General Attorney

Summary

This position is located in the U.S Merit Systems Protection Board, Office of General Counsel, Washington, DC. MSPB oversees federal merit systems and enforces compliance with merit systems principles, statutes, and regulations, primarily through adjudicating appeals of certain agency personnel actions. As relevant to this position, OGC provides legal advice on a broad range of internal agency matters, drafts certain Board decisions, and defends the Board's decisions before the federal courts.

Duties

The below description of duties represents the position of a non- supervisory attorney in the Office of General Counsel who is, at the full performance level, working on a mix of cases that spans the range of levels of complexity and difficulty. The duties may include, but are not limited to: Represents the Board in proceeding before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, other appellate courts, the district courts, and administrative tribunals; monitors cases litigated by the Department of Justice. Prepares draft opinions and orders on petitions for enforcement, regulation review requests, and other cases assigned by the Board. Prepares legal opinions of specific points of law upon request by the Board or program offices. Provides legal advice on one or more of the following areas: Internal labor relations and employment matters; the Freedom of Information Act; the Privacy Act; the Sunshine Act; the MSPB's Touhy regulations; contracts, procurement and appropriations law; and the Administrative Procedure Act. Supports legislative activity functions by responding to Congressional correspondence, providing briefings for Congressional staff members, and conducting analysis of bills relating to MSPB. Supports the regulatory function by drafting and coordinating the issuance of Board regulations. Supports the Inspector General function by conducting investigations and drafting decisions and letters.

Qualifications

To qualify, you must be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a state, Territory, or the District of Columbia and meet the following requirements by the closing date of the announcement. GS-905-12: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus one of the following: a. One year of professional legal experience at the level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-11; or two years of professional legal experience, one of which must be at the level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-11; or b. Second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus one year of professional legal experience at the level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-11; or c. One year of professional experience; plus superior law student work (i.e, academic standing in the upper 1/3 of an accredited law school graduating class; work or achievement of significance on the law school's official law review or moot court board; special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school-such as, election to Order of the Coif; winning of a moot court team which represents the law school in competition with other law schools, full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program-as opposed to intermittent or prior to "casual participation"; significant summer law clerk experience; or other evidence of clearly superior achievement). GS-905-13: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus one of the following: a. Superior law student work plus two years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-12; or b. Three years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-12; or c. Second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus two years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at the level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-12. GS-905-14: The first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus one of the following: a. Superior law student work plus three years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-13; or b. Four years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-13; or c. Second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus three years of professional legal experience in employment law applicable to federal employees and agencies, one of which must be at the level of difficulty comparable to the GS-905-13.

Education

Please see educational qualification requirement information above. Transcripts are required.