General Attorney

About the Position: These positions are located within the US Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, where you will function as a General Attorney providing legal services concerning for example contracts, environmental law, litigation, labor and employment law, and or real estate law, conduct legal research, render legal opinions and furnish legal advice to the District Commander, staff, and interested District personnel on all aspects of the Corps' missions. The minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:

Education: In order to qualify for this position, you 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 (LLB or JD).

Bar membership: Applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Experience: For eligibility at either grade level GS-12, GS-13 or equivalent - Applicants must have at a minimum two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Graduation from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or an advanced law degree such as an LLM may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENTS: If currently employed as an Attorney by the Federal Government you must have completed 1 year at the next lower GS grade level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, one year at GS-11 for GS-12 or one year at GS-12 for the GS-13, or previously served at the same or higher grade of the position being filled.

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/ This is an Open Continuous Job Announcement with a closing date of September 30, 2024.

Resumes may be pulled 30 days after the Job Announcement opening date and as vacancies occur within each district.

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 and your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

1. Technical Knowledge.

A. Experience and/or knowledge in the specialized body of law applicable to procurement law, environmental law, labor and employment law, real estate law, and fiscal law. This includes extensive experience with and knowledge of Federal, DoD and Department of the Army regulations, guidelines, and policies.

B. Experience and mature judgment in handling legal problems including statutory interpretations, preparing legal documents, and reviewing document for legal soundness and accuracy sufficient for accomplishment of difficult, complex and varied legal work relating to complex procurements, litigation, civil works, military construction, regulatory, ethics, fiscal law, and interagency agreements, secured transactions, labor and employment law, real estate law, and administrative law.

2. Other Indicia of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

Ability to advise and communicate effectively with senior leadership at all levels; ability to lead and manage complex legal issues, including reviewing work of legal subject matter experts. Credentials as indicated in the rsum and other application materials (e.g., awards, support for diversity and EEO, performance ratings, educational achievements).

GS 11: One (1) or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar; commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of this position. Examples of this experience are: (1) Providing legal advice on the application of laws and regulations, precedents, and agency practices; (2) Providing legal advice and representation related to environmental law, contract claims and appeals, real estate law, employment law, and criminal laws, (3) Using a broad spectrum of legal resources, including computer data bases and traditional research methods, (4) Analyzing cases, legal documents, statutes, regulations, and other legal sources for precedential or analogous information and/or argument, (5) Identifying, researching, evaluating and analyzing facts and complex legal issues, including administrative laws, (6) Formulating legal alternative courses of action to meet the needs of clients, (7) Explaining legal principles and the risks concerning alternative courses of action to decision makers, both independently and on a team, (8) Representing clients before administrative and judicial tribunals, (9) Preparing digests or summaries of documents and material located, shepardizing cases, checking case law to determine applicability and ongoing precedence, and performing citation accuracy, and (10) Preparing legal forms and documents such as litigation reports, motions, briefs, discovery, and pleadings.

OR

Superior qualifications, graduates in the top 25% of law school class, can substitute for the one year of legal practice experience requirement.

GS 12: Two (2) or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar; commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of this position. Examples of this experience are: (1) Providing legal advice and representation related to state or federal laws, regulations and policies, (2) Analyzing factual and legal questions which present a variety of issues, including new and complex areas such as intellectual law, information management, environmental law, investigations, contract law, appeals, criminal law, and a detailed knowledge of a diverse combination of case law, government policies, federal regulations, legal texts, and state and federal statutes, (3) Drafting and constructing legal documents that are prepared reflecting substantive and detailed evidentiary research in support of litigation in United States District Courts and or various administrative courts, (4) Functioning independently to carry out investigatory, advisory, instructional, pretrial, trial and negotiation responsibilities. Consulting on the overall approach to be taken on the line of argument to be pursued especially when important precedential effects are anticipated or when unusual or extremely complex problems arise, (5) Advising decision makers in all aspects of federal remediation laws, regulations and policies related to federal environmental laws, and/or other related environmental laws, (6) Regulations and policies related to federal acquisitions, furnishing counsel and guidance on all procurement matters, including issues of law and fact procurement methods, government policies, appropriate legal authorities, types and forms of contracts, and the various consequences of the contract types and terms and conditions under consideration (7)Identifying, researching, evaluating and analyzing facts and complex legal issues, including administrative laws, (8) Formulating legal alternative courses of action to meet the needs of clients, (9) Explaining legal principles and the risks concerning alternative courses of action to decision makers, both independently and on a team to advise and advocate for the client, and (10) Representing clients before administrative and judicial tribunals.

GS 13: Two (2) or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar; commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of this position. Examples of this experience are: (1) Exercising discretion and independent judgement in the application of laws, regulations, precedents, and agency practices; (2) Providing legal advice and representation related to federal or state environmental laws, regulations and policies, including the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and/or other related environmental laws, regulation and policies, (3) Providing legal advice and statutory interpretation regarding problems related to the Federal Torts Claims Act, the Suits in Admiralty Act, and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), (4) Advising a Contracting Officer or other decision makers in all aspects of federal laws, regulations and policies related to federal acquisitions, including contract formation, contract administration, contract disputes and contract litigation before administrative body or courts; (5) Advising decision makers in all aspects of federal aspects of the federal acquisition regulation, comptroller general decisions, OMB circulars, ASBCA decisions, federal regulations and policies related to federal acquisitions, including civil works and MILCON contracts, (6) Ability to function effectively as a counselor and advisor to senior officials and project delivery teams within the Corps of Engineers, and to work with private entities, local and governments, and other federal agencies, at the highest levels, (7) Identifying, researching, evaluating and analyzing facts and complex legal issues, including regulations, policies, and directives related to legal areas such as federal civil works programs, fiscal law, labor and employment law, real estate law, administrative laws, and representing clients before administrative and judicial tribunals.