About the Position: This position is located at U.S. Army IMCOM and Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA), Legal Assistance Branch, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. 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

Provides ministerial services, legal counseling, legal correspondence, legal negotiation, and legal document preparation for eligible clients. Provides legal advice in family law matters to include the following topics: marriage, annulment, legal separation, divorce, financial nonsupport, child custody and visitation, etc. Provides legal advice in estate planning matters to include the following topics: wills, trusts, guardianships, durable powers of attorney, AMDs/living wills, health care powers of attorney, etc. Provides legal advice in real property matters to include the following topics: landlord-tenant issues, including the termination of leases under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and residential communities initiative disputes. Provides legal advice in consumer issues to include topics:  matters relating to the purchasing personal property, including, but not limited to, contracts, security agreements, warranties, cancellations, defects/deficiencies of purchased goods, etc. Provides legal advice in civilian administrative matters to include the following topics: immigration and naturalization issues, and issues associated with special education. Provides legal advice in military administrative matters to include topics: line of duty investigations, financial liability investigations, evaluation reports, relief for cause reviews, Article 138 complaints, and UCMJ complaints, etc. Participates in command newcomer orientation briefings, pre-deployment presentations, professional development programs, general military training, and family readiness group presentations.

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 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 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.

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 state and Federal administrative laws, including procedures, regulations, guidelines, and precedents related to legal assistance topics. Ability to provide legal advice and legal assistance on a variety of topics to military clients, their dependents, and retirees. Skill in identifying and researching highly technical and complex legal issues and crafting creative solutions to complex problems. Ability to provide legal advice and services with respect to regulations, practices, or other legal matters, and formulate opinions involving the analysis and interpretation of federal, state, and local laws. Skill in providing legal, technical, and policy guidance. Ability to effectively, professionally, and ethically manage a heavy caseload of clients with complex legal needs. Knowledge of applicable rules of professional responsibility and ethics. 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 a 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 FU-W12KAA US ARMY IMCOM-USAG JBLM DO NOT MAIL Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA 98433 US
• Name: Army Applicant Help Desk