Summary FSA is a Principal Office of the United States Department of Education responsible for awarding billions of dollars in federal student aid funds. Responsibilities APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement is limited to the first 150 applications received and will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the day that we receive the 150th application, or at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, whichever occurs first. We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application. As an Attorney, GS-905-11, you will be responsible for: - Preparing preliminary memoranda/reports outlining facts and legal issues, analyzing the factual and legal issues involved, explaining the application of legal principles and precedents to the relevant facts, and justifying recommendations or conclusions. - Conducting research in connection with legal questions, such as questions concerning the interpretation and application of statutes, rules, and regulations as they pertain to Enforcement matters. - Reviewing and synthesizing evidence to support legal theories. - Investigating and/or adjudicating borrower defense claims involving varied factual and legal issues under close supervision. As an Attorney, GS-905-12, you will be responsible for: - Preparing preliminary memoranda/reports outlining facts and legal issues, analyzing the factual and legal issues involved, explaining the application of legal principles and precedents to the relevant facts, and justifying recommendations or conclusions. - Conducting research of statutes, regulations, ED and FSA policies and legal opinions bearing on the legal issues involved in the development and implementation of investigation activities and borrower defense decisions. - Gathering, reviewing, and analyzing evidence to support case development. - Investigating or adjudicating borrower defense claims involving varied factual and legal issues. Requirements Conditions of Employment Relocation will not be paid. You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period. Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service. Must be a US Citizen You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. If you are a current federal employee, you must meet all time-in-grade and time-after competitive appointment qualifications within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. To verify that you meet these requirements, we will review your responses to the core eligibility questions on the occupational questionnaire, as well as your submitted resume and required documents. To make an accurate determination, you will need to include on your resume your federal position title, pay plan, occupational series, grade level, agency, dates for which you held the grade level (stated as MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY, OR MM/YYYY to PRESENT), and total hours worked per week. 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). Qualifications Minimum Qualifications Requirements for GS-11: Is an active member in good standing in the Bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. You must be a member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar. AND One year of professional legal experience at the level of difficulty and responsibility at the next lower grade level or equivalent. OR Second professional law degree (LL.M.) which requires one full year of graduate study; OR The applicant's record shows superior law student work or activities as demonstrated by one of the following: Academic standing in the upper third of the law school graduating class; or Work or achievement of significance on his/her law school's official law review; or Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, such as election to the Order of the Coif; or Winning of a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team which represents the law school or in competition with other law schools; or Full-time or continuous participation, for one year or two semesters of law school, in a legal aid program (as opposed to one-time, intermittent, or casual participation); or Significant summer law office clerk experience after beginning law school; or Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement. Specialized Experience for the GS-11 One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-09 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments: 1. Experience assisting with the review of borrower defense to repayment claims pursuant to 34 C.F.R. § 685.222, 34 C.F.R. § 685.206(c)-(d). 2. Experience with interpreting borrower defense to repayment regulations, specifically 34 C.F.R. § 685.222, 34 C.F.R. § 685.206(c)-(d). 3. Experience in legal research. Minimum Qualifications Requirements for GS-12: A. Is an active member in good standing in the Bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. You must be a member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar. AND B. Has obtained the first professional law degree or training which is permitted in some states in lieu of attendance at the law school. AND Two years of professional legal experience at the level of difficulty and responsibility at the next lower grade level or equivalent. AND Specialized Experience for the GS-12 One year of experience in either federal or non-federal service that is equivalent to at least a GS-11 performing two (2) out of three (3) of the following duties or work assignments: 1. Experience analyzing and adjudicating borrower defense to repayment claims or overseeing the review of borrower defense to repayment claims pursuant to 34 C.F.R. § 685.222, 34 C.F.R. § 685.206(c)-(d). 2. Experience with interpreting and applying borrower defense to repayment regulations, specifically 34 C.F.R. § 685.222, 34 C.F.R. § 685.206(c)-(d). 3. Experience in reviewing and analyzing evidence. Education Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level. Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, please click Foreign Education. Additional Information Veterans' Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email sro_recruiting@ed.gov to schedule a session with a career counselor ("Veterans Counseling Session" should be placed in the subject line of the email). Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment. Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and successfully complete a pre-appointment investigation/background check. Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered non-essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures. Financial Disclosure: This position does require financial disclosure. Bargaining Unit: This position is included in the bargaining unit (American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 252). Selections: Agencies have broad authority under law to hire from any appropriate source of eligibles and may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized. We may make additional selections from this vacancy announcement within 90 days from the date the selection certificates are issued, should vacancies occur. We may also share selection certificates amongst program offices across the agency.
