As an Attorney Advisor, you will be responsible for the following:

•The incumbent performs legal services primarily in connection with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, governing employment discrimination matters before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the federal sector, other civil rights matters, and in mixed cases or mixed appeals before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), other litigation responsibilities related to employment discrimination, labor and employment law in other forums and such others duties as may be assigned by the Associate or Assistant General Counsel.

•Reviewing investigative reports, preparing pleadings in administrative proceedings; preparing exhibits and interviewing witnesses in the preparation for trial or hearing of such matters; participating in prehearing or pretrial conferences; examining and cross-examining witnesses; arguing motions in the course of such proceedings; preparing briefs in support of the Government’s case; preparing and participating in the oral arguments of such matters; preparing pleadings in civil or criminal court actions, conferring with appropriate officials regarding case work, engaging in, and responding to, discovery requests, and defending the Secretary in actions brought before the EEOC, MSPB, Office of Special Counsel, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and other decision-makers.    

•Serving as an advisor and consultant to departmental and agency officials and attorneys in other divisions of the Office, attending and giving oral advice at conferences and meetings both internal and external to the Department; maintaining routine contact with administrative officials of the different client agencies; frequently contacting opposing counsel and respondents involved in administrative proceedings and DOJ attorneys; consulting with representatives of other Federal agencies, members of various industries, public interest groups and other members of the general public.

•Providing training to Agency representatives, managers and employees on civil rights, labor and employment law matters, as requested by the Associate or Assistant General Counsel.

These duties are described at the FPL GS-14, the GS-13 is developmental leading to such performance.

Conditions of employment

• US Citizenship is required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• US Citizenship is required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

REQUIREMENTS:
•If you are newly hired, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" system. Federal law requires the use of E-VERIFY to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. Under this system, the new hire is required to.
•If selected you must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance and a credit report inquiry.
•May be subject to satisfactory completion of a two year probationary or trial period.
•You must submit a written statement, in your cover letter or in a separate document, explaining your interest in working for the 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.
•This position is subject to limited telework only by managerial approval and subject to change at any time from the Agency or Department.

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.

Qualifications

For consideration, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications for attorney positions:
 
Applicants should have a demonstrated interest or experience in civil rights, labor and employment law work, excellent writing and negotiation/advocacy skills, and an exceptional academic record demonstrating interest and/or experience in litigation, civil rights, labor law or employment law.

Applicants must have 5 years of experience in litigating claims before courts or federal administrative bodies, with experience in the EEOC's federal sector process highly preferred. 

(Note: This experience must be demonstrated on your resume/supporting documents).

How you will be evaluated

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

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:

• Mastery of the principles and techniques of legal analysis and practice in order to prepare pleadings, motions, briefs, litigation reports and related documents in connection with suits by and against the government and determine in each case the nature of action or defense, the legal issues and complaints involved, the most effective course of action, and optimal strategies and tactics to be employed.
• Mastery of the techniques of written and oral communication to speak and write with clarity and tact to provide guidance  on complex legal issues, secure acceptance of recommendations, prepare complex legal opinions, and effectively represent the Department.
• Mastery of statutes, regulations and precedents related to major USDA program areas or relevant subject matter expertise, as appropriate in order to 1) defend the Secretary in federal sector complaints of employment discrimination or appeals before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other claims brought before the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), and other decision-makers; (2) develop litigation strategies and procedures; 3) aid the Department of Justice in the trial of complaints of employment discrimination or involving decisions appealed from the EEOC, and other complaints related to employment matters; and advise the client agency to (4) determination of the strengths and weaknesses of cases in order to determine whether to negotiate or participate in negotiating settlements on behalf of the Department, including those involving large and small sums of money.

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 support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.  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.