Attorney Advisor (General)

This position is located in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Office of Chief Counsel. This position's primary purpose is to provide legal advice, review disciplinary proposals, defend DEA in employment-related administrative litigation, and support the defense of DEA in federal employment-related lawsuits.

Duties

The Employment and Defensive Litigation Section (EDL) is a one-stop shop for all DEA personnel and employment law issues. EDL attorneys provide legal advice, review disciplinary proposals, defend DEA in employment-related administrative litigation, and support the defense of DEA in federal employment-related lawsuits. EDL handles a wide range of employment-related disputes and litigation matters. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical abilities, excellent advocacy and litigation skills, and experience managing complex cases in a fast-paced environment and handling employment law counseling matters.

Some duties of EDL attorneys include:

• Defending DEA in administrative, employment-law cases before the Merit Systems Protection Board and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
• Serving as agency counsel working with United States Attorney offices to defend DEA in federal employment-related lawsuits across the country.
• Providing advice to DEA management on employment and personnel matters.
• Providing advice/review on grievances, performance improvement plans, reasonable accommodations, security clearance suspensions/revocations, disciplinary actions, and similar matters.
• Serving as DEA liaison in response to various employment-related investigations, including those by the Office of Special Counsel and Department of Labor.

Salary

• $121,785 - $197,200/year

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Incumbent is subject to random drug testing.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
• Selectee may be required to serve a 1-year OR 2-year trial period, as appropriate) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• Must be active member of a Bar Association.
• Initial appointment is conditional upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprints, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

All applicants must be an active member of a bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction) and possess: 1) a J.D. degree (or equivalent) and have at least 2-year post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience; 2) excellent academic credentials; 3) strong oral and written advocacy skills; 4) superior legal research and analytical skills; and 5) a demonstrated ability to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment.

To qualify for each GS Level:
-Applicants applying for the GS-13 must have 2 or more years of post J.D. legal experience
-Applicants applying for the GS-14 must have 3 or more years of post J.D. legal experience
-Applicants applying for the GS-15 must have 4 or more years of post J.D. legal experience

Specialized experience:

Applicants applying for the GS-13 must have 2 or more years of cumulative post J.D. legal experience in litigation, employment law, and/or a judicial clerkship.

Applicants applying for the GS-14 must have 3 or more years of cumulative post J.D. legal experience in employment in litigation, employment law, and/or a judicial clerkship. Applicants should have substantial post-JD experience working on relevant legal matters, such as employment law counseling matters or litigation matters, with little or no guidance and/or supervision. Applicants should have mediation and/or hearing experience.

Applicants applying for the GS-15 must have 4 or more years of cumulative post J.D. legal experience in employment in litigation, employment law, and/or a judicial clerkship. Applicants should have substantial post-JD experience working on relevant legal matters, such as employment law counseling matters or litigation matters, with little or no guidance and/or supervision. Applicants must have mediation and/or hearing experience leading teams and/or advising senior leadership on legal and policy matters.

Qualifying litigation experience may include civil, administrative, or criminal litigation. Applicants should have a strong interest in civil litigation and employment law. Preferred applicants will have prior experience in a judicial clerkship and/or civil or administrative litigation (particularly that is related to employment law). Applicants must possess superior research, analytical, and writing abilities.

Education A J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet these criteria, see www.ed.gov. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: ww.naces.org/members.php. Other Information For reasonable accommodation at the Drug Enforcement Administration, please contact the Human Resources office listed in this announcement. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office listed in this announcement. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Division/Office listed in this announcement. Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. Please notify this office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

1. Resume - must be no more than two pages in length; resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Resume should include applicants' name, email address, phone number, relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year), work schedule (e.g. part or full-time), the number of hours per week worked/volunteered, job title and description of duties performed. Education/Certification/Licensure when relevant or required for position. See Guidance for Applicants on 2-Page Resume and visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information.
2. Transcripts: An unofficial transcript containing a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award. Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcripts will be required prior to your first day.
3. Writing Sample: A brief or comparable analytic legal exposition that is your work product. (No more than 10 pages)
4. Proof of current and active Bar Association Membership.
5. Cover Letter
6. Agency and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) Eligibles, if applicable: View information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You must be rated in the Highly-Qualified category for this position and submit the supporting documents listed below to receive consideration for selection priority).

• (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)

1. Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable: The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent or higher will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

• To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
• To claim 10-point preference, submit the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) AND all required documentation outlined on the form to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.). If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference.
• To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 and all required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim.
• To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.
• For all preference claims:
  • DD-214 must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals.
  • If you are currently on active duty and applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must provide a certification on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service dates, expected date of discharge or release, and the character of service to show that your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected date of discharge or release must be no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted for consideration for this vacancy announcement.
• For more veterans' preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.
STEP 2: Submit your resume. Resume must not exceed two pages. Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.
STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions.
STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.

Alternate Application Procedures: If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.