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Student Trainee

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs, Inspector General
This job announcement has closed

Summary

** It is anticipated that there will be significant interest in the announcement. As a result, the announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date of receipt of the 200th application or at 11:59 p.m. ET on 8/11/17 ; whichever occurs first. Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.**

OIG is organized into three line elements: the Offices of Investigations, Audits and Evaluations, and Healthcare Inspections; along with the Office of Contract Review and the Office of Management and Administration. In addition to the Washington, DC, headquarters, OIG has offices located in more than 30 cities throughout the country.

The Student Trainee (Legal Assistance), located in the Department of Veterans' Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Counselor, provides independent legal advice to the Inspector General and OIG managers. The Office provides a full range of legal services in furtherance of the OIG’s mission. Attorneys provide advice and counsel on internal matters, and serve as liaison to the OIG legal community, the Department of Justice and other agencies. OIG attorneys are involved in all aspects of OIG operations to include reviewing reports for release to the public, internal personnel matters, False Claims Act cases, legislative initiatives, testifying before Congress, etc.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/28/2017 to 08/11/2017
Salary
$36,281 to - $47,171 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 05
Location
Washington DC, DC
1 vacancy
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Part-time position. Not to exceed one year, but may be extended without further posting.
Work schedule
Part-time - Excepted Service
Service
Promotion potential
05
Supervisory status
No
Announcement number
17-VAOIG-347-X
Control number
475591400

This job is open to

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Duties

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As a Student Trainee (Legal Assistance), you will perform the following duties:

  • Conduct legal research in matters arising under the U.S. Constitution, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, the Federal Rules of Evidence, and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, utilizing tools such as Westlaw and the Commission’s website and in-house library.
  • Prepare draft memoranda, based upon results of the legal research, for review by an Administrative Law Judge.
  • Summarize briefs for hearing. Review filings, briefs and settlement proposals.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • 1. This position is a Temporary Internship position not to exceed one year.
  • 2. You must be at least 16 years of age.
  • 3. You must be and maintain good academic standing.
  • 4. An application limit of 200 is being placed on this announcement.
  • 5. Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.

Program Requirement:
If selected, you must: 1) sign a Pathways Internship Program agreement; 2) provide official documentation of enrollment and registration; 3) provide verification of academic status (transcript) at the end of each academic semester/quarter; 4) participate in mentorship opportunities; 5) complete 40 hours of professional development training; 6) prepare and implement an Individual Development Plan; 7) maintain satisfactory performance; and 8) complete 640 hours of work experience in order to be considered for conversion to a Career or Career-Conditional appointment. You may be made permanent upon graduation if you meet all qualifications, eligibility, and educational requirements, are recommended for conversion by your supervisor, and funding is available.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Basic Qualifications: You MUST meet the definition of a STUDENT for the duration of your appointment.
The definition of a student is: an individual accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled), including awardees of the Harry S. Truman Foundation Scholarship Program under Public Law 93–842. Students need not be in actual physical attendance, so long as all other requirements are met. An individual who needs to complete less than the equivalent of half an academic/vocational or technical course-load immediately prior to graduating is still considered a student for purposes of this Program.

Specialized experience: For the GS-05, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Experience conducting research for a project or assignment; AND
  • Experience in organizing and/or analyzing information; AND
  • Experience in drafting a variety of reports.
OR
  • Completion of 4 academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.
OR
  • Have a combination of the above defined education and qualifying experience.

Additional information

- Serve a trial period for the duration of the appointment.
- Maintain student status for the duration of the appointment.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Analytical, Technical and Communication. Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level categories, A-Exceptionally Qualified, B-Highly Qualified, or C-Qualified, depending on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training related to this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference-eligibles will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference-eligibles in that category. Qualified preference-eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest category.

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be assigned the middle category or better to be rated as “well qualified" to receive special selection priority.
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