General Attorney (Veterans)

About the role

This is an OPEN CONTINOUS ANNOUNCEMENT, applications will be accepted until December 31, 2026 or until vacancies are filled. The Court of Appeals Litigation Group (CALG) is a part of the Veterans Programs Group, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of General Counsel (OGC) located in Washington, DC.

CALG represent VA in all litigation filed in the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC).

What you will do

• Conducting research or investigation of the facts as well as the laws, regulations, policies, and legal precedents relevant to the case; preparing memoranda outlining the facts and legal issues, analyzing the factual and legal issues involved, explaining the application of legal principles and precedents, and justifying recommendation or conclusions.
• The senior attorney prepares and files motions, pleadings, briefs, appellate records, and any other related actions required under Court rules of practice or pursuant to an Order of the Court; represent the Department in mediation conferences before the Court against some of the most distinguished and highly paid legal talent in the country; Presenting oral argument on behalf of the Department before Federal judges in open Court; Initiating and responding to settlement negotiations as appropriate, and following them through to resolution; Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.
• Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30pm.
• Compressed/Flexible: Available Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in effect and selectees will be required to report to in person work unless they have an approved exemption.
• Telework: Position is eligible for Ad Hoc telework (situational telework) as determined by the agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Position Description/PD#: PD33058-A, PD33059-A, PD33060-A, and PD33061-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized NOTE: This position is temporary, not to exceed one year, but may be extended for an additional year.
• If permanent funding is obtained, the selected applicant(s) may be converted to a permanent appointment.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.
• In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment.
• The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (***).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one or two year trial period 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 one or two year trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: ***

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office.

How you will be evaluated

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire." This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until December 31, 2026 or until the position is filled.

The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 6th, with subsequent cut-off dates every Friday until the position is filled or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be contacted for an interview.

Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Area of Consideration: Eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred in the following order: The public Cut-off Date: This announcement will remain open until the closing date, 12/31/2026. The cut-off date is November 6, 2026. The cut-off date will be used to evaluate candidates for the initial available vacancy.

Applications received after November 6, 2026 may not receive consideration during the initial review period. During the application process, you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions.

Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Documents you must provide

• Writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages, which is your own work and not generated or substantially revised using artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
• Resume The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
• Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).
• You will not be contacted for additional information.
• Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) Writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages, which is your own work and not generated or substantially revised using artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
• Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Failure to submit any of the above required documents applicable to your submission may result in loss of consideration and a rating of ineligible due to an incomplete application package.
• It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that their application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date.
• We will not contact applicants for additional documentation, nor will we accept late or missing documents after the close of the announcement.

Benefits

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service.

This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

What to expect next

To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: *** Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status (if applicable), and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required assessments and documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met.

After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued, and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified.

If initial application submission is updated and resubmitted with a new resume, only the most current resume will be reviewed for consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

Additional information

Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer.

For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration (HRA) at The Fair Chance Act. Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement.

Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.