The incumbent supervises and manages a Division Office, which under the direct supervision of the Assistant General Counsel provides legal services to headquarters offices of USDA agencies administering programs assigned to the office. Legal services for this position primarily involve programs for the Food and Nutrition Service.

Duties

Assist in supervising diverse teams of attorneys and professional staff providing legal support to the Food and Nutrition Service. Conduct and/or supervise legal research and writing; draft and/or review legislation, regulations, and other documents of legal significance; as a reviewer, provide clear and accurate feedback to drafters. Exercise strong interpersonal skills and effectively communicate sound advice on complex issues of law, with frequent interaction at various levels of USDA on a diverse range of programs. Supervise and train staff attorneys in conducting administrative litigation; manage the administrative litigation workload including case assignments, litigation strategy, and comprehensive reviews. Interact with other government agencies, Congressional staffs, law firms, corporate and nonprofit officials, and other external stakeholders in support of client agency programs. Maintain high standards of professional ethics and behavior.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Direct Deposit – Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Must submit Cover Letter, Resume, Proof of Bar membership, Law School Transcripts, and Narrative.
• Review of the OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and the Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (eQIP) entries have been reviewed and determined to be satisfactory.
• Requires a favorable credit check as part of the background investigation.
• Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
• Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Obtain and use a Government issued charge card for business-related travel.
• Subject to one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.

Qualifications

For consideration, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications for attorney positions: Successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the America Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (J.D. or equivalent degree) (Law School transcript required); AND Currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE Applicants should have demonstrated specialized experience in legal research, excellent writing and communication skills, and a strong academic record. This experience should be clearly documented in the cover letter and resume. GS-15: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the (GS-14) level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies to successfully perform as a Supervisory General Attorney. Examples of such experience include: Experience and knowledge regarding the nutrition programs administered by the Food and Nutrition Service. Other relevant experience includes: legal research and writing, providing informal legal advice, reviewing regulations and statutes, and defensive litigation. Experience in planning and assigning priorities and assignments to further develop knowledge of complex subject-matter areas. Working independently to determine methodologies, milestones, goals, and termination points for most assignments. Completing assignments to meet management requirements and organizational objectives. Supervising staff. NOTE: This experience must be demonstrated on your resume/supporting documents. 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Education: Successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the America Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (J.D.) (law school transcript required).

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above requirements (education and bar membership). Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: You MUST submit a copy of your transcript if you want to substitute your education for experience. If you claim qualifications based on education, and do not submit a transcript, your education will not be used in making a qualification determination and you may be found "not qualified".

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Bar Membership: Applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Narrative: You must submit a written statement, in your cover letter or in a separate document, explaining your interest in working for USDA's Office of the General Counsel, and noting any relevant course work, training, or prior experience that you believe should be considered in evaluating your application.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Contacts

• Address Office of the General Counsel 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Victoria Centurion
• Phone: 612-852-7631
• Email: [email protected]