Clarification from the agency

Excepted Service

As an Attorney-Adviser, at the full performance level (GS-14), with the Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor (SOL), Division of Park and Wildlife, Branch of National Parks located in Washington DC, the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Analyzing and interpreting federal statutes, rules and regulations, caselaw and other authorities, relating to Park Service authorities, including:

• Natural Resources and Environmental law, including the National Park Service Organic Act, the Wilderness Act, the National Trails Systems Act, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Park-specific statutes and regulations, and State law;
• National Historic Preservation Act and cultural resource protection laws;
• Cooperation with Tribes, including co-stewardship;
• Partnership and Cooperative Agreement authorities, including financial assistance authorities; and
• Constitutional law, including First Amendment law.

2. Conducting legal research and producing opinions and memoranda requiring a high degree of creative legal effort, judgment, and discretion, often harmonizing conflicting positions in areas with little or no precedent, while promoting goals of consistency and efficiency.
3. Providing general legal counsel and services to the National Park Service's (NPS's) National Capital Region, which oversees the National Mall and other parks in the Nation's capital as well as units of the national park system located in nearby surrounding areas.
4. Advising and assisting regional and field offices of the SOL with respect to matters within the expertise of the Branch of National Parks.

Salary Information: *First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the lower salary range of the grade level.
GS-12: $99,200 (Step 1*) - $128,956 (Step 10) per annum.
GS-13: $117,962 (Step 1*) - $153,354 (Step 10) per annum.
GS-14: $139,395 (Step 1*) - $181,216 (Step 10) per annum.

Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

• Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
• Must be an active member of the bar.
• Selectee may be subject to serving a 2-year trial period.
• You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
• Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.

• A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
• If selected for this position, you may be required to file one or more financial statements and/or a procurement integrity certification of compliance upon reporting and annually, some of which may be subject to public disclosure.
• Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.
• Because this position requires travel for official business, the selectee will be required to apply for a charge card within 30 calendar days of appointment. Individuals who have delinquent account balances from a previous Government charge card will be required to satisfy their existing obligation before a new card can be issued.
• Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.

Qualifications

Basic Qualification Requirements
Applicants must be law school graduates with LL.B. or J.D. degrees AND applicants must be an active member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar.

Applicants must also meet one of the following:

• possess at least 1-year of professional legal experience following law school graduation; OR
• have a second professional law degree;
• meet any of the criteria indicated below:
  • academic standing in top one-third of law school graduating class;
  • graduation with academic honors;
  • significant participation on the law school's law review;
  • significant participation in the law school's moot court competition;
  • significant participation in a clinical legal aid program;
  • significant summer law office clerk experience; OR
  • other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement.

GS-12/13/14: In addition to meeting the basic qualification requirements described above, applicants must also have the following additional years of professional legal experience for the grade level indicated:

• GS-12 = 1 year
• GS-13 = 2 years
• GS-14 = 3 ½ years

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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Candidates should have excellent oral communication, writing, research and analysis skills, and the ability to work effectively in a large organization, and exercise sound judgment.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website:https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made.

Please note applicants must meet all qualifications requirement and submit all required documentation by closing date of the announcement for consideration for this position. Failure to meet all qualifications requirement and/or submit all required documents will result in an ineligible for consideration rating.

Applicants who are found to be qualified and referred to the selecting official for consideration may be asked to provide a writing sample. Instructions will be included in the email communication sent to qualified candidates

Basis of Rating: Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applicants that meet the basic eligibility and qualification requirements of the position will be referred to the selecting official for consideration

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12622374