Summary About the Position: This position is located in Peachtree City, Georgia. The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Office of the General Counsel facilitates DoDEA's global educational mission by providing high quality and timely legal advice and counsel, effective advocacy, and creative problem-solving Responsibilities Provides legal assistance, advice, and representation in support of DoDEA and its regional leadership on a wide range of labor, employment, and administrative law matters. Represents DoDEA in hearings and other administrative proceedings before the EEOC, MSPB, and FLRA and represents management in negotiated grievance and arbitration proceedings. Provides legal advice and assistance on civilian personnel and labor relations matters, including employee discipline, performance management, equal employment opportunity, anti-discrimination laws, and civil rights requirements. Advises management officials on requests for reasonable accommodation and disability related employment matters. Advises on investigations, government ethics matters, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Privacy Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act. Participates as a lecturer and legal advisor in training programs to educate DoDEA personnel and leadership on legal requirements, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Provides legal review of proposed personnel actions, policies, and management initiatives to ensure legal sufficiency and alignment with applicable laws and regulations. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Who May Apply: U.S. Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or 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. VETERANS' PREFERENCE INFORMATION: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documents (e.g., DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and supporting documentation required for the specific @type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the @types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at http://www.opm.gov/.). To successfully claim veteran's preference, your resume/supplemental data must clearly show your entitlement. Qualification Requirements: The following minimum qualification requirements must be met in order for applicants to be considered for the position: Education Requirements: An applicant must have possession of the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) AND active membership in the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. As indicated below, a law school transcript must be submitted with your application materials. Unofficial copies are acceptable at the time of application, but official copy may be required if selected. Bar membership: Applicant must currently be active member in the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. As indicated below, proof of such membership and good standing must be submitted with your application materials. Unofficial copy is acceptable at the time of application, but official copy may be required if selected. Experience Requirements: In addition to the requirements above, applicants for the GS-14 or equivalent Attorney position must also possess a robust background in labor and employment law, with a particular focus on litigation; demonstrate expertise in representing organizations in federal personnel and employment litigation to include handing cases across various administrative and judicial forums such as Merit System Protection Board (MSPB), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), or federal district and appellate courts. Applicant must also have three (3) or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Graduation from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or an advanced law degree such as a LL.M may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html Additional Information Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Be advised that effective Jan. 1 2018, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, most civilian employee relocation allowances became taxable. The Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) reimburses eligible employees for the additional Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred as a result of receiving taxable travel income. RITA does not apply to new government employees or employees returning from an overseas assignment for the purpose of separation from Government service. For more information, visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction.html. Applicants with a disability who need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should notify David Walton ra@dodea.edu This position is not covered by a bargaining unit. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
