This position is located in the Military Commissions Defense Organization (MCDO). The MCDO is composed of attorneys and support personnel who provide defense services for accused charged under the Military Commissions Act. The MCDO is located within the Defense Legal Services Agency, a component of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The Trial Attorney renders defense services to unprivileged enemy belligerents tried by military commissions under the Military Commissions Act of 2009.

Duties

Incumbent typical work assignments may include the following: Researches, drafts and writes legal briefs, memoranda, pleadings and other documents on relevant topics, and conducts legal and factual investigations as directed by the learned counsel, Chief Defense Counsel and/or his designees. Assists in developing strategic plans in defending the assigned case through the pre-trial, trial and potentially penalty phases as well as required interlocutory appeals and mandamus actions. Conducts legal research and writing, witness relations and preparation. Advises all pertinent personnel on tactics and strategies pertaining to relevant areas of the law and policy performs all duties related thereto.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
• Must be determined suitable for federal employment
• Required to participate in the direct deposit program
• This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing
• The incumbent of this position must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI)
• This position may require up to 10% occasional travel away from your normal duty station for official business on military or commercial aircraft
• This position requires you to work other than normal hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays and/or overtime

Qualifications

For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the length of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration. Read more about what should I include in my federal resume at https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/ The General Attorney Series 0905, has Individual Occupational Requirements that must be met in addition to the specialized experience. 0905 BASIC REQUIREMENT: 1. Must possess the first professional law degree, i.e. Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctorate (J.D.), from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. 2. Must be an active member, in good standing, of the bar of the highest court of any one of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and any territory or possession of the United States. 3. This position requires you to have professional legal experience in excess of 3 years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements: You may qualify at the GS-15 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to: 1) Representing defendants in criminal court cases; 2) Researching legal documents and/or related materials to prepare for court proceedings; 3) Developing legal documents such as drafts, legal briefs and memoranda to defend assigned cases through pre-trial, trials, and/or appeals; And 4) Providing recommendations to solve complex legal issues. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.

Education

Education cannot be substituted for experience.

You MUST provide transcripts to support your educational claims. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

Contacts

• Address Defense Legal Services Agency Human Resources Directorate 4800 Mark Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22350 US
• Name: Washington HQ Services
• Email: [email protected]