Attorney-Advisor (General)

Summary

This position is in the Excepted Service. Selection under this appointment does not confer civil service competitive status.

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Duties

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This position is located in the Defense Legal Services Agency (DLSA), and the duty station is at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the Office of General Counsel. Under the supervision and oversight of the DARPA General Counsel and the Deputy General Counsel, the Assistant/Associate General Counsel provides a full range of legal support to assigned DARPA offices and programs. The Assistant/Associate General Counsel also serves as a designated ethics counselor.

This is a Career Ladder Position. If selected at the GS-13 level (Assistant General Counsel), the incumbent may be noncompetitively promoted to the GS-0905-14 level (Associate General Counsel) and ultimately to the target position, GS-0905-15 level (Associate General Counsel), without further competition once time-in-grade, training, satisfactory performance, and other requirements of the higher grade level are met. The duties listed below are examples of full performance at the GS-0905-15 level.

The duties for levels GS-0905-13 and GS-0905-14 are similar or the same as those for the GS-15 level except for the volume and/or complexity of work and level of assistance and oversight provided.

As an Attorney-Advisor (General), you will be responsible for the following duties and other duties as assigned:

• Serves as a legal advisor to assigned DARPA offices and programs, providing legal advice, counsel, and guidance on the full range of DARPA operations across multiple practice areas including federal procurement, intellectual property, fiscal, civilian personnel, environmental, ethics and Standards of Conduct, international, space, cyber, and privacy law.
• Provides advice to DARPA contracting officials regarding the administration of DARPA contracts, including contract drafting, negotiation, interpretation, termination, and disputes. Provides similar legal services for non-procurement instruments such as Other Transaction Agreements, grants, cooperative agreements, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, and Partnership Intermediary Agreements.
• Advises on ethics/standards of conduct issues such as conflicts of interest, seeking employment, outside activities, and post-government employment.
• Represents DARPA and as applicable assists the Department of Justice in litigation matters. Litigation matters include: patent infringement claims, copyright claims, and other intellectual property disputes; protests and claims before the Government Accountability Office and Court of Federal Claims; harassment/discrimination complaints before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and appeals of personnel actions before the Merit Systems Protection Board.
• Assists DARPA's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) team in reviewing and responding to FOIA requests, including advising on FOIA litigation matters.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Application materials must be received by 11:59PM EST on the closing date.
• This is a drug testing designated position.
• This is an Excepted Service position.
• Work Schedule: Full Time
• Overtime: Occasionally
• Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized at management's discretion.
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
• Financial Disclosure: Required
• Telework Eligibility: This position is eligible for situational telework only.
• Occasional Travel
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered for Selective Service:
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information Clearance
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period

Qualifications

Applicants will be evaluated on: (1) depth, breadth, and quality of recent and relevant professional legal experience with an emphasis on FAR-based contracting and non-procurement instruments such as Other Transaction Agreements, grants, cooperative agreements, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, and Partnership Intermediary Agreements; (2) analytical, research, and writing skills; (3) oral communication; (4) ability to establish relationships with clients; and (5) ability to provide timely, accurate, practical, and responsive legal advice.

To qualify at the GS-13 level, applicants must have recent and relevant professional legal experience in excess of two (2) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

To qualify at the GS-14 level,applicants must have recent and relevant professional legal experience in excess of three (3) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

To qualify at the GS-15 level, applicants must have at least five (5) years recent, substantial, and relevant professional legal experience that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. In addition, to qualify at the GS-15 level, applicants must demonstrate the ability to perform with substantial independence even when working on the most complex or difficult matters. Knowledge of and experience with DoW is highly desirable but not mandatory. Applicants with experience advising senior officials or clients are desired.

Salary will be set within the range specified in this vacancy announcement based on the complexity of work to be performed, the applicant's experience, education, training and availability of funds.

Qualification standards for attorney positions may be found in DoD Directive 1442.02, "Personnel Actions Involving Civilian Attorneys," at DoD Instruction 1442.02, April 13, 2023 (whs.mil).

Education

Applicants must possess a professional law degree (Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.)) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association by the closing date of the announcement.

Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website:

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 institution.

Additional information

Please review the General Application Information and Definitions at:

Veteran's Preference:

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of 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. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at

*NOTE: Declining an interview or failing to report for a scheduled interview will be considered a withdraw from further consideration for employment under this vacancy.

After selection a statement as to whether or not you have ever been found by any tribunal to have committed any crime or other act reflection upon your suitability to practice law may be required.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.