ATTORNEY-ADVISER (GENERAL)

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as civilian Legal Advisor to Headquarters, United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), Joint Intelligence Center (JICCENT), Subordinate Commands and Security Assistance Offices, on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act (PA), investigations, general administrative law, litigation issues, and labor law areas.

Duties

• Provides oral and written legal advice and technical legal guidance to the Commander and key CENTCOM officials, subordinate service commands and joint task forces concerning all aspects of Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act.
• As determined by the Staff Judge Advocate, incumbent may be required to provide oral or written legal advice concerning general administrative law and ethics issues to include (but not limited to): giving legal opinions on a wide variety of matters relating to the proper administration of the command, including reports of survey, host-tenant agreements, revision and promulgation of command regulations and info policies, line of duty investigations, non­appropriated fund instrumentality activities, military personnel affairs and policy and regulation reviews.
• Manages and leads the Command's responses to civil 1 litigation cases. Briefs senior command leaders on status and details of all cases affecting the USCENTCOM area of operations including but not limited to National Security FOIA, Class Action, and tort litigations.
• Serves as the command expert in all facets of investigations. Provides substantive legal advice to the Commander, Deputy Commander, Chief of Staff and Command directorates on the disposition of investigations which include but are not limited to: law of war violations, civilian casualty investigations, friendly fire investigations, civilian misconduct cases (Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act-MEJA), and criminal misconduct incidents.
• Serves as the Command's only practicing labor law counselor, represents the Command and provides legal advice to Command Officials on any matter relating to the administration of civilian personnel and contractor employees.

Salary

• $125,776 - $163,514/year

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required
• If authorized, PCS will be paid IAW JTR and AF Regulations. If receiving an authorized PCS, you may be subject to completing/signing a CONUS agreement. More information on PCS requirements, may be found at: https://afciviliancareers.com/regulatory/
• Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov.
• Employee must maintain current certifications
• Attorney appointments are subject to serve a one-year probationary period.
• Work may require frequent travel away from the normal duty station and outside the U.S. utilizing any mode of military or commercial transportation.
• Candidates are not required to have active duty service or veterans’ preference to be referred and considered. All qualified candidates who meet the recruitment assessment criteria will be referred to the selecting official.
• Depending on the type of position (competitive/excepted) you are selected for, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period OR 2-year trial period.
• Upon completion of your probationary/trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
• Conditions of Employment Cont. under Qualifications Tab.

Qualifications

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

• You MUST have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD).
• In addition, at the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status with a bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status.

Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirement: you must have professional legal experience in excess of three (3) years that commensurate with the position's duties and responsibilities.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

1. Knowledge of rules, procedures, policies, and programs of a military legal office at the USCENTCOM Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, and have the ability to gather, assemble, and analyze facts, draw conclusions, conduct analysis, devise recommended solutions, and package the entire process in briefings, papers, or reports.
2. Expert knowledge of law and regulation Government Information Practices, including the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act (PA), Federal Advisory Committee Act, and related, programs, including legal interpretation and decisions pertaining thereto, and other pertinent laws, Executive Orders, and FOIA court decisions and precedents pertaining to information disclosures, security, privacy, and protection of information related to the FOIA Program.
3. Must have current and comprehensive knowledge of policies, programs and operations with specialized knowledge of Global War on Terrorism, weapons and force structure, counter-drugs, intelligence, command campaign plans, detention operations, manpower, basing rights, logistics, political and military affairs, public affairs, human rights, communications, investigations, and Legislative issues.
4. Expert knowledge of the disclosure provisions of the Privacy Act (PA), including Defense Privacy Board Advisory Opinions and current DoD PA policy; knowledge of the interaction of the PA with the FOIA and the advanced ability to interpret civil law and court decisions affecting FOIA and to apply to writing affidavits in support of litigated case against the USCENTCOM, subordinate commands, Joint Task Forces or DoD. Expert knowledge of Department of Defense (DoD) regulations, directives, and court decisions regarding the FOIA, PA and other General Law areas. Expert knowledge of classification and declassification procedures for USCENTCOM and DoD information requested by FOIA request.Expert knowledge of procedures, policies and regulations pertaining to investigations which including law of war violations, civilian casualty investigations, friendly fire investigations, civilian misconduct cases (Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act-MEJA), and criminal misconduct cases.
5. Skill in devising negotiating strategies,and then implement those strategies in negotiations with senior Department of Defense and Department of Justice attorneys or other officials and have the ability to communicate both orally and in writing to sufficiently maintain effective and cooperative work relationships with representatives of military and civilian organizations. Skill in analyzing administrative, operational, international and domestic law and apply the law and relevant international standards to specific military situations, resulting in conclusions which are legally supportable by statue, case law, and implementing policy and regulations.
6. Ability to interpret and apply statutory, regulatory and procedural requirements to unusually difficult and complicated issues. In addition, ability to interpret and apply historical and current case law reflecting the judicial philosophy used in the interpretation and application of the law to a given set of facts and circumstances that may be highly complex and/or a case of first impressions in emerging fields of military operations.

