About the Position: The position is in the Office of Counsel with the Omaha District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The incumbent of this position will provide complex litigation of the Government's case relating to state and federal laws and regulations.
Summary
About the Position: The position is in the Office of Counsel with the Omaha District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The incumbent of this position will provide complex litigation of the Government's case relating to state and federal laws and regulations.
Serves as attorney for the District's regulatory and civil works missions on matters involving novel and unique questions of law, difficult factual issues, and very large sums of money.
Provides drafting assistance and legal review of Department of the Army permit and permit denials, memorandums of agreement, policy reports, and a variety of environmental documents, including environmental assessments, etc.
Utilizing a thorough knowledge of legal research procedures and systems, independently researches, analyzes, and provides oral and written opinions on a variety of legally and factually complex environmental issues.
Provides advice, counsel and representation to the Regulatory Branch regarding factual, legal and policy issues relating to regulatory programs.
Provides legal assistance and representation to the Enforcement Section of Regulatory Branch regarding violations of Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
This position requires a financial disclosure OGE-450 and annually thereafter in accordance with DoD Directive 5500-7-R.
This position has a Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel requirement of 5% of the time.
Qualifications
Who May Apply: US Citizens
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.
Basic Education Requirement for Attorney-Adviser (General), GS-0905-13:
An applicant 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 (LL.B or JD). Only a law degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the American Bar Association is acceptable to meet positive education 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 qualifications determination and you may be found "not qualified."
In addition to meeting the education basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:
Experience: Three or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. This experience was acquired after being admitted to the bar.
Examples of this experience are: (1) Exercising discretion and independent judgement in the application of laws, regulations, precedents, and agency practices; (2) Providing legal advice and representation related to federal or state environmental laws, regulations and policies, including the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and/or other related environmental laws, regulation and policies; (3) Advising a Contracting Officer or other decision makers in all aspects of federal laws, regulations and policies related to federal acquisitions, including contract formation, contract administration, contract disputes and contract litigation before administrative body or courts; (4) Ability to function effectively as a counselor and advisor to senior officials and project delivery teams within the Corps of Engineers, and to work with private entities, local and governments, and other federal agencies, at the highest levels; AND (5) Identifying, researching, evaluating and analyzing facts and complex legal issues, including regulations, policies, and directives related to legal areas such as federal civil works programs, fiscal law, labor and employment law, real estate law, administrative laws, and representing clients before administrative and judicial tribunals.
OR
Graduate from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or have an advance law degree such as an LLM which I may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience and I have two years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. This experience was acquired after being admitted to the bar.
Examples of this experience are: (1) Exercising discretion and independent judgement in the application of laws, regulations, precedents, and agency practices; (2) Providing legal advice and representation related to federal or state environmental laws, regulations and policies, including the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and/or other related environmental laws, regulation and policies; (3) Advising a Contracting Officer or other decision makers in all aspects of federal laws, regulations and policies related to federal acquisitions, including contract formation, contract administration, contract disputes and contract litigation before administrative body or courts; (4) Ability to function effectively as a counselor and advisor to senior officials and project delivery teams within the Corps of Engineers, and to work with private entities, local and governments, and other federal agencies, at the highest levels; AND (5) Identifying, researching, evaluating and analyzing facts and complex legal issues, including regulations, policies, and directives related to legal areas such as federal civil works programs, fiscal law, labor and employment law, real estate law, administrative laws, and representing clients before administrative and judicial tribunals.
Must be a current member in good standing of a bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Education
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional information
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
One year trial/probationary period may be required.
Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
This position requires you to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
This is a Legal Career Field position
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
A Relocation, Recruitment, or Advance Leave Accrual incentive may be authorized if it is in the best interest of the government.
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.
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.
Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
Basis for Rating: If eligible and meeting basic qualifications, your application package will be evaluated in conjunction with your résumé and supporting documents for the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position:
1. Knowledge and experience with federal laws, regulations, policies, and procedures in research, analysis, and effectively advising regarding contract and/or construction law, with more weight given to federal government contract law experience.
2. Ability to analyze problems, documents and proposed courses of action; identify any client objectives and legal issues involved; research and interpret pertinent laws, regulations, and precedents; and formulate well-researched and well-reasoned advice that is responsive to client needs.
