About the Position: This position is located at U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) and Aberdeen Proving Ground, Legal Assistance Branch, Aberdeen Proving Ground, 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

Leads the APG Client Services Division in providing high-quality legal advice and guidance on a variety of legal matters to a client base consisting primarily of active-duty and retired military Servicemembers. Serves as the (CSRA) Supervisor and rater for a staff consisting of civilian personnel, including setting and adjusting priorities, providing guidance and training, supervising work, and managing office priorities and workload. Counsels on Family law matters, including marriage and divorce, financial nonsupport, child custody and visitation, and family care plans. Advises on estate planning matters, including wills, trusts, guardianships, powers of attorney, and advance medical directives/living wills. Counsels on landlord-tenant issues, including the termination of leases under the Service Member’s Civil Relief Act and residential communities’ initiative disputes. Advises on consumer legal issues, including, contracts, security agreements, warranties, cancellations, defects/deficiencies of purchased goods. Assists with Servicemember immigration issues and the naturalization process. Advises Servicemembers responding to military administrative actions including line of duty investigations, financial liability investigations, memorandums of reprimand. Prepares preventative law articles for distribution on the installation and through digital mediums. Establishes and maintains liaison with national, state, and local bar organizations, focusing on those that provide legal services to the military community. Prepares reports and briefs the Staff Judge Advocate and other leadership on Division activities, case and claim status, and other matters as required. Initiates, investigates, and processes administrative tort claims and property affirmative claims filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, Military Claims Act, and other relevant laws and regulations that occur in the assigned area. Conducts legal research and analysis, drafts legal documents and correspondence, and develops conclusions and recommendations on all covered legal duties.

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 may require the incumbent to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278e) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) upon entry, and annually thereafter in accordance with DoD Directive 5500-7-R.
• This position requires the incumbent to maintain an active bar membership that permits the representation of the Federal Government in the courts of their jurisdiction to the extent that private practice attorneys are able to for their clients.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Current and former Federal employees and 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: Skill in identifying and researching highly technical and complex legal issues. Skill in providing legal, technical, and policy guidance. Ability to effectively, professionally, and ethically manage a heavy caseload of clients with complex legal needs. Qualification Requirements: The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration: 1) Education: Assignments require the first professional law degree (Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctorate (J.D.)). Applicants for initial appointment into attorney positions must be graduates of law schools accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of the applicant's graduation. The Army General Counsel may make an exception upon a showing that a candidate possesses superior qualifications and that no well-qualified candidates from accredited law schools are available. 2) Bar Membership: Applicants must be active members in good standing (as defined by the pertinent bar) of the bar of a State, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 3) Professional Legal Experience: Applicants must possess two (2) years of professional legal experience after admission to the bar commensurate with the duties of the position. The Attorney Qualifying Authority may grant an exception to this requirement when an applicant possess special qualifications. 4) Time in Grade (current Federal employees): Candidates selected for advancement will normally have completed at least one year of service that is one grade lower than the position to be filled. The selecting official may request a waiver of the one-year requirement in cases where hardship or inequity exists. 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 FT-W4QVAA US ARMY IMCOM-USAG APG DO NOT MAIL Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005 US
• Name: Army Applicant Help Desk