Attorney-Advisor (General)

About the role

With an emphasis on high ethical standards, excellence in public service and the delivery of superlative advice and counsel, DOI Solicitor's Office performs the legal work for the U.S. Department of the Interior, and manages the Departmental Ethics Office and Departmental FOIA Office.

The Boise Field Solicitor Office strives to provide sound legal services to its client agencies in an effort to fulfill the Department's diverse and wide-ranging mission.

What you will do

• This position is located within the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, Pacific Northwest Region, Boise, ID Field Office, BOISE,IDAHO.
• At the full performance level GS-14 the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: Providing legal support primarily to the Bureau of Reclamation, within the Department of the Interior.
• This support will include counseling and litigation work on legal issues related to its work within the Pacific Northwest Region and will involve coordination of agency or departmental positions with other federal agencies and the Department of Justice.
• Providing oral and written legal advice and counseling on matters and helping the Department of Justice trial attorneys defend the same, on legal issues involving state water law, Reclamation law, Indian Law, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Clean Water Act, and other environmental laws.
• Providing oral and written legal advice and counseling on matters involving Federal Acquisition Regulation, the Freedom of Information Act, federal appropriation law, contract law, and property/land use law.
• Lead attorney in both federal administrative litigation for federal procurement contracts (Federal Acquisition Regulations) and state water agency administrative litigation.
• Salary Information: First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the lower salary range of the grade level.
• GS-13: $106,437 (step 1) - $138,370 (step 10) per annum.
• GS-14: $125,776 (step 1) - $163,514 (step 10) per annum.

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.
• Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position?
• 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.

Education

Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.

Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above.

You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.

For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: ***

How you will be evaluated

Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. 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 the 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: ***

Documents you must provide

• To apply for this position, you must submit a complete application package by the closing date of this announcement.
• Failure to submit documentation may result in not receiving consideration for this position.
• Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents.
• Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
• Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying.
• It is strongly recommended that you use the USAJobs Resume Builder as it was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed.
• The Resume Builder is available at: ***
• Current & Former Federal Employees If you are a current or former Federal employee, please submit the following by the closing date of this announcement: a copy of a recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting tenure, position title, occupational series, grade level, step and salary; and your most recent performance appraisal (if you do not have your most recent performance appraisal, please submit an explanation as to why it is unavailable) All Applicants You must meet the qualifications and submit all required documents by closing date of the announcement.
• NOTE: Documents will not be accepted after the closing date and you will be marked ineligible for consideration.
• You must submit proof that you are licensed and authorized to practice law.
• Such proof can include a current active bar card, a screen print from a bar website that reflects you are an active member of the bar or a letter/certificate from the bar certifying you are licensed and authorized to practice law.
• Documents (bar card, screen print, letter/certificate) must be dated within 3 months of the closing date of the announcement.
• If using a screen print, make sure it is clear when the screen print was taken.
• For bar cards that do not have a date on them, please also submit a screen print or letter/certificate certifying you are licensed and authorized to practice law dated within 3 months of the announcement closing date.
• You must submit transcripts.
• Unofficial transcripts will be accepted at the time of application, but official transcripts will be required before entry on duty.
• A 3-4 page cover letter is desired expressing your interest and qualifications for this position.
• View this as an opportunity to explain why you are the best candidate for the job.
• If you are claiming veterans' preference you must submit a copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, by the closing date of this announcement.
• If you are currently on active military duty, you must provide documentation (e.g., campaign document, award citation, etc.), that verifies entitlement to veterans preference and that your character of military service is honorable.
• If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, in addition to the DD-214, you must submit documentation that supports your claim (e.g., an official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces certifying the existence of a service-connected disability; or receipt of a Purple Heart).
• If you fail to submit any of the required documentation, you will not be granted veterans preference.
• Additional information on veterans' preference can be found in the VetGuide.

What to expect next

You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgment from USAJobs that your submission was successful, once we have received your on-line assessment questionnaire, resume and any supporting documentation.

You will be notified of the status of your application via your USAJobs account after we conduct a qualification review of your complete application package. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration.

We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.

Additional information

This position is in the excepted service and not subject to competitive service procedures. Merit promotion procedures do not apply. This vacancy may be used to fill additional positions as vacancies become available.

Other Information: The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a). The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. The application contains information subject to the Privacy Act (P.L. 93-579, 5 USC 552a).

The information is used to determine qualifications for employment, and is authorized under Title 5, USC, Section 3302 and 3361.

NOTICE: This employer participates in E-Verify and will utilize your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period (as applicable) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Notice of Financial Disclosure Report Requirement: The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

Agency Benefits: Working for the DOI, Office of the Solicitor offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; health, life, dental, vision, and long term care insurance, flexible spending accounts, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.

SOL has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework in accordance with the DOI Telework policy and with supervisor approval. The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement.

The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. For additional information on telework you may access the Department of Interior's Telework Handbook at ***