General Attorney

Merit Systems Protection Board•Washington, DC

10d

About The Position

This non-supervisory attorney position is in the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Office of General Counsel (OGC), in Washington, DC. MSPB oversees federal merit systems and enforces compliance with merit systems principles, statutes, and regulations, primarily by adjudicating appeals of certain agency personnel actions. OGC advises on internal agency matters, drafts certain Board decisions, and defends Board decisions in federal courts. At the full performance level, the attorney handles a mix of cases across a range of complexity and difficulty. The position requires a first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) or qualifying second professional law degree (LL.M.), professional legal experience at the level and in the subject areas specified for the applicable GS grade, and authorization to practice law under the laws of a state, territory, or the District of Columbia. Transcripts are required. Employment is subject to citizenship, background-investigation, and other stated conditions. The position may be eligible for telework or flexible work arrangements under agency policy and applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. citizen.
Must be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a state, territory, or the District of Columbia.
Must meet the applicable GS-905-12, GS-905-13, or GS-905-14 education and professional legal experience requirements by the announcement closing date.
Must submit transcripts.
Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
Must satisfactorily complete the required background investigation and/or fingerprint check; the position is designated a public trust position and requires favorable adjudication of the initial background investigation.
Must successfully pass E-Verify employment verification.
May be subject to satisfactory completion of a trial period.
Must use direct deposit for federal payments.
For GS-905-12, qualifying paths include an LL.B. or J.D. plus the specified legal experience; an LL.M. plus one year of qualifying legal experience; or one year of professional experience plus superior law student work.
For GS-905-13, qualifying paths include an LL.B. or J.D. plus superior law student work and two years of qualifying federal employment-law experience, three years of such experience, or an LL.M. plus two years of such experience.
For GS-905-14, qualifying paths include an LL.B. or J.D. plus superior law student work and three years of qualifying federal employment-law experience, four years of such experience, or an LL.M. plus three years of such experience.

Responsibilities

Represents the Board before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, other appellate courts, district courts, and administrative tribunals; monitors cases litigated by the Department of Justice.
Prepares draft opinions and orders on petitions for enforcement, regulation review requests, and other cases assigned by the Board.
Prepares legal opinions on specific points of law at the request of the Board or program offices.
Provides legal advice on internal labor relations and employment matters; the Freedom of Information Act; the Privacy Act; the Sunshine Act; MSPB's Touhy regulations; contracts, procurement and appropriations law; and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Supports legislative activities by responding to Congressional correspondence, briefing Congressional staff, and analyzing bills relating to MSPB.
Supports the regulatory function by drafting and coordinating issuance of Board regulations.
Supports the Inspector General function by conducting investigations and drafting decisions and letters.