Attorney Adviser International

About the role

The Office of the Legal Adviser (L) within the U.S. Department of State seeks to hire a specialist Attorney-Adviser to serve in the Office of Employment Law (L/EMP). The attorney will defend the Department in litigation and provide legal advice to senior officials on issues related to employment law.

This position is Excepted Service and appointments are made without regard to the requirements of the Competitive Service by laws, Executive order, or OPM regulations.

What you will do

• Identifies potential legal issues, researches and applies Department regulations, policies, laws, Executive Orders, and other guidelines for legal implications related to human resources.
• Provides appropriate legal advice on relevant laws including the Civil Service Reform Act, the Foreign Service Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the Rehabilitation Act.
• Works with DOJ on employment cases in federal courts.
• Conducts negotiations, plans the approach, and develops the completed product.
• Participates in intradepartmental, interagency, and inter-jurisdictional meetings and conferences in which s/he is expected to justify recommendations for particular legal considerations associated with deciding courses of action or policy positions.
• At the GS-15 level, the incumbent performs the same duties as outlined above; however, the scope and complexity of assignments are increased, and the incumbent receives less supervision than the GS-14.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.

It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: ***

How you will be evaluated

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of State considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor in the hiring process.

For this announcement, all applicants will be reviewed to determine if they meet the qualifications for this position, specifically, the education and specialized experience requirements. Applicants will not be rated or ranked. All applicants that are verified to meet the required qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.

Your resume will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required; and on the extent to which your application shows that you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position as defined below: Ability to draft legal briefs, formulate legal arguments, perform legal research, and conduct administrative litigation in defense of the Department's position.

Ability to orally present factual and legal arguments in formal hearings before administrative authorities as well as in meetings with Department senior management. Ability to negotiate settlement agreements with parties holding widely divergent objectives and points of view. Ability to draft clear legal arguments citing applicable laws, regulations, and precedents.

Knowledge of employment law including Federal statutes, administrative regulations, and judicial decisions that pertain to areas of the employer/employee relationship such as employment discrimination and overtime regulations; Foreign Service and Civil Service personnel management laws, rules, and regulations. Ability to provide guidance to less experienced colleagues.

Your resume limited to two pages serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity.

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).

Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement.

Your application package must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Documents you must provide

• All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to *** by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
• Resume – your two-page resume or any other written format you choose should contain the required information as specified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section.
• Insufficient information will result in an ineligible rating.
• Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.
• SF-50, to qualify for a "Permanent" appointment, showing three years of Government service as an attorney or in a federal clerkship.
• Transcripts – you must submit a copy of your law school transcript(s) from an accredited law school with your application.
• If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
• Proof of bar membership – you must submit proof of bar membership from any state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico with your application.
• If you are qualifying based on other criteria listed under the Qualification Section of this announcement, you MUST submit the required supporting documentation (certificates, certifications, etc.) with your application.
• References – you must submit three professional references with your application.
• Veterans Preference, if applicable – Veterans' preference does not apply to this vacancy.
• Any supporting documentation received from veterans will be retained to document veteran's status for appointment purposes, if selected.
• To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
• To claim 10-point preference, submit all required documentation outlined on the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.).
• If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference.
• To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 and all required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim.
• To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.
• For all preference claims: DD-214 Member 4 copies are preferred and must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals.
• For more veterans' preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.

What to expect next

After all application packages have been received, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. After we review and evaluate all applications, the most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration for possible interviews in approximately two weeks after the announcement closes.

After a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigation, which generally takes an average of at least two to six months. You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process: 1. Upon receipt of your application.

2. Upon minimum qualification determinations. 3.

After the certificate is issued. 4. After final selection is made.

For instructions on how to view the status of your application, please click here .

Additional information

For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at ***. If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.