Attorney-Adviser (Real Property)

About the role

About the Position: As an Attorney-Adviser, you are responsible for researching, analyzing and providing legal advice during various stages of the real estate acquisition process.

What you will do

• Review proposed government acquisition of land, interests in land and acquisition packages covering direct purchase, leases, easements, or donation of real property.
• Research, analyze and provide legal advice during various stages of the real estate acquisition process.
• Conduct public records research and reviews conveyance and mortgage records in order to ascertain title ownership data and to identify encumbrances and liens on property.
• Determine whether there are any encumbrances or title deficiencies and, if so, develops and recommends curative actions to be taken.
• Identify and draft legal instruments, such as releases, disclaimers, and subordination documents or reviews documents prepared by paralegals.
• Serve as a qualified Closing Agent, responsible for the preparation, review and clearance of all necessary documents for acquisitions and/or relocations.
• Prepare and coordinate the Condemnation Assembly, to include drafting the Opinion of Title for Condemnation.
• Review Contracts, Affidavits, Permits, Rights of Entry, Releases, Mortgages, Assignments, and other legal instruments prepared by paralegals, attorneys, and/or real estate professionals.

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.

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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.

Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. 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.

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: Knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position: Knowledge and experience with the Regulations of the Attorney General Governing the Review and Approval of Title for Federal Land Acquisitions (2016) (the DOJ Title Standards), applicable USACE rules and regulations, and state laws affecting the acquisition of real property.

Ability to analyze and provide legal advice during various stages of the real estate acquisition process. Ability to balance external and agency (internal) program goals and priorities; ability to balance customer programs with legal goals and priorities; and ability to utilize various approaches in solving problems and issues.

Ability to organize work effectively to meet established deadlines and priorities. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

Documents you must provide

• 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.
• Your resume: Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
• Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement.
• If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood.
• The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
• 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 additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.
• Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable 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).
• This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience.
• If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible.
• See: Transcripts and Licenses In addition to the above documentation, you must also provide the following: 3.
• If you are a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents: Your latest non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50); A writing sample (Optional, Not Required) NOTE: Writing samples shall not exceed 10 pages 4.
• If you are NOT a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents: 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 of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia, dated NO MORE THAN 90 days 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 you deem appropriate.
• The names of three professional references who are each members of the Bar of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
• 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.

What to expect next

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.

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.

This position requires a 2 year trial period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest. 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(n) 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. Situational Telework may be authorized at the discretion of the agency. Position may be filled as a Time-Limited Appointment NTE 6 years.

Time-Limited Appointments may be extended beyond six (6) years, up to eight (8) years. With DoD approval, appointments may be extended beyond eight (8) years. Candidates applying for a Time-Limited Appointment will be appointed/converted into a Time-Limited Appointment with no statutory return rights back to a permanent position.

If a permanent position becomes available, you may be converted to a new permanent excepted service appointment. This is an open-continuous announcement where the selecting official may request a list of applicants at any time during the opening period of the announcement. Cutoff for receipt of applications will be midnight EST on the date that the referral list is requested.

Applications received after the cutoff date, may be considered on future referral lists.