The United States Secret Service is seeking retirees of the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to support our integrated mission and impart knowledge and experience to the current workforce. Joining the Secret Service, Office of the Chief Counsel will allow you to provide legal training, advice, and representation to and on behalf of the Secret Service and its protective, investigative, and administrative programs and activities.
Duties
The selectee will serve as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of the Chief Counsel. Typical work assignments include: Providing advice, conducting legal research and analysis, and reviewing and drafting policy and concerning a variety of administrative matters including, but not limited to, budget, appropriations, claims brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act, and employment matters under Title 5 of the United States Code. Analyzing and rendering legal advice on all facets of agency protective and investigative operations, to include complex matters of first impression under 18 U.S.C. 3056 and 3056A that are of such scope that they may warrant the assistance of one or more attorneys of lower grade or other specialists. Preparing for hearings and trying cases before administrative bodies including the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Government Accountability Office, and the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, including cases that are of such scope that they may warrant the assistance of one or more attorneys of lower grade or other specialists. Conducting research for, developing, and implementing legal training curriculum to law enforcement personnel as well as administrative, professional, and technical personnel at all levels within the agency that fully complies with the law as well as Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Secret Service policy. This Attorney Advisor position starts at a salary of $167,603.00, GS-15, Step 1, with potential to $195,200.00 at GS-15, Step 10.
Salary
Qualifications
To be considered qualified for this position you must meet the following qualification requirements for the respective grade level in which you are applying. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements AND Minimum Qualification requirements as listed below: BASIC REQUIREMENTS: A. A first professional law degree (Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.)) obtained from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association at the time the degree was obtained; OR B. Be an active member in good standing of the bar of a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States. (Note: Supporting documentation must be included with the application package). IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: GS-15 Specialized Experience: You qualify for the GS-15 level (starting salary $167,603.00) if you possess: Three years of specialized professional legal experience, following obtaining first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.), of which includes experience training and advising clients regarding protective, investigative, and administrative programs and activities to perform successfully the duties of the position (generally, the experience is in or related to the work of the position to be filled). The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement. 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. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
Education
You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. An official transcript will be required if you are selected for the position. The Office of the Chief Counsel (LEG) will evaluate qualified applicants by comparing each candidate's qualifications to those pertinent to the position. LEG will consider relevant skills and experience, education, and training. An applicant need not have specific knowledge and experience with regard to each item listed in the Duties section in order to qualify for the position.
Required Documents
In addition to addressing the vacancy specific questions, you must also submit the following documentation: Resume - In order to receive credit for experience contained in an uploaded resume, your employment history should show work experience in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date, and include the number of hours worked per week. Are you a federal annuitant? Submit a copy of your retirement SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing your tenure code, position occupied and highest grade and step. In addition, if you have or had service in a Federal Law Enforcement position covered by law enforcement or firefighter retirement provisions, including early or mandatory retirement, the SF-50 must show the retirement code. An award SF-50 does not contain the required information. You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and or incentive awards. Instructions for obtaining your SF-50: If you need assistance with obtaining your SF-50 showing your retirement, please contact the National Records Center website at https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/civilian-non-archival. Are you qualifying based on education or the position has an education requirement, or you are qualifying based on a combination of education and experience? Submit a copy of your college/university transcript (unofficial is acceptable) it must show school name, student's name, credit earned, degree, and date awarded. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information. Those with Foreign education, click here. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)? Submit a copy of your agency notice, copy of your most recent performance appraisal (with at least a satisfactory rating) and your most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location. Are you a Veteran? Veterans' preference does not apply to selections made under this announcement. However, if you would like to submit your military records for benefits you may receive after selection, please submit the following: copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4). If a DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4) is not available, other documentation listing the beginning and ending dates of active service and the type of discharge must be submitted to verify eligibility. 10-Point Veterans' Preference: If claiming 10-point Veterans' Preference, you will need to submit a SF-15 and provide an official document from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces certifying your overall compensable service-connected disability rating (NOTE: Your overall percentage must be clearly shown), and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/28/2025 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To begin your online application, click the Apply Online button and follow the prompts to register or sign into USAJOBS, Complete the online questionnaire and submit the required documents. See Required Documents section for more detail. You must complete the application process and submit any required documents no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 08/28/2025. To view the required online assessment questionnaire please visit https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12783404. To update your application, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides the Announcement Status and a "You applied on" date. This information does not confirm the agency application status. Use the "Track this Application" link for additional information regarding the agency application status, the documentation you submitted, and any correspondence sent related to this application. The Announcement Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Announcement Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. 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. We strongly encourage you to apply online. If you cannot apply online, you may contact Brittany Smith at brittany.smith@usss.dhs.gov OR by calling (202) 406-6420 between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:30 pm EST (excluding Federal holidays) prior to the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance. The Secret Service provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
