This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), District (D)13, D13 Command Cadre, D13 Legal Staff (DL), in Seattle, WA.
Duties
In this position, you will serve as a Legal Assistance Attorney under the general supervision of the Staff Judge Advocate, furnishing legal counsel, advice, and services to individuals eligible for legal assistance within the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include: Rendering substantive advice guidance and services for estate planning, including probating issues, tax implications related to death, by-pass trusts, credit shelter trusts, special needs trusts, Uniform Gift to Minors Act, Uniform Trust for Minors Act, guardianship, child welfare trusts, and advanced medical directives. Drafting wills, trusts and others documents necessary to properly complete an estate plan; drafting military testamentary instruments; drafting medical directives; rendering substantive advice regarding landlord-tenant disputes; rendering substantive advice regarding consumer affairs matters, etc. Assist eligible personnel with legal problems occasioned by deployment, including periodic pre-deployment briefings to crews of high and medium-endurance cutters and other deployable Coast Guard units. Providing legal assistance to Reserve members being recalled to active duty; such mobilization may result in a temporary "surge" in legal assistance cases with relatively large numbers of eligible personnel needing assistance in a short period of time. Drafting pleadings, client correspondence, settlement agreements and other written documents in support of all practice areas. Representing clients in judicial, quasi-judicial, and administrative hearings. Propose instructions and directives relating to legal assistance and reviews proposed instructions and directives and those circulated by higher authority.
Salary
Qualifications
Basic Requirement for all grade levels: 1. You must be a graduate with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited law school; AND 2. You must have bar membership in one of the 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico or the US. Virgin Islands. Minimum Experience Requirements: At least (1) one full year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 in the federal service performing legal work. Examples of experience include Providing legal advice; Drafting legal documents; Representing clients; Developing litigation strategy Advising on compliance with relevant laws and regulations; Assisting with dispute resolution through negotiation, mediation, or litigation. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
Education Requirements: This position has a positive education requirement. All Candidates must possess a J.D. or LL.B degree from an accredited law school; AND, must be a member in good standing of the appropriate licensing authority of any state, territory of the United States, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or District of Columbia bar. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at click here NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Required Documents
In order to receive full consideration, you must submit: 1. A resume or any other written format of your choice which clearly identifies the following information: Job Information-Announcement number, title and grade. Personal Information- Full name, mailing address (with zip code), email address if available, day and evening phone numbers (with area code), country of citizenship, veterans' preference, highest Federal civilian series and grade held, if applicable. Education- College or University name, city and state, major(s)and type and year of any degrees received. Work Experience- job title, duties and accomplishments, current and former (within the last 10 years) employers' names and addresses, current and former supervisors' names and phone numbers where available, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours per week, salary, and indicate whether your current supervisor may be contacted. Qualifications- job-related training courses (title and year), skills, certificates and licenses, honors, awards, and special accomplishments. 2. A copy of your J.D. or LL.B. transcript. 3. A legal writing sample, minimum of two pages and maximum of ten. 4. You will be required to submit proof of current membership, in good standing, with the appropriate licensing authority of any state, territory of the United States, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or District of Columbia bar. 5. Information related to the skills and experience listed under the Evaluations section above, may be done on a separate document, or incorporate it within your resume. You may find general application information and other forms at the website of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, www.usajobs.opm.gov.None of the application documents will be returned. In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard offers Career Transition Assistance Placement (CTAP) coverage to Attorneys within the Department of Homeland Security. Individuals who have special priority selection rights under CTAP provisions must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. If you are eligible under CTAP, you must submit a copy of your certificate of surplus status, certificate of expected separation, or your specific Reduction-in-Force notice establishing your eligibility under CTAP, a copy of your most recent SF-50 noting current position, series, grade level and duty location. You must clearly indicate the grade from which you separated or declared surplus. All documentation as outlined above must be received by the closing date of the announcement.
How to Apply
To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. We encourage you to apply online. Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM eastern standard time on 07/28/2025. It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Pamela Flynn at pamela.k.flynn@uscg.mil to obtain an alternative application.
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