Closing Date: 19th April, 2024
Description:
Summary:About the Position: This supervisory attorney position is located within the U.S. Army Claims Service at Fort Meade, MD.
A recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized.
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:
- Serves as Chief, Tort Settlements Branch/Senior Torts Attorney responsible for a major operating program of the U.S. Army Claims Service (USARCS).
- Directly manages a team of between nine and eleven attorney-advisers.
- Provides formal and informal advice or opinions on the interpretation of laws, policies, or regulations to the heads of programs or executive or military departments.
- Understands and analyzes federal tort statutes and assesses litigation risk related to specific administrative tort claims.
- Provides tort claim training to Army field claims offices and provides guidance to attorney-advisors, claims judge advocates, investigators and paralegals across the Army.
- Monitors and continually evaluates the effectiveness of tort data collection systems and responds to requests for information and data from field offices, the press, other Federal Agencies, Army Senior Leaders, and members of Congress.
- Contributes to the development of tort claim policies within the Department of the Army and Department of Defense, including legislative initiatives relating to military tort claims.
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 High Risk Public Trust (HRPT) security clearance for access for the duration of employment.
- This position requires the incumbent to maintain active bar membership, in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
- This position is subject to a Temporary Duty or business travel requirement of 25% or less of the time.
Qualifications:
Who May Apply: 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:
- Knowledge of and ability to analyze federal and state tort claims statutes, related regulations, and general principles of tort law across the United States and worldwide.
- Skill in providing authoritative legal, policy, and procedural guidance related to the investigation, processing, and settlement of Army tort claims.
- Skill in advocating on behalf of an agency, including during the federal rule-making process and negotiations.
- Ability to use databases and Excel for informational and statistical research, and present that research to Army Senior Leaders.
- Ability to supervise or lead others, including the ability to coach and mentor attorneys via formal written feedback (progress reviews and appraisals) and informal opportunities.
Qualification Requirements: The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:
Education Requirements:
Position requires the possession of the first professional law degree
(LL.B. or J.D.) And active membership in the bar of the highest court of
a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of
Columbia. Applicants for initial appointment into attorney positions
within the Department of Army must be graduates of law schools
accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of the
applicant's graduation. As indicated below, a law school transcript must
be submitted with your application materials.
Bar Membership: Applicants
must currently be a member in good standing (as defined by the
pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S.
territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. As
noted below, proof of such membership and good standing must be
submitted with your application materials.
Experience: In addition to the requirements above, applicants for the GS-15 or equivalent Attorney positions must also possess three 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: The Qualifying Authorities (QA's) will make a determination as to the applicability of time in grade based on the requirements of the position. If you are currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government you must have completed one year at the next lower grade level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade level as the position being filled.
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.
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.
