About the Position: This position is located at U.S. Army Legal Services Agency, Office of Soldiers' Counsel, at either Fort Meade, Maryland, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, or Bethesda, Maryland. If you are currently serving in a permanent, competitive service appointment in the Federal service, and are selected for this position, the appointment will remove you from the competitive service while you occupy this position.

Duties

Serves as Lead Soldiers’ Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) Counsel (SMEBC) working under the general and technical supervision of a Regional Supervisory Counsel (RSC) and/or Senior Soldiers’ Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) Counsel (SPEBC). Incumbent will provide overall supervisory assignments and assure completed work is accurate with respect to legal citation, treatment of facts and other procedural and substantive aspects. Review of work and of the efficacy of program actions and achievement of mission objectives is through discussion, meetings, supervisory review of work product, client feedback, and other procedures. Ensure non-lawyer assistants maintain client data and records in accordance with all laws, regulations and policies, to include Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA), Privacy Act, and the Rules for Professional Responsibility. Incumbent will initially review and assign cases. When personally representing a Soldier, counsel will thoroughly review each case file and Soldier's medical records to evaluate potential and likely outcomes; research and analyze all relevant medical, legal, and factual issue. Incumbent will educate and explain the mechanics of the Army Physical Disability Evaluation System to Soldiers, Warrior Transition Unit and commanders and staff health care practitioners, administrative personnel, and civilian and military attorneys. Incumbent will assist in the identification of potential witnesses, interview relevant witnesses, and prepare legal memoranda in connection with medical evaluations and medical board proceedings. The incumbent acts as liaison for the Regional OSC and Staff Judge Advocate or Center/Command Judge Advocate, within their assigned area of responsibility, and will communicate with the servicing PEB and USAPDA, as needed.

Requirements

• 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 to maintain active bar membership, in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• This position may require Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel of up to 05% of the time.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: 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: Knowledge of Health Law and the Army Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) or other disability systems. Ability to identify complex legal problems and perform legal reviews, especially in the role of a lead or supervisor. Ability to communicate verbally and in writing to clients and to Stakeholders, distilling complex and sensitive legal issues. Ability to provide leadership and policy direction for a large legal office. Qualification Requirements: The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration: Education Requirements: Position requires the possession of the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) AND member in good standing with the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Applicants for initial appointment into attorney positions within the Department of Army must be graduates of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of the applicant's graduation. As indicated below, a law school transcript must be submitted with your application materials. Bar Membership: Applicants must currently be a member in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. As noted below, proof of such membership and good standing must be submitted with your application materials. Experience: In addition to the requirements above, applicants for the GS-13 or equivalent Attorney positions must also possess 2 years of professional legal experience , acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Graduation from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or an advanced law degree such as an LLM may substitute for one year of the required professional legal experience. Time in Grade: The Qualifying Authorities (QA's) will make a determination as to the applicability of time in grade based on the requirements of the position. If you are currently employed as an attorney by the Federal government you must have completed one year at the next lower grade level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade level as the position being filled. 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.

Contacts

• Address HT-W0KEAA US ARMY LEGAL SERVICES AGENCY DO NOT MAIL Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 US
• Name: Army Applicant Help Desk