Summary This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC), Legal Division located in Washington, DC. Responsibilities The U.S. Coast Guard's National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC or Center) was created to implement Title I of the Oil Pollution Act (OPA), which addressed issues associated with preventing, responding to, and paying for oil pollution. Title I of OPA established oil spill liability and compensation requirements, including the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) to pay for expeditious oil removal and uncompensated damages. Under the direction of the Chief Legal Officer, this attorney will be responsible for handling highly complex and difficult @types of legal work on behalf of the NPFC and must possess very specialized expertise and broad experience in maritime and environmental law, federal litigation practice, cost recovery, oil and gas law, bankruptcy law, insurance law, administrative law, claims adjudication, settlement negotiation, and public speaking. The incumbent consults with and gives legal advice and guidance to Coast Guard officials at the Center and in field concerning the statutes, regulations, judicial opinions, Executive Orders, decisions of the Attorney General or the Comptroller General and internal Coast Guard directives pertaining to Center related operations including expenditures from the Fund and recovery of Fund expenditures from responsible parties. Negotiates, adjudicates or recommends adjudicatory action on claims against the Fund in accordance with relevant statutes, regulations and directives. The incumbent will be required to lead and mentor junior attorneys as they prepare cases for litigation by the Department of Justice and defend against challenges to decisions by NPFC. The incumbent also acts as Agency Counsel by supporting the Department of Justice when defending and prosecuting lawsuits arising from Center activities. The incumbent may also be required to assist with preparing determinations adjudicating claims against the OSLTF and then assist with defending challenges to those determinations. Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments for this position include: -Researching, analyzing and evaluating the facts and law involved in lawsuits arising from Center activities or from claims by or against the Fund. Applying expert knowledge of federal litigation practice, admiralty and maritime law, environmental law, debt collection law, oil and gas law, natural resource damage law, insurance law, fiscal law, contract law, bankruptcy law, administrative law, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)/Privacy Act (PA) law, ethical standards, and procurement law. -Extracting and organizing facts from case files, analyzes the facts in relation to the applicable law and drafts appropriate litigation referrals and reports. May be required to assist Department of Justice attorneys in pre-trial preparation through identifying additional facts, gathering and organizing evidence and preparing briefings and conducting discovery. -Reviewing letters, memoranda, instructions, operating procedures, certificates and other documents for legal sufficiency and legal implications prior to issuance or publication. -Collaborating, as appropriate, with officials from Headquarters and other Government agencies, members of private industry and public interest groups, the general public, and their attorneys on legal aspects of the Center's involvement with oil spill and hazardous substance pollution matters. -Providing legal representation for the Center in dealing with Congress, the courts, and other federal, state and foreign government agencies, and provides legal counsel for the Center in its relations with the general public and industry. Requirements Conditions of Employment All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Key Requirements: Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov A one-year probationary period may be required. Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation. Must provide unofficial J.D. or LL.B. transcripts at the time of application. Membership in good standing with a state Bar. Qualifications Basic Requirement for all grade levels: 1. You must be a graduate with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited law school; AND 2. You must have bar membership in one of the 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico or the US. Virgin Islands. Minimum Requirements: The minimum qualifications for hiring at each grade level (or equivalent) are as follows: GS-15: To qualify for the GS-15 level position, you must have successfully completed at least one full year of Specialized Experience as a practicing attorney equivalent to the GS-14 level in federal service as reflected in the nature and complexity of casework and legal issues for which responsible. The @types and complexity of cases and work involved in handling them are evaluated to determine the level at which you have performed. "Specialized Experience" is experience that included duties requiring: Expert knowledge of, and experience with the Oil Pollution Act, 33 USC 2701 et seq.; Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 USC 1321 et seq.; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, 42 USC 9601 et seq.; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42 USC 9601 et seq.; and international oil pollution liability and compensation regimes; Expert knowledge of, and experience with, admiralty law, maritime law, environmental law, contract law, procurement law, oil and gas law, fiscal law, bankruptcy law, FOIA/PA, ethical standards, insurance, and natural resource damage law; Expert knowledge of, and experience with, the federal litigation process in the particular areas of cost recovery litigation, environmental litigation, maritime litigation, and administrative law litigation; Demonstrated expert ability in drafting legal memorandums and opinions that thoroughly and meticulously explain both the relevant facts and the law; Demonstrated expert ability to lead junior attorneys including reviewing and editing work product produced by others and coaching on how to improve legal skills; and Demonstrated expert ability to effectively communicate verbally with high-ranking military and civilian officials, representatives of the public, private and government organizations at various levels and attorneys representing opposing parties. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education Education Requirements: This position has a positive education requirement. All Candidates must possess a J.D. or LL.B degree from an accredited law school; AND, must be a member in good standing of the appropriate licensing authority of any state, territory of the United States, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or District of Columbia bar. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at click here NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Additional Information Applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. Certain responses on the form could pose a problem with suitability for employment determinations. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete/make updates to the OF-306 and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, or imprisonment. DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about e-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities at click here Recruitment incentives may be authorized. If selection is made below the full performance level, the incumbent may be promoted up to the target grade without further competition, if all legal and regulatory requirements are met and when recommended by the supervisor. However, promotion to the full performance level is not guaranteed and is dependent on successful performance at the lower grade level(s).All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement. More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued. If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 206-815-4129. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation
