ATTORNEY-ADVISER (GENERAL)

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is: Serve as a developmental Attorney-Adviser (General), supporting the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA), providing legal advice and counsel, as needed, in administrative law, claims, environmental law, contract law, labor law, and international law to the 1st Special Operations Wing and tenant units; to represent Department of the Air Force (DAF) interests in various forums and support the defense of the DAF in litigation.

Duties

GS-11: Based on advice from senior attorneys and/or the Judge Advocate, performs developmental assignments including: the assessment and evaluation of legal compliance, legal sufficiency, and/or advisability, local policies and practices, proposed actions and decisions, official conduct and authority, commercial transactions, draft documents and publications, investigations, responses to inquiries, public statements, plans, and initiatives; the evaluation of claims by and against the government, assessing legal risk, and recommending disposition. Performs recurring assignments. Independently performs work assignments which gradually increase in difficulty and complexity. Incumbent determines the practices and procedures to use in accomplishing conventional tasks, and interprets and adapts guidelines in order to resolve procedural or factual issues. Carries out special projects and participates in special initiatives and studies. Performs special assignments in support of the organization; e.g., researching policy/precedent and comparing to new or modified guidelines to assess impact; analyzing and providing substantive evaluation of data affecting program operations; developing reports and briefings outlining study findings and recommendations. Prepares written correspondence and other documentation. Drafts or prepares a variety of documents in support of the SJA using software such as word processing, spreadsheets, etc., to facilitate work. GS-12: Advises the 1st Special Operations Wing, Commander, as well as subordinate and tenant unit commanders and managers, on a host of general law matters. Assesses and evaluates for legal compliance, legal sufficiency, and/or advisability, local policies and practices, proposed actions and decisions, official conduct and authority, commercial transactions, draft documents and publications, investigations, responses to inquiries, public statements, plans, and initiatives. Prepares for and represents the DAF/installation and its legal interests in correspondence, meetings, negotiations, and judicial and administrative hearings, involving federal, state, and local (and overseas, foreign) officials, parties with adverse interests, and commercial entities. Provides legal assistance to active duty military, dependents, eligible Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, retirees, and other DoD cardholders, consistent with Air Force Instructions (AFIs) and legal office policy. GS-13: As a senior attorney, advises the 1st Special Operations Wing Commander, as well as subordinate and tenant unit commanders and managers, on a host of general law matters. Assesses and evaluates for legal compliance, legal sufficiency, and/or advisability, local policies and practices, proposed actions and decisions, official conduct and authority, commercial transactions, draft documents and publications, investigations, responses to inquiries, public statements, plans, and initiatives. For the most complex installation legal issues, prepares for and represents the DAF/installation and its legal interests in correspondence, meetings, negotiations, and judicial and administrative hearings, involving federal, state, and local (and overseas, foreign) officials, parties with adverse interests, and commercial entities. Provides legal assistance to active duty military, dependents, eligible Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, retirees, and other DoD cardholders, consistent with Air Force Instructions (AFIs) and legal office policy. In line with professional responsibility standards, counsels clients on various personal civil legal matters, such as marriage, divorce, paternity, child support, child custody, consumer law, real property or automobile purchase, sale, or lease, bankruptcy, financing, immigration, citizenship, redress for personal injury, estate planning, probate, and taxes

Qualifications

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: You 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 (LLB or JD). In addition, at the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months of application, of "active" status with a bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. On-line information is allowed as long as it shows that you are in "active" status. GS 11: Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirement, you must have professional legal experience in excess of one (1) year that commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position; or the second professional law degree (Master of Laws [LL.M.]), provided it required at least one full academic year of graduate study; or Superior law student work or activities, as demonstrated by one of the following: Academic standing in the upper third of the Attorney's law school graduating class; Work or achievement of significance on one of the Attorney's law school's official law reviews or journals; Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school (e.g., membership in the Order of the Coif, winning a moot court competition, or membership on the moot court team that represents the law school in competition with other law schools); Full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program, as opposed to one-time, intermittent, or casual participation; Significant summer law office clerk experience; or Other evidence of clearly superior accomplishment or achievement GS 12: Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirement, you must have professional legal experience in excess of two (2) years that commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position at equivalent to the GS-11 level or National Security Personnel System (YA-02) level, or The second professional law degree (LL.M.), plus one year of professional legal experience at the GS-11 level or National Security Personnel System YA2 level. GS 13: Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirement, you must have professional legal experience in excess of two (2) years that commensurate with the position's duties and responsibilities. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: GS-11/GS-12/GS-13: 1. Knowledge of applicable law pertaining to the specialized areas of legal practice, as determined by the SJA, in order to provide legal advice and counsel to command and management and represent AF interests. 2. Sufficient knowledge of federal, state, and local law, as it impacts the private individual, to provide personal legal assistance to eligible beneficiaries across the typical range of the AF legal assistance practice. 3. Skill in recognizing and analyzing key legal issues in a factual situation and applying well-reasoned analysis to reach clear, concise conclusions. 4. Ability to research legal issues, analyze complex factual situations in light of general legal principles and the results of research, and prepare legal opinions. 5. Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse group of individuals, in and outside the legal profession, both orally and in writing, in both formal and informal settings. 6. Ability to prepare cases for trial and/or try cases before a court, administrative body, or an official having quasi-judicial power. At the time of application, you must provide proof, dated within four months o