3. Ability to balance multiple national (external) and agency (internal) program goals and priorities; ability to review program implementation and results; ability to balance customer programs with legal goals and priorities; and ability to develop and utilize innovative approaches in solving problems and issues.
4. Ability to organize work effectively to meet established deadlines and priorities.5. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with diverse clients and constituencies on varied and complex topics.
Please provide a writing sample, demonstrating your verbal communication and legal analysis skills through legal briefs, memoranda, or letters. WRITING SAMPLES SHOULD NOT EXCEED 10 PAGES.
NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's 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 to claim veterans' preference may include that information in their cover letter or résumé and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214) to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference and desiring to obtain consideration of veteran's status must submit a Standard Form SF-15, "Application for 10-point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed.
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 documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1. Your resume:
Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS 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 incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
If you are a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents:
Resume;
Latest two (2) annual performance appraisals;
Your latest non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50); and
A writing sample. WRITING SAMPLES MAY TOTAL NO MORE THAN 10 PAGES IN LENGTH. Extracts of selected sections of larger documents are acceptable. Redacted material is acceptable.
If you are NOT a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents:
Resume;
Copy of law school transcripts AND an official statement of relative standing in your class, or official statement demonstrating the unavailability of class standing information (official copies will be required if selected and before placement);
Certificate issued by the Bar Registrar or similar official showing that you are a member in good standing with the Bar, dated NO MORE THAN 3 months before the opening date of this announcement (a copy is sufficient for the application, but a certified copy may be necessary upon selection);
A sworn statement, certifying that your fitness to practice law or your conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction. This statement MUST be notarized, on a date NO MORE THAN 3 months before the opening date of this announcement. IF YOUR FITNESS TO PRACTICE LAW OR YOUR CONDUCT AS AN ATTORNEY HAS BEEN CHALLENGED IN ANY JURISDICTION, you must provide a notarized statement concerning the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that you deem appropriate;
The names of three professional references who are each members of the Bar of a State or Territory; and
A writing sample. WRITING SAMPLES MAY TOTAL NO MORE THAN 10 PAGES IN LENGTH. Extracts of selected sections of larger documents are acceptable. Redacted material is acceptable.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
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 questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/14/2024 to 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 (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12431731).
Follow the prompts to select your resume 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. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
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/.
RH-W2SJ07 USARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-OMAHA
DO NOT MAIL
Omaha, NE 68102
US
Next steps
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, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1. Your resume:
Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS 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 incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
If you are a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents:
Resume;
Latest two (2) annual performance appraisals;
Your latest non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50); and
A writing sample. WRITING SAMPLES MAY TOTAL NO MORE THAN 10 PAGES IN LENGTH. Extracts of selected sections of larger documents are acceptable. Redacted material is acceptable.
If you are NOT a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents:
Resume;
Copy of law school transcripts AND an official statement of relative standing in your class, or official statement demonstrating the unavailability of class standing information (official copies will be required if selected and before placement);
Certificate issued by the Bar Registrar or similar official showing that you are a member in good standing with the Bar, dated NO MORE THAN 3 months before the opening date of this announcement (a copy is sufficient for the application, but a certified copy may be necessary upon selection);
A sworn statement, certifying that your fitness to practice law or your conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction. This statement MUST be notarized, on a date NO MORE THAN 3 months before the opening date of this announcement. IF YOUR FITNESS TO PRACTICE LAW OR YOUR CONDUCT AS AN ATTORNEY HAS BEEN CHALLENGED IN ANY JURISDICTION, you must provide a notarized statement concerning the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that you deem appropriate;
The names of three professional references who are each members of the Bar of a State or Territory; and
A writing sample. WRITING SAMPLES MAY TOTAL NO MORE THAN 10 PAGES IN LENGTH. Extracts of selected sections of larger documents are acceptable. Redacted material is acceptable.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.
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 questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/14/2024 to 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 (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12431731).
Follow the prompts to select your resume 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. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
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/.
RH-W2SJ07 USARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-OMAHA
DO NOT MAIL
Omaha, NE 68102
US
Next steps
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, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
