An official website of the United States government
Appropriations law attorneys carry out the Comptroller General’s statutory responsibility to provide legal decisions to Members and Committees of Congress and to agency officials on matters of appropriations law. The team of attorneys also carries out the Comptroller General’s statutory responsibilities under the Congressional Review Act, the Davis Bacon Act, and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
Learn more about this agency11/30/2020 to 12/18/2020
$119,009 - $170,800 per year
PA 02 - 03
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - .
No
Permanent
Full-Time
Excepted
03
No
No
GAO-21-OGC-0905-001
585420900
Major responsibilities will include:
• Drafting legal decisions and reports on complex matters of appropriations law, including under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, and providing briefings to congressional staff and agency officials on the conclusions.
• Drafting and revising portions of GAO’s multivolume publication, Principles of Federal Appropriations Law, also known as the Red Book, and GAO’s Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget Process.
• Providing technical assistance to Congress and federal agencies on issues involving federal funds.
• Teaching multi-day appropriations law courses, as well as shorter seminars, for officials and staff throughout all three branches of the federal government and contributing to GAO’s annual Appropriations Law Forum.
• Collaborating with other GAO attorneys to provide legal advice on federal budget and appropriations law issues that arise in the course of GAO performance and financial statement audits and preparing senior GAO officials to testify on appropriations law matters before Congress.
• Providing internal legal advice and counsel to GAO on the use of its own appropriation, including the provision of legal advice throughout GAO’s acquisition process.
• Drafting decisions and reports as required by the Congressional Review Act, the Davis Bacon Act, and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
You must meet the minimum qualification requirements by the closing date of this job opportunity announcement
1. Must have a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
2. Must be an active member in good standing of a bar of a state, a territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
3. Band II Senior Staff Attorney candidates must have a minimum of two years (104 weeks) of legal experience working with and applying the laws, policies, and regulations related to the duties of the position.
4. Band III Senior Attorney candidates must have a minimum of four years (208 weeks) of legal experience working with and applying the laws, policies, and regulations related to the duties of the position.
See Qualification section.
BARGAINING UNIT STATUS: This position is not in a bargaining unit.
OPTION FOR ADDITIONAL HIRES: We may use this announcement to hire more people.
TRAVEL & RELOCATION EXPENSES: Travel and relocation expenses related to this hiring process will not be paid.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, please email ReasonableAccommodations@gao.gov.
VETERANS' PREFERENCE: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans’ preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, GAO considers veterans’ preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans’ preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the “point” system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veterans’ Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15 which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s)). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
If your submission demonstrates that you meet the criteria listed in the Qualifications section and includes the required cover letter and resume, your application will be further evaluated based on:
• Your years and level of experience researching and analyzing complex legal issues and working with applying the law, regulations, and policies relevant to the issues and responsibilities described above under "Summary" and “Duties.”
• Experience and expertise that demonstrates superior legal research, analytical skills and the ability to write about complex legal issues.
• Experience that demonstrates excellent written and oral communication skills, interpersonal skills and sound judgement.
We may invite you to an interview. If we invite you to interview, we will ask you to provide references and may also ask you to provide a writing sample, which we will consider in the selection process. We may invite you to more than one round of interviews.
Your application materials will not be returned. Do not submit original documents that you may need in the future.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How do I apply to this announcement?
What is a complete application package?
The applicable documentation listed in the Required Documents section. Items not listed in the Required Documents section should not be submitted.
When is the application package due?
It must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure all the documents are received and the information is readable. Your application may not be considered if it doesn't meet these criteria. Requests for extensions will not be granted.
How can I verify if GAO received my application package?
To verify if your application was received, email LegalCareers@gao.gov
If you have questions about:
-The job announcement or the position: The agency contact is listed at the bottom of the announcement.
-Technical issues with USAJOBS: Please refer to the USAJOBS Help page.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/585420900. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
