This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC), Legal Division located in Washington, DC.
Duties
The U.S. Coast Guard's National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC or Center) was created to implement Title I of the Oil Pollution Act (OPA), which addressed issues associated with preventing, responding to, and paying for oil pollution. Title I of OPA established oil spill liability and compensation requirements, including the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) to pay for expeditious oil removal and uncompensated damages. Under the direction of the Chief Legal Officer, this attorney will be responsible for handling highly complex and difficult types of legal work on behalf of the NPFC and must possess very specialized expertise and broad experience in maritime and environmental law, federal litigation practice, cost recovery, oil and gas law, bankruptcy law, insurance law, administrative law, claims adjudication, settlement negotiation, and public speaking. The incumbent consults with and gives legal advice and guidance to Coast Guard officials at the Center and in field concerning the statutes, regulations, judicial opinions, Executive Orders, decisions of the Attorney General or the Comptroller General and internal Coast Guard directives pertaining to Center related operations including expenditures from the Fund and recovery of Fund expenditures from responsible parties. Negotiates, adjudicates or recommends adjudicatory action on claims against the Fund in accordance with relevant statutes, regulations and directives. The incumbent will be required to lead and mentor junior attorneys as they prepare cases for litigation by the Department of Justice and defend against challenges to decisions by NPFC. The incumbent also acts as Agency Counsel by supporting the Department of Justice when defending and prosecuting lawsuits arising from Center activities. The incumbent may also be required to assist with preparing determinations adjudicating claims against the OSLTF and then assist with defending challenges to those determinations. Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments for this position include: -Researching, analyzing and evaluating the facts and law involved in lawsuits arising from Center activities or from claims by or against the Fund. Applying expert knowledge of federal litigation practice, admiralty and maritime law, environmental law, debt collection law, oil and gas law, natural resource damage law, insurance law, fiscal law, contract law, bankruptcy law, administrative law, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)/Privacy Act (PA) law, ethical standards, and procurement law. -Extracting and organizing facts from case files, analyzes the facts in relation to the applicable law and drafts appropriate litigation referrals and reports. May be required to assist Department of Justice attorneys in pre-trial preparation through identifying additional facts, gathering and organizing evidence and preparing briefings and conducting discovery. -Reviewing letters, memoranda, instructions, operating procedures, certificates and other documents for legal sufficiency and legal implications prior to issuance or publication. -Collaborating, as appropriate, with officials from Headquarters and other Government agencies, members of private industry and public interest groups, the general public, and their attorneys on legal aspects of the Center's involvement with oil spill and hazardous substance pollution matters. -Providing legal representation for the Center in dealing with Congress, the courts, and other federal, state and foreign government agencies, and provides legal counsel for the Center in its relations with the general public and industry.
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 Requirements: The minimum qualifications for hiring at each grade level (or equivalent) are as follows: GS-15: To qualify for the GS-15 level position, you must have successfully completed at least one full year of Specialized Experience as a practicing attorney equivalent to the GS-14 level in federal service as reflected in the nature and complexity of casework and legal issues for which responsible. The types and complexity of cases and work involved in handling them are evaluated to determine the level at which you have performed. "Specialized Experience" is experience that included duties requiring: Expert knowledge of, and experience with the Oil Pollution Act, 33 USC 2701 et seq.; Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 USC 1321 et seq.; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, 42 USC 9601 et seq.; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42 USC 9601 et seq.; and international oil pollution liability and compensation regimes; Expert knowledge of, and experience with, admiralty law, maritime law, environmental law, contract law, procurement law, oil and gas law, fiscal law, bankruptcy law, FOIA/PA, ethical standards, insurance, and natural resource damage law; Expert knowledge of, and experience with, the federal litigation process in the particular areas of cost recovery litigation, environmental litigation, maritime litigation, and administrative law litigation; Demonstrated expert ability in drafting legal memorandums and opinions that thoroughly and meticulously explain both the relevant facts and the law; Demonstrated expert ability to lead junior attorneys including reviewing and editing work product produced by others and coaching on how to improve legal skills; and Demonstrated expert ability to effectively communicate verbally with high-ranking military and civilian officials, representatives of the public, private and government organizations at various levels and attorneys representing opposing parties. 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, not to exceed 10 pages. 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 Specialize Experience identified above, may be done on a separate document, or incorporate it within your resume. 6. If the applicant is a current or former federal employee, submit the following: (a) a copy of the applicant's most recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level, step, and salary; and (b) a copy of the applicant's most recent performance appraisal (if a copy of the most recent evaluation is unavailable, please submit an explanation as to why it is unavailable). 7. Coast Guard attorney positions are in the Excepted Service. As such there is no numerical rating system through which to apply a veteran's preference. However, the Coast Guard considers veteran's preference eligibility as a positive factor when hiring. Applicants who are eligible for a veteran's preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume. Eligible applicants should also attach supporting documentation to the submissions (e.g. copy of DD-214 indicating character of service or VA Disability Letter with percentage of disability or documentation of disability determination from a branch of the Armed Services. 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 05/21/2025. 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 Joseph Parks at joseph.p.parks@uscg.mil to obtain an alternative application.
Go Back
