About the Position: The incumbent will serve as the lead legal advisor for special education matters in the Americas region and will provide subject matter expertise in special education law across DoDEA's global footprint.
Duties
- Serves as the lead legal expert on special education law for DoDEA Americas Regional office
- Provides high-level legal advice on compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other federal mandates governing services for students with disabilities.
- Delivers timely and authoritative legal counsel to senior leaders, school administrators, and special education professionals on matters including IEP development
- and implementation, disciplinary protections, due process hearings, and systemic compliance reviews.
- Anticipates and mitigates litigation risks through proactive legal guidance, strategic problem-solving, and collaboration with educational and operational stakeholders.
- Develops and delivers legal training, resources, and decision-support tools to promote the consistent application of special education law across DoDEA’s global school system.
- Supports the resolution of high-stakes disputes by advising on and participating in settlement negotiations, mediation, and administrative litigation as necessary.
- As needed, provides advised on administrative law, as well as labor and employment law matters
Salary
Qualifications
Who May Apply: U.S. Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Experience: You must have three or more 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. Expertise in Special Education law, including litigation and policy development as well as experience advising on labor and employment law, administrative law, and federal education statutes is highly desirable. Bar Membership: You must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a State, Territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. VETERAN'S PREFERENCE INFORMATION: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Army considers veteran's preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veteran's preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documents (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. (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 http://www.opm.gov/.). To successfully claim veteran's preference, your resume/supplemental data must clearly show your entitlement.
Education
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Required Documents
The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist (External). As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 1. Your resume: Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy. For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position. You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation. For additional information see: What to include in your resume. 2. Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable License or Certification: If this position requires a job-related licensure or certification, you MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. To determine if this position requires a job-related licensure or certification, please review the Qualifications section listed above. Transcripts: This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. You MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. You MUST scan, upload and attach legible photocopies of the following transcripts: Bachelor's Transcript Master's Transcript. This transcript is required IF it applies to you. EDS Transcript. This transcript is required IF it applies to you. Doctorate's transcript. This transcript is required IF it applies to you. Official Transcripts: Failure to provide copies of all applicable transcripts will result in disqualification due to incomplete application. You must scan, upload and attach legible photocopies of the following official transcripts: Bachelor's Transcript Master's Transcript. This transcript is required IF it applies to you. EDS Transcript. This transcript is required IF it applies to you. Doctorate's transcript. This transcript is required IF it applies to you. NOTE: Transcripts must include the date and degree was conferred. Transcripts without this information will not be reviewed and will result in disqualification. Your transcripts must clearly identify coursework required for the position you are applying for. Transcripts submitted in other languages other than English must include an official translation or will not be considered. Computer print-outs of transcripts, links to transcripts, grade reports, copies of degree diplomas or certificates, illegible copies and unofficial copies of transcripts will not be acceptable. Receipt of these documents will result in automatic disqualification.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/17/2025 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12793526). Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. 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/.
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