This position is located in the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Office. The PSOB Program provides death benefits to the survivors of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders whose death (or catastrophic injury) was the direct and proximate result of an injury sustained in the line of duty.
Summary
This position is located in the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Office. The PSOB Program provides death benefits to the survivors of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders whose death (or catastrophic injury) was the direct and proximate result of an injury sustained in the line of duty.
Provides legal advice regarding the adjudication of claims filed under the Public Safety Officers' Benefit (PSOB) Act.
Reviews proposed legislation, regulations, and policies on legal matters affecting the PSOB Program.
Prepares written documents including memoranda, reports, advisory opinions, regulations, benefit determinations, litigation reports, program policies and procedures and implementation recommendations.
Analyzes the impact of proposed legislation, regulations, and/or policies and provides recommendations to program officials.
Assists the PSOB Counsel in overseeing and managing the process for legal review of PSOB claims. Reviews and edits work of legal staff assigned to PSOB Program. Develops and provides training to legal staff assigned to PSOB Program.
Serves as an organizational or agency representative for discussions regarding legal issues in a specialty area, for example administrative law. Addresses legal issues that are specific to the specialty area.
Subject to background/suitability investigation/determination.
Federal payments are required to be made by Direct Deposit.
Requires registration for the Selective Service. Visit www.sss.gov.
Pre-employment drug testing required.
This appointment is subject to completion of a 2-year trial period.
This position requires active bar membership (any jurisdiction) in good standing.
Qualifications
Eligibility Requirements and Minimum Qualifications
Applicants must:
Possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree from an accredited law school,
Be an active member of the bar in good standing (any jurisdiction), AND
Have a minimum of three (3) years of post J.D./LL.B legal experience, two (2) of which must have been in at least one of the following areas:
In handling legal matters involving programs such as those providing disability, death, and education benefits, or other complex programs governed by law, regulation and procedures;
In handling Torts, insurance claims, workers' compensation or similar matters; or
Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB).
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
Applicants must possess a J.D. or LL.B. degree.
Additional information
This position may be eligible for part-time telework, per agency policy.
OJP offers opportunities for flexible work schedules.
This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Please do not indicate current or former position salary in your application or resume.
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 resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the eligibilities and qualifications listed on the announcement. If you are found to be basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.
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.
REMINDER: ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 Eastern Time (Washington, D.C. time) ON 05/13/2021 .
Required Documents
Cover Letter,
Resume (must include education, including name of undergraduate and law school, degree received and date graduated; date admitted to bar and jurisdiction; a general description of all past employment relevant to the practice of law, including dates of employment),
A writing sample demonstrating your legal analytical abilities, for which you must be the principal author (It should not exceed 10 double-spaced pages),
Unofficial law school transcripts (degree conferred must be reflected; official transcripts will be required if selected).
Proof of bar membership in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction),
Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable; see below for more information).
Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Veterans Preference
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice 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 Veteran 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).
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.
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 apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the supporting documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/13/2021to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site .
If you are unable to apply via email, please contact Bradley Mitchell at
Bradley.Mitchell@usdoj.govor (202) 514-9069 for alternate application procedures.
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE
DO NOT MAIL
Washington, DC 20531
US
Next steps
Once your completed application is certified and received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
REMINDER: ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 Eastern Time (Washington, D.C. time) ON 05/13/2021 .
Required Documents
Cover Letter,
Resume (must include education, including name of undergraduate and law school, degree received and date graduated; date admitted to bar and jurisdiction; a general description of all past employment relevant to the practice of law, including dates of employment),
A writing sample demonstrating your legal analytical abilities, for which you must be the principal author (It should not exceed 10 double-spaced pages),
Unofficial law school transcripts (degree conferred must be reflected; official transcripts will be required if selected).
Proof of bar membership in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction),
Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable; see below for more information).
Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Veterans Preference
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice 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 Veteran 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).
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.
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 apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the supporting documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/13/2021to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site .
If you are unable to apply via email, please contact Bradley Mitchell at
Bradley.Mitchell@usdoj.govor (202) 514-9069 for alternate application procedures.
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE
DO NOT MAIL
Washington, DC 20531
US
Next steps
Once your completed application is certified and received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
