This position is located in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of General Counsel, Office of Program Enforcement.

Duties

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-14. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position. As a Trial Attorney, you will: Represent the Department in affirmative litigation before HUD's Office of Hearings and Appeals. Representative matters include civil money penalty actions, Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act actions, suspensions and debarments, and actions on behalf of the Mortgagee Review Board. Work with the Department of Justice and HUD's Office of Inspector General (for matters in federal courts) to litigate civil cases based on the submission of false statements, false claims, or breach of contract; prosecute criminal matters concerning HUD programs; and defend challenges to enforcement actions undertaken by HUD. Represent the Department in administrative reviews of debt determinations by HUD program offices; Departmental takeovers of troubled Public Housing Authorities; and determinations of liability for retaliatory acts against protected whistleblowers by recipients of HUD contracts and grants. Analyze the legal sufficiency of assigned cases and recommend a litigation strategy to supervisors prior to initiating an administrative enforcement action. Draft pleadings, motions, briefs, and memoranda of law for cases in litigation. Conduct discovery, including drafting discovery requests and responses, collecting, and reviewing documentary evidence, and taking and defending depositions. Perform legal research on conventional as well as novel and difficult questions of law, and prepare memoranda based upon this research. Negotiate settlements determined to be in the best interest of the Government and prepare recommendations and memoranda in support of those settlements. Provide advice, guidance, and assistance to the Associate General Counsel and their deputies on a variety of legal issues affecting HUD.

Requirements

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Basic Requirements: Applicants MUST: (1) be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LL.B. or J.D.; (2) be a current member of a bar with a valid license to practice law in a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and (3) meet all specialized experience requirements as described in the vacancy announcement. AND Specialized Experience: For the GS-14 grade level, you must have one year (52 full weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes: Litigation experience, including experience drafting complaints or other pleadings, drafting substantive motions (e.g., motion to dismiss, motion for summary judgment, or motion in limine), or conducting and responding to discovery, or taking depositions, or engaging in oral advocacy, or representing a client at a substantive hearing or trial; AND Experience providing legal advice to a high-level client on a wide range of complex legal issues; AND Experience conducting complex legal research and writing memoranda on novel and complex issues, including discussing facts and legal authority, and providing legal recommendations or conclusions; AND Experience obtaining successful outcomes for clients, such as favorable judgments or settlements. AND For the GS-14, you must: Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus four (4) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service. OR Have a second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus three (3) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service. OR Have a first professional law degree (LL.B., or J.D.), plus superior law student work (academic standing in upper 1/3 of the law school graduating class, high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, winning of a moot court competition with other law schools, significant work or achievement on the school's official law review, significant summer clerkship or other evidence of clearly superior achievement) plus three (3) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience: For the GS-13 grade level, you must have one year (52 full weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes: Litigation experience, such as experience drafting complaints or other pleadings, drafting substantive motions (e.g., motion to dismiss, motion for summary judgment, or motion in limine), or conducting or responding to discovery, engaging in oral advocacy, or representing a client at a substantive hearing or trial; AND Experience providing legal advice to a high-level client; AND Experience conducting complex legal research and writing memoranda including discussing facts and legal authority, and providing legal recommendations or conclusions. AND For the GS-13, you must: Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus three (3) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. OR Have a second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus two (2) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. OR Have a first professional law degree (LL.B., or J.D.), plus superior law student work (academic standing in upper 1/3 of the law school graduating class, high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, winning of a moot court competition with other law schools, significant work or achievement on the school's official law review, significant summer clerkship or other evidence of clearly superior achievement) plus two (2) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience: For the GS-12 grade level, you must have one year (52 full weeks) of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience for this position includes: Litigation experience, such as experience drafting complaints or other pleadings, drafting motions, or conducting or responding to discovery; AND Experience providing legal advice to clients, supervisors, and team members on various matters; AND Legal research and writing skills and experience giving oral presentations on legal matters. AND For the GS-12, you must: Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus two (2) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. OR Have a second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus one (1) year of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. OR Have a first professional law degree (LL.B., or J.D.), plus superior law student work (academic standing in upper 1/3 of the law school graduating class, high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, winning of a moot court competition with other law schools, significant work or achievement on the school's official law review, significant summer clerkship or other evidence of clearly superior achievement) plus one (1) year of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. The experience may have been gained in either the public or private sector. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/date/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.

Education

Attorney positions do have an education requirement.

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LL.B. or J.D. For positions with an education requirement, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. In addition you must provide proof of bar or your bar number in the vacancy questions.

The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

Contacts

• Address Office of General Counsel Administrative Resource Center Parkersburg, WV 26101 US
• Name: Applicant Call Center
• Phone: 304-480-7300
• Email: [email protected]