Summary
The Office of the Legal Adviser (L) within the U.S. Department of State seeks to hire a specialist Attorney-Adviser to serve in the Office of Employment Law (L/EMP). The attorney will defend the Department in litigation and provide legal advice to senior officials on issues related to employment law. This position is Excepted Service and appointments are made without regard to the requirements of the Competitive Service by laws, Executive order, or OPM regulations.
Responsibilities
Identifies potential legal issues, researches and applies Department regulations, policies, laws, Executive Orders, and other guidelines for legal implications related to human resources.
Provides appropriate legal advice on relevant laws including the Civil Service Reform Act, the Foreign Service Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. Works with DOJ on employment cases in federal courts.
Conducts negotiations, plans the approach, and develops the completed product.
Participates in intradepartmental, interagency, and inter-jurisdictional meetings and conferences in which s/he is expected to justify recommendations for particular legal considerations associated with deciding courses of action or policy positions.
At the GS-15 level, the incumbent performs the same duties as outlined above; however, the scope and complexity of assignments are increased, and the incumbent receives less supervision than the GS-14.
Qualifications
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Applicants applying for this position must meet the following requirements to be eligible for further consideration: Law Degree: Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with a J.D. or LL.M. Bar Membership: Applicants must be a current member of a bar in good standing in any state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Applicants interested in GS-14: Experience: Applicants must have at least three years of specialized experience with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal Service, which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position. The specialized experience must have been gained after admission to the bar. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience with employment law and litigation, including Federal statutes, administrative regulations, and judicial decisions that pertain to areas of the employer/employee relationship. Experience drafting memoranda and briefs, conducting discovery, memorializing interagency agreements, and settlement agreements. Experience defending against claims at the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), conducting investigations or negotiations, planning the approach, and developing the completed products. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-14 position. Applicants interested in GS-15: Experience: Applicants must have at least four years of specialized experience with at least one year equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal Service, which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position. The specialized experience must have been gained after admission to the bar. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience with employment law, including Federal statutes, administrative regulations, and judicial decisions that pertain to areas of the employer/employee relationship. Experience defending against claims at the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), conducting investigations or negotiations, planning the approach, and developing the completed products. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-15 position.
Education
See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the 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. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.