About the Position: As an Attorney with Portland District's Office of Counsel you will be responsible for reviewing extremely complex legal issues, instruments, and assemblies and preparing legal opinions on complex questions relating to state and federal laws, regulations and policy affecting several million dollars or more. Please carefully read the "Required Documents" section. If you fail to submit all of the required documents your application may not receive further consideration.
Summary
About the Position: As an Attorney with Portland District's Office of Counsel you will be responsible for reviewing extremely complex legal issues, instruments, and assemblies and preparing legal opinions on complex questions relating to state and federal laws, regulations and policy affecting several million dollars or more. Please carefully read the "Required Documents" section. If you fail to submit all of the required documents your application may not receive further consideration.
Identify, research, and address extremely complex and difficult legal questions affecting USACE missions.
Prepare legal opinions, or other legal instruments to render advice to clients on matters requiring a high order of original and creative legal endeavor to obtain a reasonable balance of conflicting interests.
Represent the office of Counsel in meetings, negotiations, conferences, presentations, hearings, administrative litigation, or other forums, with municipal, state, other federal agencies, and private stakeholders.
Render legal advice and assistance to all elements of the Command in response to inquiries on numerous types of miscellaneous problems arising from day-to-day operations and which vary from simple to difficult.
Performs legal research necessary to furnish correct solutions and to explain probable results of various alternatives that may be developed.
Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
Financial Disclosure (OGE-450) required upon appointment and annually thereafter.
Qualifications
Who May Apply: US Citizens
***Please carefully read the "Required Documents" section to ensure you submit a FULL application. If you fail to submit all of the required documents your application may not receive further consideration for the position.***
Minimum Qualification Requirements: The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration as prescribed in DoDI 1442.02 and AR 690-300.
Bar Membership: Applicants must currently be a member in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of a State, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Education: Assignments require the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and active membership in the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
In addition to the minimum requirements listed above applicants must possess the following experience:
GS-12: At least two years of professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position, acquired after being admitted to the bar, to be eligible for the position at the GS-12 level.
- OR -
Applicants may qualify by having received a second professional law degree (LL.M.) AND at least one year of professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position, acquired after being admitted to the bar, to be eligible for the position at the GS-12 level.
GS-13: Greater than two years of professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position, acquired after being admitted to the bar, to be eligible for the position at the GS-13 level.
- OR -
Applicants may qualify by having received a second professional law degree (LL.M.) and two years of professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position, acquired after being admitted to the bar, to be eligible for the position at the GS-13 level.
Note: The Chief Counsel, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has authority to waive the experience requirements listed above.
The Selection Panel appointed by Portland District Office of Counsel will evaluate applicants to determine if they meet the minimum qualification requirements and on the extent to which their application shows possession of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the position.
Management will evaluate you further on your level of competency in the following areas:
Ability to develop and utilize innovative approaches in solving problems, formulating effective solutions, and resolving complex issues.
Knowledge, experience, and ability to effectively advise in one or more of the following areas of federal law and practice: a) civil works, b) fiscal law, c) FOIA, d) government ethics, e) natural resources management, f) procurement, g) real estate, h) regulatory, and i) possible others.
Knowledge and experience in handling complex and other litigation, judicial or administrative, in any of the aforementioned practice areas.
Ability to function as an advisor to real property specialists and contracting officers, project managers, and district leaders; to work effectively with other military and management officials within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with other governmental entities, and with private parties.
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with diverse clients and constituencies on varied and complex topics.
You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
Education
Applicants 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.
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 Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or 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 Professional Services 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 may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations.
Advanced-in-Hire, Enhanced Leave Accrual, or Recruitment/Relocation incentive MAY be authorized if determined to be 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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications in the "Qualification" section 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 currently a member of a bar (in good standing) of a state, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia, your résumé and supporting documentation will be forwarded to management for consideration.
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 the Army considers veteran's preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veteran's preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documents (e.g., DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active duty) to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at http://www.opm.gov/.)
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.
***IN ADDITION, the following documents MUST be provided based on your applicant status (i.e. current USACE Attorney or NOT a current USACE Attorney)***
2. If you are a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney and are applying through this announcement, you MUST submit the following documents online:
Cover Letter/Statement of Interest
Most recent Performance Appraisal
Your latest non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50);
Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old).
A writing sample NOTE: WRITING SAMPLES SHALL NOT EXCEED 10 PAGES
3. If you are NOT a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents online:
Cover Letter/Statement of Interest
Copy of law school transcripts (official copies required if selected and before placement);
Certificate 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 should be notarized, and dated 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;
Three letters of reference from members of the bar dated within 12 months of the opening date of this announcement;
A writing sample NOTE: WRITING SAMPLES SHALL NOT EXCEED 10 PAGEs
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 01/21/2025 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/12661892).
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-W2SJ01 USARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-PORTLAND
DO NOT MAIL
Portland, OR 97208
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.
***IN ADDITION, the following documents MUST be provided based on your applicant status (i.e. current USACE Attorney or NOT a current USACE Attorney)***
2. If you are a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney and are applying through this announcement, you MUST submit the following documents online:
Cover Letter/Statement of Interest
Most recent Performance Appraisal
Your latest non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50);
Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old).
A writing sample NOTE: WRITING SAMPLES SHALL NOT EXCEED 10 PAGES
3. If you are NOT a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents online:
Cover Letter/Statement of Interest
Copy of law school transcripts (official copies required if selected and before placement);
Certificate 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 should be notarized, and dated 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;
Three letters of reference from members of the bar dated within 12 months of the opening date of this announcement;
A writing sample NOTE: WRITING SAMPLES SHALL NOT EXCEED 10 PAGEs
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 01/21/2025 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/12661892).
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-W2SJ01 USARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-PORTLAND
DO NOT MAIL
Portland, OR 97208
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.
