The incumbent serves as Deputy Assistant General Counsel that supervise and manage the Natural Resources and Environment Division under the direct supervision of the Associate General Counsel. The Natural Resources and Environment Division provides legal services to the headquarters offices of the USDA agencies administering programs assigned to the office.
Summary
This position is located in any OGC office location.
The incumbent serves as Deputy Assistant General Counsel that supervise and manage the Natural Resources and Environment Division under the direct supervision of the Associate General Counsel. The Natural Resources and Environment Division provides legal services to the headquarters offices of the USDA agencies administering programs assigned to the office.
Provide legal counsel on a broad range of tribal and Native American law issues across all mission areas for the Department.
Coordinate with client agency leadership on tribal and Native American law issues including rulemakings, legislation, litigation, and program activities.
Work collaboratively with OGC regional and headquarters staff attorneys in seeking solutions to Native American legal issues and in preparing, revising, and commenting on guidance documents, agreements, regulations, pleadings, and other documents.
Coordinate with legal counsel for other federal agencies and executive leadership regarding tribal and Native American law issues involving USDA.
Supervise staff attorneys engaged in legal work associated with Forest Service and Natural Resource Conservation Service programs.
Draft and review legal documents involving tribal and Native American programs, e.g. regulations, policies, and directives.
Assist with training others within the Department on Native American law issues.
Assist with legislative drafting and review of legislative proposals.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
Must submit Cover Letter/Narrative, Resume, Proof of Bar membership, Law School Transcripts, and Writing Sample.
Review of the OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and the Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (eQIP) entries have been reviewed and determined to be satisfactory.
Requires a favorable credit check as part of the background investigation.
Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
Obtain and use a Government issued charge card for business-related travel.
Subject to one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
Qualifications
For consideration, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications for attorney positions:
Successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the America Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD) (Law School transcript required), and
Currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to the basic requirements, the following additional experience is required. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Applicants should have demonstrated specialized experience in researching and providing legal counsel regarding tribal and Native American legal issues. Experience with statutes and regulations governing federal trust obligations, and the intersection between natural resource statutes (such as NEPA, NFMA, ESA) and Indian law is preferred. Experience with the intersection between other areas of law (such as agricultural law, food law, economic development, etc.) and Indian law is recommended. In addition, we are seeking candidates with experience with federal laws and legal precedents relating to tribal water rights, treaty hunting and fishing rights, and reservation and trust land status issues. Candidate may also demonstrate experience with federal laws and legal precedents relating other areas of legal study as it relates to federal Indian law. Successful applicants will demonstrate exceptional legal research and writing skills and have experience providing informal legal advice both orally and in writing. In addition, experience with reviewing regulations and statutes, and handling litigation on behalf of federal agencies is desirable. Candidate may also demonstrate experience in advising on general Indian law policy matters. This experience should be clearly documented in the cover letter/narrative and resume.
GS-15: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the (GS-14) level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies to successfully perform as a Supervisory General Attorney. Examples of such experience include: Ability to plan and assign priorities to tasks and assignments to further develop knowledge of complex subject-matter areas. Works independently to determine methodologies, milestones, goals, and termination points for most assignments. Completes assignments with an understanding of management requirements and meets organizational objectives. Manages other legal staff or staff engaged in providing advice and policy analysis to those working in the area of Indian Law.
NOTE: This experience must be demonstrated on your resume/supporting documents.
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; academic; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
Bar Membership: Applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico by the time you begin the position.
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
Cover Letter/Narrative: You must submit a written statement, in your cover letter or in a separate document, explaining your interest in working for USDA's Office of the General Counsel, and noting any relevant course work, training, or prior experience that you believe should be considered in evaluating your application.
Writing Sample: You must submit a short legal writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages and reflecting your own work product with minimal editing by others. The sample should demonstrate your analytical and organizational skills in writing on legal issues.
It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above requirements (education and bar membership). Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: You MUST submit a copy of your transcript if you want to substitute your education for experience. If you claim qualifications based on education, and do not submit a transcript, your education will not be used in making a qualification determination and you may be found "not qualified".
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.
Additional information
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.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc) should contact: USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
CONFIDENTIAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORT: If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.
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.
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.
Attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal rating system for applying Veterans' Preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service.
However, 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, Proof of Bar Membership or other supporting documentation.
You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the education, experience, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below:
Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence
Attention to Detail
Written Communication
Oral Communication
Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly demonstrate your ability to meet the minimum qualification requirements, duties, and specialized experience described above. Those determined to be in the best qualified category will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from Federal service.
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.
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 must submit a complete Application Package prior to 11:59 ET on the closing date of this announcement. The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
All applicants must submit:
Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) work experience including the work schedule and hours worked per week as well as dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 4) supervisor's phone number and e-mail address for each work period listed and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and, 5) other qualifications. If you need assistance in creating a federal resume see this click here.
Law School Transcript: An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official law school transcript will be required prior to entering on duty
Bar Membership: Proof of Bar Membership
Cover Letter/Written Narrative: In order for your application to be considered, you must submit a written narrative not to exceed 1,200 words, showing you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies listed in this announcement.
Writing Sample: A writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages and reflecting your own work product is required.
DD-214 (Member 4 Copy): If claiming veterans preference, you must submit a DD-214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veterans preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive Veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
Other required documents may include:
If claiming 10-point Veterans' Preference you must provide the DD-214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference visit FEDSHIREVETS
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
No Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as social security number or date of birth, should be provided in your application package
Your application package may be reviewed and screened at any time during the announcement period. If you decide to submit a revised application package during the announcement period, please notify the Agency contact person listed below.
NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
Office of the General Counsel
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
You must submit a complete Application Package prior to 11:59 ET on the closing date of this announcement. The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
All applicants must submit:
Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) work experience including the work schedule and hours worked per week as well as dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 4) supervisor's phone number and e-mail address for each work period listed and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and, 5) other qualifications. If you need assistance in creating a federal resume see this click here.
Law School Transcript: An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official law school transcript will be required prior to entering on duty
Bar Membership: Proof of Bar Membership
Cover Letter/Written Narrative: In order for your application to be considered, you must submit a written narrative not to exceed 1,200 words, showing you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies listed in this announcement.
Writing Sample: A writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages and reflecting your own work product is required.
DD-214 (Member 4 Copy): If claiming veterans preference, you must submit a DD-214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veterans preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive Veteran's preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
Other required documents may include:
If claiming 10-point Veterans' Preference you must provide the DD-214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference visit FEDSHIREVETS
Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
Worker's Compensation Separation: Agency certification of inability to place employee AND Notification of Separation OR Separation SF-50.
Disability Annuity Termination: Notification from OPM of disability annuity termination AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held. Military Reserve or National Guard Technician Special Disability Retirement Annuity under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456: Certification of special disability retirement annuity from a military department or National Guard Bureau AND Separation SF-50 of the last position held.
No Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as social security number or date of birth, should be provided in your application package
Your application package may be reviewed and screened at any time during the announcement period. If you decide to submit a revised application package during the announcement period, please notify the Agency contact person listed below.
NOTE: Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX). Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
Office of the General Counsel
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US
Next steps
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
