ATTORNEY-ADVISER (GENERAL)

THIS IS A NATIONAL GUARD TITLE 5 EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION. This National Guard position is for a ATTORNEY-ADVISER (GENERAL), Position Description Number T5161000 and is part of the MD JFHQ, National Guard.

Duties

The purpose of this position is to provide full-time professional legal support to the Adjutant General, staff elements and subordinate units of the Army and Air National Guard of the State, as well as to the USPFO for the State. This position performs the following duties:

Responsible for the effective management and accomplishment of the day to day legal workload necessary to provide legal services and support to the Adjutant General, staff elements of both the Army and Air National Guard and subordinate units, as well as the United States Property and Fiscal Officer for the State and his staff. Provides professional legal advice and opinions, both written and oral, on issues arising from federal laws and regulations or concerning the federal mission of the National Guard. Serves as litigation point of contact for the State. Prepares litigation reports, briefs, pleadings and other papers associated with civil litigation involving the National Guard. Upon designation by the U.S. Department of Justice, or, in appropriate cases, when designated by the Office of Legal Advisor, National Guard Bureau, may appear as counsel for the National Guard or National Guard officials or employees in civil litigation.

Acts as the State Adjutant General's representative in third-party proceedings under the Federal Labor-Management Relations Statute. Reviews technician collective bargaining agreements for legal sufficiency. Upon designation by the State Adjutant General, may participate in collective bargaining as a member of the management negotiating team. Serves as claims officer for the State. Prepares claims reports for the processing of claims by the appropriate claims office. Upon designation by the State Adjutant General, participates as Staff Judge Advocate to the Convening Authority in State National Guard courts-martial and as legal advisor or counsel in administrative board proceedings. Reviews Reports of Survey, Line of Duty determinations and similar administrative proceedings for legal sufficiency.

Reviews contracts, procurement actions and real property matters involving federal funds for legal sufficiency. Upon designation by the State Adjutant General, participates in negotiations involving contracts, acquisitions, and real property matters. Assists in drafting of Drafts contracts, agreements and real property documents. Prepares and presents legal training for judge advocates and for other personnel as required. Acts as legal assistance officer for full-time active duty members of the National Guard of the State. Provides general legal counsel and assistance in preparation of simple documents and correspondence on a broad range of personal civil matters. Drafts wills, powers of attorney and similar personal documents.

Acts as legal assistance officer for members of the National Guard of the State by providing the following:
a. Domestic relations. Advises on legal and practical meaning and effects of divorce, legal separations, annulment, custody. Refers to appropriate agencies as necessary.
b. Wills and estates. Provides legal advice and counseling on wills and estates. Drafts and executes wills and codicils. Advises on estate planning to include minor tax considerations and non-trusts under applicable state statutes, or refers to private attorneys as necessary.
c. Nonsupport and indebtedness. Advises and counsels on effect and procedures, to include garnishment rules, repossession procedures, default judgments, adverse personnel actions. Refers to appropriate agencies as necessary.
d. Landlord-Tenant relations and customer affairs. Advises and counsels on tenant's rights; eviction procedures; the legal effect and meaning of leases, offers to purchase, sales contracts and customer's rights in dealing with merchants and lenders; credit reporting agencies; etc. Prepares correspondence and legal instruments. Provides advice on rights accorded by Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act and other statutory provisions.
e. General. Prepares complex powers of attorney and other instruments, advises on immigration/naturalization procedures, insurance matters, general contracts, personal property law. Provides for client referrals to private attorneys as appropriate.

Coordinates activities with part-time judge advocates to insure effective utilization of part-time JAG officers.

Performs other professional legal and military duties as required.

Salary

• $102,415 - $133,142/year

Conditions of Employment

Applicants who meet one of the DoD Priority Placement Program (PPP) categories below are eligible to apply with this preference. (See Required Documents section)

• Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
• Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
• Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Employees
• Priority Placement Program, Military Spouse Preference (MSP)

Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation. May be required to successfully complete a trial period. Participation in direct deposit is mandatory.

Qualifications

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 (for example, 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 www.opm.gov.)

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-12 or equivalent entry-level attorneys are entrusted with the initial preparation of proposed solutions to projects. They conduct investigations to obtain facts, study legal precedents, make recommendations, and prepare necessary documents. They receive preliminary instructions, their commitment authority is limited, and their completed written work is carefully reviewed.

Assignments require the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.), active membership in the bar of the highest court of a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia, and one of the following:

(a) Two years of professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level.

(b) The second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus one year of professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level.

An attorney without experience may be employed at the GS-12 or equivalent level if the individual has advanced educational attainments substantially beyond those required for work at the GS-11 or equivalent level and if their education clearly indicates ability to perform the type of work to be assigned, including courses directly pertinent to the work of the agency. The individual's education must enable them to step into complex legal work characteristic of the GS-12 or equivalent level and to operate with the degree of independence and responsibility typical of that level.

Length of time is not of itself qualifying. Candidates' experience should be evaluated on the basis of duties performed rather than strictly on the rank of the individual; however, established compatibility criteria/assignments must be followed. The applicant's record of experience and/or training must show possession of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to fully perform the duties of the position.

Education Assignments require at least the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.). You must provide transcripts or other documentation to support your Educational claims. To receive credit for Education, you must provide documentation of proof that you meet the Education requirements for this position. Other Information If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency (Register | Selective Service System : Selective Service System (sss.gov)). We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 180 days of the closing date. This position MAY be eligible for recruitment or relocation incentives, pending availability of funding and management request. This position is in the Excepted Service and does NOT convey eligibility to be converted to the Competitive Service. Required Documents

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

1. Your resume showing:

• Contact Information-your name and the best way to contact you.
• Relevant work experience-include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and describe how you meet the required qualifications of the job. Federal jobs should include series and grade.
• Education, certifications or licensures.

2. Other supporting documents: If you are a current Federal Employee, please submit your most current non-award SF-50 when applying. If selected, failure to submit this documentation may affect your pay and/or delay your appointment.

Applicants claiming Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible must submit the following documentation:
- Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self Certification Checklist (DD 3145-3)
- Termination SF-50 Separation stating that the applicant has Priority Placement Eligibility
- Notice of Separation confirming of eligibility.

Applicants claiming Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement must submit the following documentation:
- Military Reserve and Technician Disability PPP Self Certification Checklist (DD 3145-2)
- Termination SF-50 Separation stating that the applicant has Priority Placement Eligibility
- Notice of Separation confirming of eligibility.

Applicants claiming Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Employees must submit the following documentation:
-DoD Retained Grade Self Certification Checklist (DD 3145-1)- SF-50 effecting the placement in retained grade status
- Copy of the notification letter the employee received (RIF or classification downgrade)

Applicants claiming Priority Placement Program, Military Spouse Preference must submit the following documentation:
- DoD Military Spouse Preference Self Certification Checklist (DD 3145-4)
- Sponsor's PCS Orders- Proof of Military member's current active duty status
- Marriage Certificate

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 (for example, 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 www.opm.gov.)

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13073263

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement 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.

Follow the prompts to select your resume 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.


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/.