Attorney-Adviser

NASA; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 125,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

NASA's General Law Practice Group seeks an Attorney Advisor to counsel senior managers on federal personnel and employment law, defend discrimination complaints, and support agency litigation and hearings. The role emphasizes employment-related counseling within a broad general-law portfolio. The successful candidate must hold a J.D.

or LL.B. and be admitted to practice, with progressive experience at GS-14 or GS-15 levels, including advising on complex personnel matters and managing litigation

Qualifications

• Basic professional eligibility: J.D. or LL.B. from ABA-accredited school; active bar in U.S. state/territory or DC or Puerto Rico; admitted to practice before state or federal court.
• GS-14: one year of directly related specialized experience in federal personnel law, employment discrimination, labor relations, or equivalent general law practice areas; or LL.M. plus one year of professional legal experience.
• GS-15: one year of directly related specialized experience at GS-14 level or LL.M. plus one year of experience; narrative resume describing specialized experience is required.

Responsibilities

• Counsel senior managers on employment and general law issues, including handling discrimination complaints and grievances.
• Provide legal guidance to clients in general law areas (fiscal, security, ethics, regulatory review, etc.).
• Draft and review briefs, conduct discovery, take depositions, and participate in litigation in federal employment and general law matters.
• Represent clients in formal administrative and federal civil litigation as needed.

Skills

Oral communication

Written communication

Legal counsel

Litigation

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LL.B.

Job description

You will serve as an Attorney Advisor (Employment and General Law) in the General Law Practice Group, within the NASA Office of the General Counsel. The Group provides legal counsel on ethics, fiscal, employment, information, and other administrative law matters and represents the Agency in litigation and hearings. You will perform duties in general law areas, with a focus on employment, including counseling senior managers and defending judicial and administrative discrimination complaints.

Basic Requirements for all grade levels

You must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from a full course of study at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; be an active member in good standing of the bar of any state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and have been admitted to practice law before a state or federal court.

To qualify for the GS-14:

you must meet the basic requirement for all grade levels (as outlined above).

In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied:

One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level:

• Offering oral and written legal guidance on federal personnel law, employment discrimination law, labor relations, and other legal issues to managers, supervisors and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) officers, including addressing grievances and discrimination complaints informally;
• Providing legal guidance to clients in general law practice areas, such as fiscal, security, release of information, ethics, environmental, administrative, legislative review, regulatory review or other areas;
• Completing tasks, such as writing and reviewing briefs, conducting discovery, taking and defending depositions, and otherwise handling litigation in areas like federal employment law, labor law, EEO law, and other general law practice areas with minimal oversight;
• Supporting representation of clients in formal administrative and federal civil litigation.

OR

A graduate law degree (e.g., Master of Laws/LL.M.) and 1 year of professional legal experience equivalent to the experience described above.

To qualify for the GS-15:

you must meet the basic requirement for all grade levels (as outlined above).

In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied:

One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level:

• Delivering expert oral and written legal counsel on complex federal personnel law, employment discrimination law, labor relations, and other specialized legal matters to management, supervisors, and EEO officers, including the proactive informal resolution of employee grievances, disputes, and discrimination complaints;
• Providing legal guidance to senior leadership and other clients in general law practice areas, such as fiscal, security, release of information, ethics, environmental, administrative, legislative review, regulatory review, or other areas;
• Managing and executing tasks, such as writing and reviewing briefs, conducting discovery, taking and defending depositions, and otherwise handling litigation independently in areas such as federal employment law, labor law, EEO law, and other general law practice areas;
• Representing clients in formal administrative and federal civil litigation.

OR

A graduate law degree (e.g., Master of Laws/LL.M.) and 1 year of professional legal experience equivalent to the experience described above.

Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.