At the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status and in good standing with a bar of the highest court of a State, US commonwealth, US territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status and dated within four months of application.

PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Conditions of Employment Continued:

• This position requires a fully qualified and licensed attorney admitted to the practice of law and a member in good standing before the highest court of a U.S. State, territory, possession, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia. Must be a graduate of an ABA accredited law school with a Juris Doctor or equivalent degree.
• Required to disclose any pending ethics or other judicial or miscellaneous allegations under review, including any adverse findings by a state bar or disciplinary committee and must consent to provide a letter for each state where admitted to demonstrate good standing.
• This position has been designated by the Air force as a Test Designated Position (TOP) under the Air Force Civilian Drug Demand Reduction Program. Employee must pass initial and periodic short notice drug testing. Illegal drug use by employees in sensitive positions presents a clear threat to the mission of the Air Force, national security, and public safety.
• Work may require frequent travel away from the normal duty station and outside the U.S. utilizing any mode of military or commercial transportation.
• On a frequent basis, may be required to perform overtime, work weekends and holidays, and report outside normal duty hours. During crisis/contingency operations, employee may be required to work in the crowded environment of command operations centers.
• Incumbent will be required to acquire and retain Top Secret Clearance eligibility with Sensitive Compartmented Information access, based upon a Single Scoped Background Investigation. Position may include additional program security requirements in order to fully perform the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Education Must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, and be currently licensed as an attorney, in active (or equivalent) status and in good standing, with the bar of a U.S. state, territory, or commonwealth. The attorney must maintain such bar membership in at least one jurisdiction during the entire course of employment with the Air Force. Other Information Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information. Current Federal Civilian employees may apply for temporary and term positions and if selected, a break in service may be required prior to appointment to the position. Writing Example: Prior to receiving an offer, you will be asked to provide a writing sample demonstrating your legal analytical skills. 120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur. Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit. Incentives: Recruitment and/or retention incentives may or may not be used. Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here. If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here. Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming. Click here to view the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide and the required documents you must submit to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming.

1. Online Application: Questionnaire
2. Resume: Your resume may NOT exceed two pages, and the font size should not be smaller than 10 pts. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume is illegible/unreadable. Additional information on resume requirements can be located under "How To Apply".
3. License: At the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status with a bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status.

ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act requires federal agencies to treat an eligible active duty service member as a veteran, disabled veteran, and preference eligible (as applicable) when applying for civil service positions before the effective release or discharge date. Appointment of military members before the release or discharge date is permissible if the member is on terminal leave. At the time the active duty member applies for a civil position, he or she must submit a "certification" memo in lieu of a DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. The certification memo must originate from the member's military service branch on official letterhead and contain the following:

• Name/Rank/Grade of Service Member
• Branch of Armed Forces
• Dates of Active Service (Start and End Date(s)
• Expected Date of Discharge/Release from Active Duty
• Terminal leave start date (if applicable)
• Expected character of service/discharge (honorable/general) and type of separation (i.e. separation or retirement)
• Must be certified within 120 days of anticipated discharge
• Signature by, or by direction of the adjutant, personnel office, unit commander, or higher headquarters commander

NOTE: The VOW Act provides tentative preference. If appointed, a DD Form 214 must be submitted upon receipt.

NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE:
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of 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 to their submissions.

Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim Veterans Preference must submit VOW certification memo or copy of the official DD Form 214, which must include the character of service, and a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov.)

NOTE: Applicants for attorney appointments do not require veterans' preference in order to be eligible for consideration.

How to Apply

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/16/2026

To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13053758

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp.

• Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here.
• For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume.
• Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy.
• Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume.

2. A complete Application Questionnaire
3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name.
4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here.
5. Optional Documents: Performance Appraisals for Current Federal Civilian Employees - Most recent performance appraisals (dated within last 3 years) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.

Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.