The position is located at the Department of Education (ED), in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) Division, within the Business and Administrative Law Division (DBAL)l. The Division is principally involved in providing legal advice and representative on issues of government-wide and Department-wide significance or which cut across functional and management, operations of the Department.
Summary
The position is located at the Department of Education (ED), in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) Division, within the Business and Administrative Law Division (DBAL)l. The Division is principally involved in providing legal advice and representative on issues of government-wide and Department-wide significance or which cut across functional and management, operations of the Department.
APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 125 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 125th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first.
We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application.
As a General Attorney, you will perform the following duties:
Preparing written opinions and rending oral legal advice to internal and external stakeholders on the interpretation of applicable law, including statutes, regulations, and other issuances, pertaining to one or more of the Division of Business and Administrative Law’s (DBAL) practice areas, including, but not limited to: contracts, Federal surplus property, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FEPRA), torts, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), labor relations, personnel, procurement, appropriations, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act, and Federal advisory committees.
Representing the Department’s position at administrative hearings and trials, including the drafting and filing of all pleadings, motions, and briefs; conducting discovery; and any others litigation responsibilities related to an assigned matter through all levels of appeal.
Providing legal advice to Department officials concerning business management and administrative activities throughout the Department.
Must complete a Background Investigation and fingerprint check.
Relocation Expenses will not be paid.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
GS-11:
Minimum Qualifications:
Applicants must have a:
(1) Law degree and
(2) Current letter of good standing in a Bar
*Conditions of Employment
Law Degree
Letter of good standing from Bar (*unless a recent law school graduate – see below)
Graduates from ABA-accredited law schools from the classes of 2020 or 2021 are eligible to apply without being an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
An applicant from the classes of 2020 or 2021 applying without a letter of good standing from an applicable Bar, if selected, will be placed in a law clerk position at the GS-9 grade level. Upon admission to the Bar, the individual may be converted to an attorney position at the GS-11 grade level.
Placement to a law clerk position is limited to 14 months from the start date, during which time the selectee must be admitted in good standing to the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. There is no promotion potential for law clerks.
PROOF MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements:
You must be a graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
Proof of admission to the Bar of the highest court of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and current membership in such Bar as would permit the practice of law. You must be a member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar. *Unless a recent law school graduate, as described above under Conditions of Employment.
PROOF MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION.
Specialized Experience for the GS-11:
To qualify, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level or higher in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing two of the (3) following duties or work assignments:
Experience or demonstrated ability to perform high quality legal research and the ability to present and/or communicate the research in a clear and coherent manner, orally and/or in writing.
Experience or demonstrated ability to provide legal advice orally and/or in writing, on topics that are marked by the absence of readily available precedent.
Experience or demonstrated ability to understand and explain complicated or complex legal topics in plain and straightforward manner to a general audience.
Education
You must be a graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of a Bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
*Unless a recent law school graduate, as described above under Conditions of Employment.
Additional information
Veterans’ Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email Iwork@ed.gov to schedule a session with a career counselor (“Veterans Counseling Session” should be placed in the subject line of the email).
Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.
Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check.
Financial Disclosure: This position does not require submission of a financial disclosure report.
Telework: This position is telework eligible.
Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligible applicants and may fill a vacancy in the excepted service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a productive balance between work and home, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include telework and alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We will review your application and documentation submitted to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will refer the best qualified candidates to the Selecting Official of the job for further review and consideration. You will be evaluated to determine if you meet qualifications required, and on the extent to which your application shows that you possess the knowledge, skills and abilities associated with this position as defined below. Please be sure to give examples in your resume and explain how often you used these skills, the complexity of the knowledge you possessed, the level of people you interacted with, and the complexity and sensitivity of the issues you handled.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a productive balance between work and home, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include telework and alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You are required to submit the following additional documents:
1. Resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire.
2. Letter of interest;
3. Writing sample;
4. A certificate of good standing from your bar membership and *Unless a recent law school graduate, as described above under Conditions of Employment.
