Attorney Adviser International

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.

Duties

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• 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.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/
• Copy of license to practice law.

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.

Additional information

• For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at [redacted].

• If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval.

• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

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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.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.