripts. Photo copies are acceptable when applying. Official statement of relative class standing or a statement that applicant's law school doesn't provide rankings. Photo copies are acceptable when applying. Official certificate showing that the applicant is a member in good standing of the bar dated within three months of date the application is submitted. A sworn and notarized statement by the candidate that his or her fitness to practice law or conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction; or, if either has been challenged, a sworn and notarized statement giving the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that the applicant considers appropriate. As an alternative to a sworn and notarized statement, a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted in the following format: "I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct...executed on (date) (signature of applicant)." (28 U.S.C. 1746) The official certificate and statement of fitness must be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted. The certificate and statement are required to be submitted by all applicants, including attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of the Judge Advocate General of the Army. NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/04/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13110009). Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required document...

Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration: Education: An applicant must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.). Law school transcripts must be submitted at the time of application. Bar Membership: An applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory, or commonwealth of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Professional Legal Experience: Experience for the GS-12 level: An applicant must have two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. NOTE: The qualifying authority may make exceptions to the experience requirements when nominees possess special qualifications in place of those specified. For example, a second professional law degree (master of laws) or graduation with a distinguished record from an accredited law school (for example, in the top 25 percent of the class) may be substituted for 1 year of professional legal experience. Experience for the GS-13 level: An applicant must have two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. NOTE: The qualifying authority may make exceptions to the experience requirements when nominees possess special qualifications in place of those specified. For example, a second professional law degree (master of laws) or graduation with a distinguished record from an accredited law school (for example, in the top 25 percent of the class) may be substituted for 1 year of professional legal experience. Time in Grade Requirement: If currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government you must have completed one year at the next lower grade level. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Your application package will be evaluated to ensure your experience, knowledge, skills, training and/or education meet the qualification requirements stated in this vacancy announcement. Quality of experience relates to how closely or to what extent an applicant's background and recency of experience and education clearly reflect that you possess the following required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of this position. The following KSA's must be addressed in your resume. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating or effect your overall rating. These Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's) must be related in the following areas of federal laws and practices: government contracts and fiscal law, civilian personnel and employment, labor-management relations, civil works project authorities, litigation, general administrative law, environmental law, standards of conduct, ethics and real estate. 1. Knowledge, skills, and abilities with research, analyze, and drafting legal opinions, memoranda, and instruments regarding complex and difficult legal questions (such as federal procurement, civil works, environmental, real estate, or administrative law). 2. Knowledge, skills, and ability as it applies to represent an agency or organization in negotiations, meetings, conferences, administrative hearings, or complex litigation in federal courts and before federal administrative tribunals. 3. Knowledge, skills, and experience in providing comprehensive, clear, and timely oral and written legal advice, guidance, and assistance to command leadership, staff, agency military and senior management with other governmental entities, and with private parties on day-to-day operations and varied legal matters. 4. Knowledge, skills, and experience to work independently with minimal supervision, applying legal principles, analyzing conflicting precedents, and developing creative solutions to novel or precedent-setting legal issues. 5. Knowledge, skills, and experience to communicate clearly and persuasively complex legal concepts effectively, both orally and in writing, to negotiate resolutions on varied and complex topics with diverse clients and constituencies.