Summary This position is located in Federal Student Aid, Borrower Defense Branch in Washington, DC & other locations. The Borrower Defense Branch is responsible for investigations and projects that have a substantial impact on students, institutions of higher education, and public interest. Responsibilities APPLICATION LIMIT: This vacancy announcement will close at 11:59PM Eastern Time on the listed closing date, May 26, 2026. We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application. As a General Attorney, GS-0905-11, you will be responsible for: - With significant oversight, prepares 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. - Conducts 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. - Reviews and synthesizes evidence to support legal theories. - With significant supervision, investigates and/or adjudicates borrower defense claims involving varied factual and legal issues. As a General Attorney, GS-0905-12, you will be responsible for: - Prepares 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. - Conducts 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. - Gathers, reviews, and analyzes evidence to support case development. - Investigates and/or adjudicates 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 two-year trial period. Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service. Must be a US Citizen Background Investigation is required. Condition of Employment: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a probationary period or trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period OR trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. 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. We will consider all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience. Qualifications This is an open continuous announcement with cutoff dates. Applications will be referred based on receipt of application and established cutoff dates as follows: 1st cutoff date: 03/13/2026 2nd cutoff date: 04/13/2026 3rd cutoff date: 05/13/2026 Last cutoff date: 05/28/2026 Minimum qualifications requirements for the 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. AND 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 applying specific facts to individual cases or applications pursuant to relevant legal standards. 2. Experience adjudicating claims or applications seeking legal remedies with daily or weekly deadlines. 3. Experience in legal research. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement). 1. Skill in legal analysis and legal writing. 2. Skill in legal research. 3. Skill in analysis of evidence. 4. Skill in applying the law to specific facts, cases, or claims Minimum qualifications requirements for the 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 applying specific facts to complex individual cases or applications pursuant to relevant legal standards. 2. Experience adjudicating complex claims or applications seeking legal remedies with daily or weekly deadlines. 3. Experience reviewing and analyzing evidence and conducting legal research. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement). 1. Skill in legal analysis and legal writing. 2. Skill in legal research. 3. Skill in analysis of evidence. 4. Skill in applying the law to specific facts, cases, or claims. Education Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level. 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 essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures. Financial Disclosure: This position requires 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.
