Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.
The primary purpose of this position is to serve as an Attorney-Advisor (General),supporting the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA), providing legal advice and counsel, as needed, in administrative law, claims, environmental law, contract law, labor law, international law, and operations law to the wing and tenant units.
Summary
Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.
The primary purpose of this position is to serve as an Attorney-Advisor (General),supporting the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA), providing legal advice and counsel, as needed, in administrative law, claims, environmental law, contract law, labor law, international law, and operations law to the wing and tenant units.
Based on advice from senior attorneys and/or the Judge Advocate, performs developmental assignments including: the assessment and evaluation of legal compliance, legal sufficiency, and/or advisability, local policies and practices,
Proposed actions and decisions, official conduct and authority, commercial transactions, draft documents and publications, investigations, responses to inquiries, public statements,
Plans, and initiatives; the evaluation of claims by and against the government, assessing legal risk, and recommending disposition.
Performs recurring assignments. With or without assistance, performs work assignments which gradually increase in difficulty and complexity. Incumbent determines the practices and procedures to use in accomplishing conventional tasks,
Interprets and adapts guidelines in order to resolve procedural or factual issues. With assistance from senior attorneys and/or the Judge Advocate, carries out special projects and participates in special initiatives and studies.
Performs special assignments in support of the organization; e.g., researching policy/precedent - and comparing to new or modified guidelines to assess impact; analyzing and providing substantive evaluation of data affecting program operations.
Preparing and coordinating reference papers and documentation to support project initiatives; presenting reports to a variety of audiences; and performing analysis and providing recommendations to resolve issues.
Prepares written correspondence and other documentation. Drafts or prepares a variety of documents in support of the SJA using software such as word processing, spreadsheets, etc., to facilitate work.
As a Centrally Managed position, PCS expenses will be paid IAW JTR and Air Force Regulations
Males must be registered for Selective Service, see www.sss.gov
A security clearance is required
Employee may be required to work other than normal duty hours, to include evenings, weekends and/or holidays
Employee must maintain current certifications
Attorney appointments are subject to service of a one-year probationary period
Candidates are not required to have active duty service or veterans' preference to be referred and considered. All qualified candidates who meet the recruitment assessment criteria will be referred to the selecting official.
Recruitment incentive may be authorized for Hanscom AFB MA only.
Mobility Agreement must be signed.
Student Loan Repayment may be authorized
Participation Agreement must be signed.
Qualifications
Any individual who are Recent law student graduates, MUST have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree(LLB or JD). The recent law student graduate MUST provide proof they have passed the State Bar, and be currently licensed as an attorney, in active (or equivalent) status and in good standing, with the bar of the U.S. state, territory, or commonwealth. The attorney must maintain such bar membership in at least one jurisdiction during the entire course of employment with the Air Force. Applicants must have completed their first law degree (LLB or JD) from a qualifying educational institution and all bar requirements within the previous two years or will complete these requirements by 1 May 2023 to meets the basic requirement to apply for the Recent Graduate Program.
Additionally, to be qualified as a GS-11, the attorney must also meet one of the following:
- One year of professional law experience; or - The second professional law degree (Master of Laws [LL.M.]), provided it required at least one full academic year of graduate study; or - Superior law student work or activities, as demonstrated by one of the following: Academic standing in the upper third of the attorney's law school graduating class; Work or achievement of significance on one of the attorney's law school's official law reviews or journals; Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school (e.g., membership in the Order of the Coif, winning a moot court competition, or membership on the moot court team that represents the law school in competition with other law schools); Full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program, as opposed to one[1]time, intermittent, or casual participation; Significant summer law office clerk experience; or other evidence of clearly superior accomplishment or achievement.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
1. Knowledge of applicable law pertaining to the specialized areas of legal practice, as determined by the SJA, in order to provide legal advice and counsel to command and management and represent AF interests.
2. Sufficient knowledge of federal, state, and local law, as it impacts the private individual, to provide personal legal assistance to eligible beneficiaries across the typical range of the AF legal assistance practice.
