ATTORNEY-ADVISER (GENERAL)

Summary

This position is in the excepted service. It is filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service. Position is located in: DFAS Office of General Counsel, Accounting and Commercial Law Directorate, Indianapolis, IN.

Duties

• For vacancies filled at less than the full performance level of the position, duties will be developmental in nature.
• Serves as an Assistant Counsel within the DFAS Office of General Counsel.
• Drafts comprehensive, clear, and concise written opinions on legal problems involving complex issues with little or no legal precedents and makes recommendations for action.
• Effectively manages multiple work assignments and competing priorities concurrently.
• Demonstrates and maintains strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Works both independently and as a team member in a demanding environment.
• Establishes and maintains collaborative working relationships with inside and outside DFAS.
• Primary practice areas include: federal contract acquisitions, fiscal law, and contract and vendor pay.
• Additional practice areas may include interagency agreements and assisted acquisitions, commercial bankruptcy, debt collection, audit, accounting, finance, and other legal matters concerning DFAS.
• Demonstrates capability to learn new areas of law or existing knowledge and experience in one or more of the primary practice areas.

Qualifications

GS-11 Qualifications: Assignments require 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. In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied: 1. One year of professional legal experience. 2. The second professional law degree (Master of Laws (LL.M.)) provided it required 1 full academic year of graduate study. 3. Superior law student work or activities as demonstrated by one of the following: a. Academic standing in the upper third of the attorney's law school graduating class. b. Work or achievement of significance on one of the attorney's law school's official law reviews or journals. c. Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school (e.g., membership in the Order of the Coif, winning of a moot court competition, or membership on the moot court team that represents the attorney's law school in competition with other law schools). d. Full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program as opposed to one-time, intermittent, or casual participation. e. Significant summer law office clerk experience. f. Other evidence of clearly superior accomplishment or achievement. GS-12 Qualifications: Assignments require 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. In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied: a. Two years of professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level. b. The second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus 1 year of professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level. 2. An attorney without experience may, in unusual cases, be employed at the GS-12 or equivalent level provided the individual has advanced educational attainments substantially beyond those required for work at the GS-11 or equivalent level, and his or her education clearly indicates ability to perform work of the type to be assigned; for example, education that included courses directly pertinent to the work of the agency. The essential point in such cases is to ensure that the individual's education has enabled him or her to step into complex legal work characteristic of the GS-12 or equivalent level, and to operate with the degree of independence and responsibility typical of that level. GS-13 Qualifications: Assignments require 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. In addition, the attorney shall have professional legal experience in excess of 2 years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. This announcement is being used to fill positions with an entry grade of GS-11, GS-12, or GS-13 with a full performance level of GS-13. The minimum salary for grade GS-11 is $75,374, the maximum salary is $97,991. The minimum salary for grade GS-12 is $90,341, the maximum salary is $117,446. The minimum salary for grade GS-13 is $107,428, the maximum salary is $139,658. Please apply at all levels for which you feel qualified.

Education

Education requirements are listed in the Qualifications section above.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents below. Click 'Apply Online' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. 1. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents. 2. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application. 3. Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking Application Status, then More Information for this position. Return to an incomplete application by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.