Closing Date: 24th May, 2024

Description:

Summary:
About the Position: This position is located at Natick, MA.

If you are currently serving in a permanent, competitive service appointment in the Federal service, and are selected for this position, the appointment will remove you from the competitive service while you occupy this position.

Duties:
  • Performs general administrative and civil law action attorney functions in providing legal advice and written reviews in the areas of the general military administrative and civil law.
  • Prepares legal review of FOIA requests and provides written advice to the Command and its leadership regarding the responses to these requests, and their referral to the initial denial authority as required.
  • Assists in preparing command directives, policies, and regulations. Reviews command directives, policies, orders, memorandums of agreement and understanding and regulations prepared by other agencies for legal sufficiency.
  • Acts as an ethics adviser including post government employment advice.
  • Serves as the Primary Ethics Counselor, as delegated by the authority of the IMCOM Staff Judge Advocate, and renders opinions based on the Joint Ethics Regulation and other governing ethics laws and regulations.
  • Manages the Garrison Ethics program.
  • Furnishes authoritative legal advice to Command officials on a variety of legal topics to include acquisition strategy, legal sufficiency of solicitations, awards, supporting justification documents, and appropriate funding of those actions.
  • Position serves as Labor Counselor and Employment Law Trial Attorney.

Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • A two year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance for access for the duration of employment.
  • This position requires the incumbent to maintain an active bar membership that permits the representation of the Federal Government in the courts of their jurisdiction to the extent that private practice attorneys are able to for their clients.

Qualifications:
Who May Apply: Current and former Federal employees and US Citizens.

Applicants will be evaluated to determine if they meet the minimum qualification requirements and on the extent to which their application shows possession of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the position. KSA's:
  • Skill in identifying and researching highly technical and complex legal issues.
  • Skill in providing legal, technical, and policy guidance.
  • Ability to effectively, professionally, and ethically manage a heavy caseload of clients with complex legal needs.

Qualification Requirements: The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:

1) Education: Assignments require the first professional law degree (Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctorate (J.D.)). Applicants for initial appointment into attorney positions must be graduates of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of the applicant's graduation. The Army General Counsel may make an exception upon a showing that a candidate possesses superior qualifications and that no well-qualified candidates from accredited law schools are available.

2) Bar Membership: Applicants must be active members in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of a State, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

3) Professional Legal Experience

GS-13: Applicants must possess 2 years of professional legal experience after admission to the bar commensurate with the duties of the position. The Attorney Qualifying Authority may grant an exception to this requirement when an applicant possess special qualifications.

4) Time in Grade (current Federal employees): Candidates selected for advancement will normally have completed at least one year of service that is one grade lower than the position to be filled. The selecting official may request a waiver of the one year requirement in cases where hardship or inequity exists.

Notice of Veteran's Preference: 
There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") to their submissions.

Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference", and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. The SF 15 will identify the supporting documentation required along with the list of the types of 10-point preference. The SF 15 is available from the OPM at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/sf/.

Education:
Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.