Summary This position is located in the Immediate Office of the Inspector General (IG), which is responsible for providing Office of Inspector General (OIG) management and staff with legal advice, counsel, and representation on all matters related to program operations and management issues within the organization, in order to carry out the statutory responsibilities imposed by the IG Act. Responsibilities Assist and provide legal advice and findings in connection with a wide range of issues involving major USDA and OIG programs, policies and operations. Assist in the development of new/revised OIG policy and guidance on a variety of legal issues, including but not limited to issuance of OIG subpoenas, review of laws and regulations, legal processes, and ethics. Participates in all phases of litigation as agency representative/counsel for administrative matters and may serve as agency representative in civil and criminal cases when required. Handles ethics issues arising with respect to OIG employees and officials, and drafts responses to administrative appeals of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. BASIC REQUIREMENT: All applicants must possess the following: Position requires the possession of the first professional law degree (J.D.) - AND - Applicants must currently be a member in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Proof of such membership and good standing must be submitted with your application materials. ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, applicants must also meet the experience requirements below: For the GS-11 level: None For the GS-12 level: Applicants must possess at least one year of professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector performing duties such as assisting or conducting litigation, independently conducting legal research on or providing legal opinions/advice on matters involving the IG Act, USDA programs or legal authorities, criminal matters, the FOIA/Privacy Act, or Federal ethics authorities. Education To meet minimum eligibility requirements for this position, applicants must possess at least a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school. You are required to submit a copy of your law degree transcripts prior to the close of this vacancy announcement. You must submit an unofficial transcripts that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to General Schedule Qualification Policies for more information. You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient, however if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the closing of this announcement 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 An active Bar membership is required. Excepted Service Position: This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service. Veterans Information: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; 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 www.opm.gov). If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report. This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use. If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Relocation expenses will not be paid. This is not a bargaining unit designated position. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.
