Attorney-Adviser (General)

DLA Careers; Battle Creek (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

Defense Logistics Agency in Battle Creek, MI, seeks an Attorney-Adviser (General) within the Office of Counsel to support the DLA Disposition Services mission. The role covers diverse legal specialties and requires providing legal advice on property management, contracts, employment, environmental law, FOIA, and other areas.

The position advances through different portfolios to broaden experience, with duties including responding to Congress and IG requests, and handling a range of civil,

Qualifications

• First professional law degree (LLB or J.D.).
• Proof of bar licensure with good standing in the highest court.
• Education and credentials must be current and verifiable.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal services related to DLA Disposition Services mission.
• Offer legal advice on a wide range of federal law topics.
• Respond to Congressional, GAO, and IG requests as required.
• Rotate through portfolios to gain broad experience.

Skills

Legal research

Written communication

Verbal communication

Analytical thinking

Education

J.D. or LLB

Bar admission (certificate of good standing)

Tools

Transcript submission

Job description

Summary

See below for important information regarding this job.

Incumbents will serve as the Attorney-Adviser (General) in the Office of Counsel, Defense Logistics Agency, DLA Disposition Services, a Major Subordinate Command, located in Battle Creek, MI.

Position May Be Filled At

GS-12: $89,508 - $116,362

GS-13: $106,437 - $138,370

GS-14: $125,776 - $163,514

Duties

• Serves as an Associate Counsel and the nature of the work requires expertise in more than one legal specialty. Portfolio and daily workload will be assigned based on office workload to support office needs.
• Provide legal services related to the DLA Disposition Services mission and professionals at all levels of the organization.
• Provide legal advice on a wide range of legal issues in the fields of federal surplus property management and sales, Contract Law, Employment Law, Environmental Law, FOIA, International Law, Operational Law, Privacy Act and Standards of Conduct.
• Will be involved in preparing and/or reviewing responses to Congressional, Government Accountability (GAO), and Inspectors General requests, as may be required.
• Rotation through different portfolios in order to gain additional experience and maintain currency in broad range of administrative and civil, international, and operational law areas of the practice is possible.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• This is an Excepted Service position.
• Tour of Duty: Flexible (https://www.dla.mil/Careers/Join-Our-Team/Benefits/#Work)
• Security Requirements: Non-Critical Sensitive with Secret Access
• Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, where reciprocity cannot be applied; unfavorably adjudicated background checks will be grounds for removal.
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
• Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.
• Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Bargaining Unit Status: No
• Financial Disclosure Requirement: Required
• Selectees are required to have a REAL ID or other acceptable identification documents to access certain federal facilities. See https://www.tsa.gov/real-id for more information.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR AN ATTORNEY-ADVISER (GENERAL)

• The first professional law degree (LLB. or J.D.);
• Proof that you are licensed and a member in good standing with the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Annual bar certification cards issued from your state of licensure are not considered acceptable. Proof is a "certificate of good standing" issued by your state of licensure dated within 6 months of the closing date of this announcement or a screenshot of your bar status taken from your state of licensure website that is dated within 6 months of the closing date of this announcement or sworn statement to that effect. If there is not a date on the screen shot, you must provide a statement signed by you on the date that the screen shot was created. The successful applicant selected for employment must provide a "certificate of good standing" issued by their respective bar showing they are in good status and in active status prior to appointment.
• In addition to 1 and 2 (listed above), each grade level has the following qualification requirements:

To Qualify at the GS-12 Level

• Two years of professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level.
• The second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus 1 year of professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level.
• An attorney without experience may, in unusual cases, be employed at the GS-12 or equivalent level provided the individual has advanced educational attainments substantially beyond those required for work at the GS-11 or equivalent level, and his or her education clearly indicates ability to perform work of the type to be assigned.

To Qualify At The GS-13 Level

You must possess professional legal experience in excess of 2 years commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

To Qualify At The GS-14 Level

You must possess professional legal experience in excess of 3 years commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

In accordance with DoDI 1442.2 (Personnel Actions Involving Civilian Attorneys), promotion for this position is based on the individual's time, performance, and mastery of skills at the required grade level and only with approval of the designated official (DLA General Counsel) in accordance with the applicable regulation.

The legal experience described in your application package or resume will be evaluated and screened for competencies required to perform the duties of the position as described in the Major Duties section of this announcement. The QUALITY of experience will be evaluated and screened to determine how closely or to what extent your experience, education, and training are relevant to the duties and responsibilities of the announced position. Your application package or resume must demonstrate you have the competencies and quality of experience necessary to successfully perform the work of the position at the appropriate grade level.

Principal Selection Factors

• Knowledge and experience in a wide range of Office of General Counsel practice areas that may include Federal Surplus Property law and sales, Contract Law, Employment Law, Environmental Law, FOIA, International Law, Operational Law, Privacy Act and Standards of Conduct.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and experience in communicating with senior officials.
• Analytical ability, including issue identification, legal research, analysis of options, risk analysis, and creative problem solving.
• Excellent legal and business judgment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and client relationships, and the ability to interact well with clients and colleagues

Security Clearance

This position is designated Non-Critical Sensitive. If selected, you must obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance. If you are unable to obtain this level of security clearance (as a result of undisclosed or disclosed background issues), within a reasonable period of time (as defined by the agency), the employment offer may be withdrawn. In addition, incumbent is subject to periodic re-investigation to maintain security eligibility in accordance with DoD 5200.2-R.

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at time of application.

FOREIGN EDUCATION

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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.

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; however, the Department of 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 documentation (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 www.opm.gov).

As of 23 December 2016, Military retirees seeking to enter federal service in the Department of Defense now require a waiver if they would be appointed within 180 days following their official date of retirement.

Reemployed Annuitants

This position does not meet criteria for appointment of Reemployed Annuitants. The DoD criteria for hiring Reemployed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/140025_vol300.PDF

Drug-Free Workplace Policy

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is committed to maintaining a safe, drug-free workplace. All DLA employees are required to refrain from illegal drug use on and off duty. DLA conducts pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, and random drug testing.

Applicants tentatively selected for employment in testing designated positions will undergo a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Refusal to undergo testing or testing positive for illegal drugs will result in withdrawal of the tentative job offer and a six-month denial of employment with DLA from the date of the drug test. Employees in drug testing designated positions are subject to random drug testing. A negative drug test result must be received by HR within 30 calendar days after the EOD (i.e., start date). The selectee's inability successfully pass; or refusal to conduct the test may result in: 1) the tentative or FJO being withdrawn during the recruitment process; or 2) subsequently being removed from Federal service for failure to meet a condition of employment. You may be required to sign a "Drug Test Statement of Understanding" if you are selected for this position.

The DLA drug testing panel tests for the following substances: marijuana, cocaine, opiates, heroin, phencyclidine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, fentanyl, norfentanyl, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), and opioids.

ADVISORY: Use of cannabidiol (CBD) products may result in a positive drug test for marijuana. DLA employees are subject to Federal law and under Federal law, Marijuana is illegal

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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