Attorney-Adviser

Summary

You will serve as an Attorney Advisor (Employment and General Law) in the General Law Practice Group, within the NASA Office of the General Counsel. The Group provides legal counsel on ethics, fiscal, employment, information, and other administrative law matters and represents the Agency in litigation and hearings. You will perform duties in general law areas, with a focus on employment, including counseling senior managers and defending judicial and administrative discrimination complaints.

Duties

• Duties described below are at the highest grade advertised. Duties assigned at lower grade levels will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
• Conducts and evaluates research and drafts and reviews legal documents, including briefs, legal opinions, and documents regarding novel and complex legal issues related to civil rights, labor, employment law, and other general law matters.
• Prepares legal interpretations of statutes, federal regulations and agency directives. Reviews proposed legislation, executive orders, regulations, and Congressional testimony.
• Prepares and advises management on legal interpretations of statutes, federal regulations and agency directives. Advises on proposed legislation, executive orders, regulations, and Congressional testimony.
• Serves as a legal advisor for Agency personnel on novel general law matters. Experience in other general law areas is desirable, such as fiscal, ethics, environmental, information disclosure, tort claims, safety and security, and civil rights.
• Represents NASA in formal administrative and federal civil litigation proceedings, including Federal Courts, the Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Federal Labor Relations Authority.
• Serves as a liaison between NASA and the Department of Justice in litigation concerning NASA programs. Assists in other litigation responsibilities as requested by management.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements for all grade levels: You must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from a full course of study at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; be an active member in good standing of the bar of any state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and have been admitted to practice law before a state or federal court. To qualify for the GS-14: you must meet the basic requirement for all grade levels (as outlined above). In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied: One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level: Offering oral and written legal guidance on federal personnel law, employment discrimination law, labor relations, and other legal issues to managers, supervisors and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) officers, including addressing grievances and discrimination complaints informally; Providing legal guidance to clients in general law practice areas, such as fiscal, security, release of information, ethics, environmental, administrative, legislative review, regulatory review or other areas; Completing tasks, such as writing and reviewing briefs, conducting discovery, taking and defending depositions, and otherwise handling litigation in areas like federal employment law, labor law, EEO law, and other general law practice areas with minimal oversight; Supporting representation of clients in formal administrative and federal civil litigation. OR A graduate law degree (e.g., Master of Laws/LL.M.) and 1 year of professional legal experience equivalent to the experience described above. To qualify for the GS-15: you must meet the basic requirement for all grade levels (as outlined above). In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied: One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level: Delivering expert oral and written legal counsel on complex federal personnel law, employment discrimination law, labor relations, and other specialized legal matters to management, supervisors, and EEO officers, including the proactive informal resolution of employee grievances, disputes, and discrimination complaints; Providing legal guidance to senior leadership and other clients in general law practice areas, such as fiscal, security, release of information, ethics, environmental, administrative, legislative review, regulatory review, or other areas; Managing and executing tasks, such as writing and reviewing briefs, conducting discovery, taking and defending depositions, and otherwise handling litigation independently in areas such as federal employment law, labor law, EEO law, and other general law practice areas; Representing clients in formal administrative and federal civil litigation. OR A graduate law degree (e.g., Master of Laws/LL.M.) and 1 year of professional legal experience equivalent to the experience described above. Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of artificial intelligent (AI) or AI-assisted tools during the application process.

Education

Basic Requirements: U.S. degrees must have been awarded from colleges or universities that are accredited by recognized accrediting organizations. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. These education credentials must be 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation. How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or assessment questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. These competencies will be assessed using technical assessments. They may also be evaluated during a structured interview: General Law Legal Application Practice Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence Oral Communicatio Personnel/EEO Law Written Communication To preview the application questionnaire, click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13056880 NASA considers 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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. NASA will not ask you to disclose criminal history record information during the application process or before we make a conditional/tentative offer of employment. If you apply for this position and are selected, NASA will conduct a suitability/security background investigation after you accept a tentative job offer. If you feel you are asked to disclose your criminal history before you accept a tentative offer and wish to file a complaint within 30 days, please contact: [email protected]. Other Information

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. Any applicant that received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) from the federal government within the last five years based of the closing date of this announcement, if selected, may be required to repay the full amount prior to establishing a start date. For additional information on the VSIP repayment requirement, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/voluntary-separation-incentive-payments/. Trial Period You may be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.