The Office of General Counsel (OGC) provides legal counsel and services to the Director and staff of the Administrative Office (AO), the Judicial Conference of the United States and its committees, and judges and staff of the United States courts.
This position is designated as confidential or policy-determining under the Administrative Office (AO) Personnel Act, Section 3(a)(5)(B) and, as such, is not covered by the AO's personnel regulations developed under the AO Personnel Act of 1990.
Summary
The Office of General Counsel (OGC) provides legal counsel and services to the Director and staff of the Administrative Office (AO), the Judicial Conference of the United States and its committees, and judges and staff of the United States courts.
This position is designated as confidential or policy-determining under the Administrative Office (AO) Personnel Act, Section 3(a)(5)(B) and, as such, is not covered by the AO's personnel regulations developed under the AO Personnel Act of 1990.
The General Counsel works directly for the Director and Deputy Director and provides all aspects of legal services to the Administrative Office of the US Courts and the Judiciary. The General Counsel serves as a senior policy advisor to the Director and may act for the Director in the temporary absence of the Director and the Deputy Director. The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) provides legal counsel and services to: the Director and staff of the AO, the Judicial Conference and its committees, and judges and staff of the United States courts. The OGC staff renders legal advice and opinions on diverse issues of Judicial administration; provides staff support and services to the Judicial Conference and its committees, including serving as principal staff for the Committee on Codes of Conduct, Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability, Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure and its Advisory Committees, and Committee on Financial Disclosure; and maintains and updates, subject to Judicial Conference approval, the rules, regulations, and policies recommended by the Judicial Conference committees supported by OGC. Duties of this position include, but are not limited to:
Managing the mission and functions of the Office of the General Counsel. In this role, the incumbent makes comprehensive evaluations of the OGC goals and objectives, determines appropriate usage of resources, and studies and implements procedures and improvements.
Maintaining and updating, subject to the approval of the Director of the AO, regulations and procedures for handling litigation that involves judges and employees and certain claims by and against the United States.
Communicating requests for legal representation to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on behalf of judges and other court officials sued in their official capacity and serving as liaison to DOJ in federal litigation in which the Judiciary is a party.
Reviewing and resolving administrative claims presented to the Judiciary under the Federal Tort Claims Act, Military Personnel and Civilian Employees Personal Property Claims Act, and other administrative authorities.
Responding to all subpoenas served on the AO and its officers or employees and advising on responses to subpoenas served on judges and court employees.
Representing and advising the Judiciary in contract bid protests, including before the Government Accountability Office.
Advising, representing, and making recommendations to the Director, Deputy Director, and other AO departments/offices and courts with respect to proposed and impacting legislation and submitting views on legislation when appropriate.
Preparing and making recommendations and interpretations concerning procedural rules of general applicability and reviewing rules for consistency and uniformity with other rules and legal sufficiency.
Interpreting and applying legislation, statutes, agreements, regulations, decisions, and opinions concerning the administration of law for the AO and courts.
Reviewing and rendering legal opinions or informal advice and assigning legal review requests to the appropriate attorneys and other assigned personnel, taking into consideration the subject of the request, the originating office, the due date of the response, and the expertise and caseload of the assigned personnel.
Managing and ensuring the accuracy of information and legal citations, which are incorporated into opinions, briefs, and other legal documents prepared and presented by OGC office/staff to include legal opinions, analyses, and conclusions etc.
Conferring with and contacting members of the legal profession, claimants, service members and representatives of the Department of Justice, Department of Treasury, and other local, State, and federal agencies. During such contacts, represents the AO and courts in expressing legal opinions.
Developing OGC staff work objectives, monitoring performance, and evaluating completed work in a formal appraisal. Provide advice, guidance, and counsel to employees.
Detecting and determining significant issues and problems that should be brought to the attention of the Director and Deputy Director.
Serving on committees, panels, and other ad hoc groups to assist the Director, Deputy Director, and other agency executives in the operation and management of the agency.
All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.
Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship for competitive status positions or conversion to a competitive status position with the AO. If non-citizens are considered for hire into a temporary or any other position with non-competitive status or when it is confirmed by the AO Human Resources Office there are no qualified U.S. citizens for a competitive status position (unless prohibited by a law or statute), non-citizens must provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Employment of non-citizens/. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
All new AO employees will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check.
New employees to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
All new AO employees are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment.
You will be required to serve a trial period if selected for a first-time appointment to the Federal government, transferring from another Federal agency, or serving as a first-time supervisor. Failure to successfully complete the trial period may result in termination of employment.
Relocation expenses will not be provided unless specifically authorized by the Director of the AO.
Qualifications
Applicants must have demonstrated experience which shows competence in the qualifications as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which includes interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.