3. Skill in recognizing and analyzing key legal issues in a factual situation and applying well-reasoned analysis to reach clear, concise conclusions.
4. Ability to research legal issues, analyze complex factual situations in light of general legal principles and the results of research, and prepare legal opinions.
5. Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse group of individuals, in and outside the legal profession, both orally and in writing, in both formal and informal settings.
6. Ability to prepare cases for trial and/or try cases before a court, administrative body, or an official having quasi-judicial power.
PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.
VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
This position has an education requirement. You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html
Recent law student graduates, MUST have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD). The recent law student graduate MUST provide proof they have passed the State Bar, and be currently licensed as an attorney, in active (or equivalent) status and in good standing, with the bar of the U.S. state, territory, or commonwealth. The attorney must maintain such bar membership in at least one jurisdiction during the entire course of employment with the Air Force.
PLEASE SUBMIT COPIES OF ALL TRANSCRIPTS TO INCLUDE TRANSFERRED HOURS - OFFICIAL COPIES ARE NOT REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION. IF SELECTED, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE OFFICIAL COPIES OF ALL TRANSCRIPTS. ***NOTE*** Degree Audits are not accepted.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The PALACE Acquire Program offers you a permanent position upon completion of your formal training plan. As a Palace Acquire Intern you will experience both personal and professional growth while dealing effectively and ethically with change, complexity, and problem solving. The program offers a 2-3-year formal training plan with yearly salary increases. Promotions and salary increases are based upon your successful performance and supervisory approval. This is your opportunity to begin a successful civilian career with the United States Air Force.
You must have completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) AND must have documented Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) in one of the following:
a) Class Standing - upper third of the graduating class based on completed courses in the college, university, or major subdivision;
b) Grade Point Average - 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on your official transcript or as computed based on 4 years of education or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of curriculum; OR 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in your major field or the required courses in your major field completed during the final 2 years of your curriculum. If more than 10 percent of total undergraduate credit hours are non-graded, i.e. pass/fail, CLEP, CCAF, DANTES, military credit, etc, you cannot qualify based on GPA;
c) Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society (note: freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this position). (If qualifying based on class standing or honor society membership, provide appropriate documentation).
Additional Information:
YOUR TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT COVERS:
Participant Agreement
Orientation program
Mentorship throughout the Program
Individual Training & Development Plan to assist with career planning, professional development, and training activities
At least 40 hours of formal, interactive training each year of the Program
Opportunity for career advancement
AFTER PROGRAM COMPLETION:
Recent Graduates who are selected for conversion must have completed all requirements of the program successfully
Demonstrated successful job performance consistent with the applicable performance appraisal program
Met the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) qualification standard for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted
NOTE: It is important to remember that eligibility for conversion does not guarantee that the Department of the Air Force will offer conversion.
Selective Service: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. For additional information, click here.
Additional information
Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.
Incentives: Recruitment and/or retention incentives may or may not be used.
If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.
Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. The law made taxable certain reimbursements and other payments, including driving mileage, airfare and lodging expenses, en-route travel to the new duty station, and temporary storage of those items. The Federal Travel Regulation Bulletin (FTR) 18-05 issued by General Services Administration (GSA) has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance (WTA) and Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals. For additional information on WTA/RITA allowances and eligibilities please click here. Subsequently, FTR Bulletin 20-04 issued by GSA, provides further information regarding NDAA FY2020, Public Law 116-92, and the expansion of eligibility beyond "transferred" for WTA/RITA allowances. For additional information, please click here.
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.
Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
The resume/documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.
Applications who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.
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.
The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming. Click here to view the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide and the required documents you must submit to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming.
Online Application: Questionnaire
Resume: For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees should list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume.
License: At the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status with a bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status.
ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act requires federal agencies to treat an eligible active duty service member as a veteran, disabled veteran, and preference eligible (as applicable) when applying for civil service positions before the effective release or discharge date. Appointment of military members before the release or discharge date is permissible if the member is on terminal leave. At the time the active duty member applies for a civil position, he or she must submit a "certification" memo in lieu of a DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. The certification memo must originate from the member's military service branch on official letterhead and contain the following:
Name/Rank/Grade of Service Member
Branch of Armed Forces
Dates of Active Service (Start and End Date(s)
Expected Date of Discharge/Release from Active Duty
Terminal leave start date (if applicable)
Expected character of service/discharge (honorable/general) and type of separation (i.e. separation or retirement)
Must be certified within 120 days of anticipated discharge
Signature by, or by direction of the adjutant, personnel office, unit commander, or higher headquarters commander
NOTE: The VOW Act provides tentative preference. If appointed, a DD Form 214 must be submitted upon receipt.
NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE:
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation to their submissions.
Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim Veterans Preference must submit VOW certification memo or copy of the official DD Form 214, which must include the character of service, and a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov.)
NOTE: Applicants for attorney appointments do not require veterans' preference in order to be eligible for consideration.
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.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your Resume (your latest resume will be used to determine your qualifications). If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent (latest) version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent."
It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, you will not be considered for this vacancy.
For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., hours per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position.
Ensure your resume contains your full name.
2. A complete Application Questionnaire
3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name.
4. Optional Documents: Performance Appraisals for Current Federal Civilian Employees - Most recent performance appraisals (dated within last 3 years) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable.
PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.
AF Force Renewal
550 C Street W
JBSA Randolph AFB, TX 78150
US
Next steps
Once your application package is received an acknowledgement email will be sent. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official.
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility and qualifications for consideration. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account, select My Applications, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.
If you do not provide an email address, you are responsible for checking status updates and notifications in USAJOBS. Hard copy notifications will not be sent to you.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming. Click here to view the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide and the required documents you must submit to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming.
Online Application: Questionnaire
Resume: For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees should list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume.
License: At the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status with a bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status.
ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act requires federal agencies to treat an eligible active duty service member as a veteran, disabled veteran, and preference eligible (as applicable) when applying for civil service positions before the effective release or discharge date. Appointment of military members before the release or discharge date is permissible if the member is on terminal leave. At the time the active duty member applies for a civil position, he or she must submit a "certification" memo in lieu of a DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. The certification memo must originate from the member's military service branch on official letterhead and contain the following:
Name/Rank/Grade of Service Member
Branch of Armed Forces
Dates of Active Service (Start and End Date(s)
Expected Date of Discharge/Release from Active Duty
Terminal leave start date (if applicable)
Expected character of service/discharge (honorable/general) and type of separation (i.e. separation or retirement)
Must be certified within 120 days of anticipated discharge
Signature by, or by direction of the adjutant, personnel office, unit commander, or higher headquarters commander
NOTE: The VOW Act provides tentative preference. If appointed, a DD Form 214 must be submitted upon receipt.
NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE:
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation to their submissions.
Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim Veterans Preference must submit VOW certification memo or copy of the official DD Form 214, which must include the character of service, and a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov.)
NOTE: Applicants for attorney appointments do not require veterans' preference in order to be eligible for consideration.
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.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your Resume (your latest resume will be used to determine your qualifications). If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent (latest) version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent."
It is your responsibility to check the status and timestamp of all documents you submit as part of your application.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, you will not be considered for this vacancy.
For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., hours per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position.
Ensure your resume contains your full name.
2. A complete Application Questionnaire
3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name.
4. Optional Documents: Performance Appraisals for Current Federal Civilian Employees - Most recent performance appraisals (dated within last 3 years) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable.
PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.
AF Force Renewal
550 C Street W
JBSA Randolph AFB, TX 78150
US
Next steps
Once your application package is received an acknowledgement email will be sent. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official.
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility and qualifications for consideration. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account, select My Applications, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.
If you do not provide an email address, you are responsible for checking status updates and notifications in USAJOBS. Hard copy notifications will not be sent to you.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