5. Law school transcript if you graduated after May 2016.
These documents MUST be submitted on-line at time of application. Documents must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement
If you are claiming Veterans’ Preference you must submit
•A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge, member copy 4 (Separated Members only); OR •A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date of application (Current Active Duty Members only); AND/OR •The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference; AND/OR •Proof of Sole Survivorship Preference (e.g., certificate of death or 100% disability as a result of serving in the armed forces).
Veteran's Preference:
Department of the Education attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Education considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor consideration in the attorney hiring process. If you are eligible for veterans' preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with the supporting documentation, e.g., SF-15, DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.
Step 2: Create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Ensure that your resume demonstrates your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiates your responses to the occupational questionnaire.
Step 3: Upload any required documents into your USAJOBS account (must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX)).
Step 4: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire and attach any required documents. Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the agency's hiring system. You will have the opportunity to upload any additional required documents in the agency's hiring system. Click “Finish” to submit your application.
NOTE: You may update your application or required documents at any time while the announcement is open by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking on "Application Status," clicking on the position title, clicking "Update Application,” and following the prompts.
In order to receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application, including all required documents, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the vacancy announcement has an application limit, we recommend that you submit your complete application at the time of initial application. We will not accept any required documentation after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
EDUCATION-OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL
400 Maryland Avenue S.W.
Attn: Human Resources Services
Washington, District of Columbia 20202
United States
Next steps
As an applicant, you may check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time. We will also notify you via email of your application status at three key stages in the recruitment process. 1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will inform you that your application has been received. 2. After we review your submitted resume and supporting documentation, we will inform you if you are eligible and qualified, if your application was referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation, and if you were amongst the most highly qualified candidates referred to the selecting official. 3. Finally, we will inform you of your final disposition for this announcement (e.g., if/when a selection is made, if/when the announcement is cancelled).
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
You are required to submit the following additional documents:
1. Resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire.
2. Letter of interest;
3. Writing sample;
4. A certificate of good standing from your bar membership and *Unless a recent law school graduate, as described above under Conditions of Employment.
5. Law school transcript if you graduated after May 2016.
These documents MUST be submitted on-line at time of application. Documents must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement
If you are claiming Veterans’ Preference you must submit
•A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge, member copy 4 (Separated Members only); OR •A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date of application (Current Active Duty Members only); AND/OR •The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference; AND/OR •Proof of Sole Survivorship Preference (e.g., certificate of death or 100% disability as a result of serving in the armed forces).
Veteran's Preference:
Department of the Education attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Education considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor consideration in the attorney hiring process. If you are eligible for veterans' preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with the supporting documentation, e.g., SF-15, DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.
Step 2: Create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Ensure that your resume demonstrates your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiates your responses to the occupational questionnaire.
Step 3: Upload any required documents into your USAJOBS account (must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX)).
Step 4: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire and attach any required documents. Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the agency's hiring system. You will have the opportunity to upload any additional required documents in the agency's hiring system. Click “Finish” to submit your application.
NOTE: You may update your application or required documents at any time while the announcement is open by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking on "Application Status," clicking on the position title, clicking "Update Application,” and following the prompts.
In order to receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application, including all required documents, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the vacancy announcement has an application limit, we recommend that you submit your complete application at the time of initial application. We will not accept any required documentation after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
EDUCATION-OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL
400 Maryland Avenue S.W.
Attn: Human Resources Services
Washington, District of Columbia 20202
United States
Next steps
As an applicant, you may check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time. We will also notify you via email of your application status at three key stages in the recruitment process. 1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will inform you that your application has been received. 2. After we review your submitted resume and supporting documentation, we will inform you if you are eligible and qualified, if your application was referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation, and if you were amongst the most highly qualified candidates referred to the selecting official. 3. Finally, we will inform you of your final disposition for this announcement (e.g., if/when a selection is made, if/when the announcement is cancelled).
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
