Attorney Advisor, GS-0905-15, FPL GS-15 (Excepted Service)

U.S. Department of Education; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in Washington, D.C. seeks a Senior Counsel to provide expert legal advice related to federal law OCR enforces.

The Senior Counsel will support the Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretaries and contribute to complex civil rights enforcement matters. The position requires bar admission, four years of professional legal experience at or above the level of an attorney grade below the target, and demonstrated superior academic

Qualifications

• First professional law degree or equivalent as permitted by state law.
• Active Bar membership in a State, District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal advice to OCR leadership on federal laws enforced by OCR.
• Develop and review legal opinions, memoranda, and communications strategies for civil rights enforcement matters.
• Coordinate with OCR staff, other DOE offices, and external agencies to ensure consistent legal guidance.

Skills

Legal analysis

Oral & written advocacy

Policy development

Leadership

Communication

Education

Juris Doctor / equivalent

Bar admission in good standing

Job description

This position is located in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for the Office For Civil Rights (OCR), located in Washington, D.C. The Senior Counsel aides the Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretaries in providing expert legal advice related to Federal Law that OCR is responsible for enforcing.
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 Qualifications Requirements for GS-15:

A. Has obtained the first professional law degree or training which is permitted in some states in lieu of attendance at the law school
AND
B. Is an active member in good standing in the Bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
AND
C. 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-15

1. Experience addressing complex media and communications issues pertaining to civil rights enforcement and policy matters.
2. Experience with oral and written expression sufficient to develop highly sophisticated legal analyses and communications strategies or responses related to civil rights enforcement or policy matters.
3. Experience in controlling statues, regulations, federal enforcement of policy related activities and procedures to develop legal opinions and communication strategies or responses.

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).

1. Knowledge of the controlling statutes, regulations, and federal enforcement and policy-related activities and procedures pertaining to the subject matter of the particular issue sufficient to develop legal opinions and communications strategies or responses.
2. Experience addressing complex media and communications issues pertaining to civil rights enforcement and policy matters.
3. Skill in oral and written expression sufficient to develop highly sophisticated legal analyses and communications strategies or responses related to civil rights enforcement or policy matters.
4. Ability to lead and complete projects, initiatives and tasks involving strategic operations and management, FOIA management, and other legal and policy projects in collaboration with attorneys and other staff both within OCR and in other offices and agencies.