General Attorney

Summary

About the Position: This position is with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Southwestern Division, Ft Worth District, Office of Counsel with a duty station location of Ft. Worth, Texas. This is a Time Limited Appointment Not to Exceed (NTE) 13 months but may be extended up to a total of 3 years. This position will NOT be made permanent. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.

Duties

• •Works under the technical and advisory supervision of the District Counsel.
• •Responsible for the preparation or review of complex legal issues, instruments, assemblies, or the preparation of legal opinions on complex questions relating to state and Federal laws and regulations.
• •Assigned cases involve extremely complex and difficult legal questions or issues involving novel questions of law and policy affecting several million dollars or more.
• •Responsible for acting as an official legal representative of the office to which assigned in contacts with municipal, state, and federal agencies, other federal agencies, and private stakeholders.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration: Education: An applicant 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 (LL.B. or J.D.). Law school transcripts must be submitted at the time of application. Bar Membership: An applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory, or commonwealth of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Professional Legal Experience: Experience for the GS-12 level: An applicant must have two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. NOTE: The qualifying authority may make exceptions to the experience requirements when nominees possess special qualifications in place of those specified. For example, a second professional law degree (master of laws) or graduation with a distinguished record from an accredited law school (for example, in the top 25 percent of the class) may be substituted for 1 year of professional legal experience. Experience for the GS-13 level: An applicant must have two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. NOTE: The qualifying authority may make exceptions to the experience requirements when nominees possess special qualifications in place of those specified. For example, a second professional law degree (master of laws) or graduation with a distinguished record from an accredited law school (for example, in the top 25 percent of the class) may be substituted for 1 year of professional legal experience. Time in Grade Requirement: If currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government you must have completed one year at the next lower grade level. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Your application package will be evaluated to ensure your experience, knowledge, skills, training and/or education meet the qualification requirements stated in this vacancy announcement. Quality of experience relates to how closely or to what extent an applicant's background and recency of experience and education clearly reflect that you possess the following required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of this position. The following KSA's must be addressed in your resume. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating or effect your overall rating. These Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's) must be related in the following areas of federal laws and practices: government contracts and fiscal law, civilian personnel and employment, labor-management relations, civil works project authorities, litigation, general administrative law, environmental law, standards of conduct, ethics and real estate. 1. Knowledge, skills, and abilities with research, analyze, and drafting legal opinions, memoranda, and instruments regarding complex and difficult legal questions (such as federal procurement, civil works, environmental, real estate, or administrative law). 2. Knowledge, skills, and ability as it applies to represent an agency or organization in negotiations, meetings, conferences, administrative hearings, or complex litigation in federal courts and before federal administrative tribunals. 3. Knowledge, skills, and experience in providing comprehensive, clear, and timely oral and written legal advice, guidance, and assistance to command leadership, staff, agency military and senior management with other governmental entities, and with private parties on day-to-day operations and varied legal matters. 4. Knowledge, skills, and experience to work independently with minimal supervision, applying legal principles, analyzing conflicting precedents, and developing creative solutions to novel or precedent-setting legal issues. 5. Knowledge, skills, and experience to communicate clearly and persuasively complex legal concepts effectively, both orally and in writing, to negotiate resolutions on varied and complex topics with diverse clients and constituencies.

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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.