Attorney Advisor, GS-0905-13/14 FPL 14 (Excepted Service)

U.S. Department of Education; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC is seeking an attorney to join the Enforcement Office to analyze and investigate borrower defense claims and enforce federal student aid laws.

The role emphasizes legal writing, strategic thinking, and collaboration with senior managers in a fast-paced federal environment.

Qualifications

• Must be ABA-accredited law school graduate.
• Bar admission and good standing to practice law in a U.S. jurisdiction.
• Three years professional legal experience or two years plus an LL.M. with additional qualifying criteria.
• Equivalency options include superior law school achievements as listed.

Responsibilities

• Draft legal analyses and formulate recommendations to senior managers.
• Prepare pleadings, briefs, and other court or administrative documents.
• Adjudicate administrative decisions and draft memoranda, orders, or decisions for judges or deciding officials.

Skills

Legal analysis

Strategic thinking

Legal writing

Written and oral communication

Education

ABA-accredited law degree

Job description

This position is in the Department of Education (ED), Federal Student Aid (FSA), Enforcement Office (EO). The Enforcement Office is responsible and accountable for enforcing laws and rules governing the issuance, receipt and management of federal student aid. The incumbent is an attorney responsible for analyzing and investigating borrower defense claims. As an ED employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a work life balance, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you include alternative work schedules. You may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to receive a relocation incentive for this position. To receive this incentive payment, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon. You may be eligible to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program as a recruitment incentive for this position. To receive student loan repayments, you will be required to sign a service agreement obligating you to remain with the U.S. Department of Education for a specified period as agreed upon.

Minimum Qualification Requirements GS-13

• You must be a graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association,

AND

• Proof of admission to the Bar of the highest court of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and current membership in such Bar as would permit the practice of law. You must be a member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar,

AND

• Has three years professional legal experience, at least one of the three years MUST be at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled, or
• Has two years professional legal experience, at least one of the two years MUST be at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled, PLUS a second professional law degree (LL.M.) which requires one full year of graduate study, or
• Has two years professional legal experience, at least one of the two years MUST be at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled, PLUS record shows superior law schoolwork or activities as demonstrated by one of the following:
  • Academic standing in the upper third of the law school graduating class.
  • Work or achievement of significance on his/her law school's official law review.
  • Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, such as election to the Order of the Coif.
  • Winning of a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team that represents the law school in competition with other law schools.
  • Full-time or continuous participation, for one year or two semesters of law school, in a legal aid program (as opposed to one-time, intermittent, or casual participation).
  • Significant summer law office clerk experience after beginning law school.
  • Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement.

NOTE: For purposes of counting the number of years of legal experience after graduating from law school, equivalent writing and legal analysis performed as a judicial law clerk will be considered even if the applicant was not admitted to the bar at the time.

AND

Specialized Experience for the GS-13

1. Experience in drafting legal analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers.
2. Experience in drafting pleadings, briefs, legal memoranda, or other court or administrative documents involving legal issues in civil or criminal litigation or administrative proceedings.
3. Experience in adjudicating administrative decisions with limited supervision, drafting memoranda, orders, or decisions for judges of deciding officials; conducting civil or criminal litigation or administrative law proceedings with supervision.

Minimum Qualification Requirements for GS-14

• You must be a graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association,

AND

• Proof of admission to the Bar of the highest court of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and current membership in such Bar as would permit the practice of law. You must be a member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar,

AND

• Has four years professional legal experience, at least one of the four years MUST be at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled, or
• Has three years professional legal experience, at least one of the three years MUST be at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled, PLUS a second professional law degree (LL.M.) which requires one full year of graduate study, or
• Has three years professional legal experience, at least one of the three years MUST be at the level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of an attorney at the grade immediately below the one being filled, PLUS record shows superior law schoolwork or activities as demonstrated by one of the following:
  • Academic standing in the upper third of the law school graduating class.
  • Work or achievement of significance on his/her law school's official law review.
  • Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, such as election to the Order of the Coif.
  • Winning of a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team that represents the law school in competition with other law schools.
  • Full-time or continuous participation, for one year or two semesters of law school, in a legal aid program (as opposed to one-time, intermittent, or casual participation).
  • Significant summer law office clerk experience after beginning law school.
  • Other equivalent evidence of clearly superior achievement.

NOTE: For purposes of counting the number of years of legal experience after graduating from law school, equivalent writing and legal analysis performed as a judicial law clerk will be considered even if the applicant was not admitted to the bar at the time.

AND

Specialized Experience for the GS-14

1. Experience in performing legal analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers.
2. Experience in composing pleadings, briefs, legal memoranda, or other court or administrative documents involving complex legal issues in civil or criminal litigation or administrative proceedings.
3. Experience in adjudicating administrative decisions, writing final memoranda, orders, or decisions for judges of deciding officials; conducting civil or criminal litigation or administrative law proceedings.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).

GS-13/14

1. Skill in legal analysis.
2. Skill in strategy formulation, critical thinking, and multi-tasking under pressure.
3. Skill in legal writing and editing.
4. Skill in written and oral communication.