Bar Membership: Applicants must currently be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a federal court of general jurisdiction. Applicants are responsible for citing minimum qualifications such as J.D. degree and bar membership information (institution name, state(s) for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes. Failure to supply details will constitute an incomplete application. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Post J.D. Experience: Subsequent to graduation from law school, applicants must have at least four years of experience (ten years preferred) working as an attorney. At least three years of this experience must be working as an attorney for an agency or other unit of the federal government, with service in a federal court or other entity in the federal Judiciary preferred. Service as a judicial law clerk to an Article III judge or other judicial officer of the federal Judiciary satisfies this preference.
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one year (five years are preferred) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-15/JSP-15/CL 31 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience must be evidenced by sophisticated legal and analytical skills, superior written and oral communications, sound judgment, and experience in interacting with government and non-government officials. Specialized experience for this position is defined as follows:
Expert experience gained from working as a high level/senior attorney in a major company or federal agency with demonstrated expert knowledge of and experience in a wide breadth of laws, statutes, policies, and proceedings with expert defending, negotiating, and communicating skills to ensure all litigation information and instructions to staff are clear and effectively ensure the desired outcome.
Expert research, analysis, and writing experience managing and responding to extremely complex and difficult legal questions or factual issues. This includes expertise in drafting, interpreting and applying legislation, regulations, contracts, orders, decisions, opinions, or other legal instruments and guiding staff to manage and resolve original and creative legal reviews and responses to varying legal situations and work actions to obtain a legally sound response/solution.
Expert experience providing legal advice, coordination, and determinations on complex and sensitive issues to high-level executives, judges, officials, congressional staff, and other attorneys, internal and external agency staff, and committees.
Desired but not required:Top Secret, Secret or Confidential security clearance.
Additional Assessment: Applicants who meet the specialized experience requirements also will be assessed on the following Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).
Mandatory Technical Qualifications: The MTQs listed below should be evident in your resume. A narrative response is not required for the MTQs. However, your experience MUST demonstrate the following:
Expert knowledge of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches of the Federal Government. Experience with and knowledge of relevant Federal laws, procedural and administrative rules and regulations, and canons of statutory construction.
Expert experience dealing with diverse members of the legal and governmental community, including the bench, bar, academic community, bar associations, Department of Justice, and other legal and government agencies, Members of Congress and Congressional staff, media, and public.
Excellent skills in oral and written presentation of complicated legal matters. This includes expert knowledge of and experience in a wide breath of laws, statutes, policies, and proceedings with expert defending, negotiating, and communication skills to ensure all litigation information and instructions to staff are clear and effectively ensure the desired outcome; and the ability to express, orally and in writing, complex legal issues in clear and succinct language so that the concepts are easily understood by both lawyers and non-lawyers.
Expert experience conducting and overseeing legal research and the preparation of case reports and legal documents, periodicals, and textbooks; and preparing responses in the form of letters, memoranda, and legal documents for use by AO leaders and staff, judges and other court employees (i.e., particular points of law as decided in previous cases; background information and legal references as a basis for advising on management plans and policies, and compilation of legal issues and legislative history in connection with pending legislation).
Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs): A narrative response for each of the following ECQs is MANDATORY, including for current AO Executive Service (AOES) and Senior Executive Services (SES) applicants.
Leading Change: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. Leadership Competencies: Creativity & Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision.
Leading People: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. Leadership Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others, Team Building.
Results Driven: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. Leadership Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility.
Business Acumen: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. Leadership Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management.
Building Coalitions / Communication: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. Leadership Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating.
Education
Applicants must possess a law degree, (J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education.
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.
We will review your resume and supporting documentation and compare this information to your responses on the occupational questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this job, we will evaluate your application package, to assess the quality, depth, and complexity of your accomplishments, experience, and education as they relate to the requirements listed in this vacancy announcement.
You should be aware that your ratings are subject to evaluation and verification. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume and/or narrative responses, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Failure to submit the mandatory narrative responses will result in not receiving full consideration and/or rating credit. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you, withdrawing an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.
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.
For this job announcement the following documents and/or information are required:
Resume - Any written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications.
Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) - All applicants outside of the AO must submit a copy of your latest SF-50 to verify current or former Federal employment status.
Veterans Preference documentation - Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214), if applicable Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) and an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation.
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 documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 03/31/2022 to receive consideration. To begin:
Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Office of General Counsel
One Columbus Circle NE
Washington, DC 20544
US
Next steps
After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and referral to the hiring official if determined qualified. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
For this job announcement the following documents and/or information are required:
Resume - Any written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications.
Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) - All applicants outside of the AO must submit a copy of your latest SF-50 to verify current or former Federal employment status.
Veterans Preference documentation - Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214), if applicable Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) and an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation.
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 documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 03/31/2022 to receive consideration. To begin:
Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
Office of General Counsel
One Columbus Circle NE
Washington, DC 20544
US
Next steps
After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and referral to the hiring official if determined qualified. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
