Attorney-Adviser (General)

Closing Date: 29th May, 2024

Description:

Summary:
About the Position: You will serve as an Environmental Attorney-Adviser (General) in the Office of Counsel, within the U.S. Army Environmental Command, at Fort Sam Houston, TX, researching and responding to questions pertaining to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other varied Federal statutes or regulations that govern substantive environmental control.
Duties:

• Reviews, researches, and responds to questions pertaining to federal laws, regulations, Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Army (DA) policies.
• Analyzes, reviews, and prepares legal comments on military projects in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and implementing Department of the Army policy and regulations.
• Provides legal training on NEPA and Administrative Law areas for Army Environmental Command staff and other environmental attorneys.
• Drafts and coordinates Army comments to proposed environmental legislation and regulations.
• Serves as a legal advisor in administrative law matters not within the province of more clearly defined fields of law.
• Provides required annual training to review and distribute materials regarding the Joint Ethics Regulations.
• Develops factual and legal positions on environmental litigation matters.
• Reviews, researches and responds to procedures related to environmental law and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to support the mission of the HQ U.S. Army Environmental Command.

Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• A two year trial/probationary period may be required.
• This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance for access for the duration of employment.
• This position requires the incumbent to maintain an active bar membership that permits the representation of the Federal Government in the courts of their jurisdiction to the extent that private practice attorneys are able to for their clients.
• Business travel up to 20% or more of the time is required.

Qualifications:
Who May Apply: Current and former Federal employees and US Citizens.
Applicants will be evaluated to determine if they meet the minimum qualification requirements and on the extent to which their application shows possession of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the position. KSA's:

• Skill in identifying and researching highly technical and complex legal issues.
• Skill in providing legal, technical, and policy guidance.
• Ability to effectively, professionally, and ethically manage a heavy caseload of clients with complex legal needs.

Qualification Requirements: The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:
Education: Assignments require the first professional law degree (Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctorate (J.D.)). Applicants for initial appointment into attorney positions must be graduates of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of the applicant's graduation. The Army General Counsel may make an exception upon a showing that a candidate possesses superior qualifications and that no well-qualified candidates from accredited law schools are available.
Bar Membership: Applicants must be active members in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of a State, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Professional Legal Experience

GS-14: Applicants must possess more than 3 years of professional legal experience after admission to the bar commensurate with the duties of the position.
Time in Grade (current Federal employees): Candidates selected for advancement will normally have completed at least one year of service that is one grade lower than the position to be filled. The selecting official may request a waiver of the one year requirement in cases where hardship or inequity exists.
Notice of Veteran's Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the 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. The SF 15 will identify the supporting documentation required along with the list of the types of 10-point preference. The SF 15 is available from the OPM at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/sf/.
Education:
Only degrees from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are acceptable to meet positive education requirements or to substitute education for experience. For additional information, please go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and U.S. Department of Education websites at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications and http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.

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