Assistant/Associate Counsel (Personnel Notice Number 2026-132)

Notice Number 2026-132 Announcement Date 8/24/2026 Closing Date 9/15/2026 Command & Location NAVSEA - MARMC in Norfolk, Virginia Grade

GS-11, GS-12, GS-13, GS-14, GS-15

Position Title Assistant/Associate Counsel The Department of the Navy (DON) Office of the General Counsel (OGC) invites qualified attorneys to apply for the position of Assistant/Associate Counsel, Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC). The position is located at MARMC in Norfolk, Virginia. MARMC is responsible for procuring and administering contracts with the private sector for ship repair and related services, including conversion, overhaul, modernization and design services. The MARMC Office of Counsel is a field office within the Office of Counsel for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and part of DON OGC. The MARMC Office of Counsel is comprised of five attorneys and a paralegal. The Office has a varied workload covering most areas of OGC practice, with an emphasis on federal acquisition law, civilian personnel and labor law (CPL), fiscal law, standards of conduct and ethics, Free of Information Act/ Privacy Act, and related litigation. Additional information about MARMC can be found at The successful candidate for the Assistant/Associate Counsel position will be expected to practice primarily in federal acquisition law and CPL but is also expected to provide legal services across the full spectrum of DON OGC practice areas, including fiscal law, ethics and standards of conduct, and Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act. If selected at a lower grade, the position will have promotion potential to the GS-15 level. POSITION OVERVIEW This position will be filled at the General Schedule (GS) GS-11, GS-12, GS-13, GS-14, and GS-15 level. A relocation incentive may be available but is not guaranteed. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) funding may be available to eligible applicants but is not guaranteed. This Personnel Notice will close on September 15, 2026 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time. Complete application packages must be received by this closing date and time to be considered. QUALIFICATIONS At the time of application, you must: Have a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. Be admitted to, eligible to practice in, and an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Be a U.S. citizen able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance. GS-11 Qualifications At least one year of recent professional legal experience; or The second professional law degree (Master of Laws (LL.M.)), provided it required one full academic year of graduate study. If you are a recent law school graduate and/or have less than one year of professional legal experience, you must have superior law school credentials as demonstrated by: academic standing in the top third of your law school's graduating class, work or achievement of significance as a member of an official law review or journal, a special high-level honor for academic excellence, e.g., membership in the Order of the Coif, winning a moot court competition, membership on the law school's official moot court team, or other evidence of clearly superior accomplishment or achievement. GS-12 Qualifications At least two years of recent professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level; or The second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus one year of recent and relevant professional legal experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level. GS-13 Qualifications More than two years of recent and relevant professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. GS-14 Qualifications At least three-and-one-half years of recent and relevant professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. GS-15 Qualifications At least five-and-one-half years of recent and relevant professional legal experience commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. EVALUATION CRITERIA You will be evaluated on: The depth, breadth, and quality of your experience in Acquisition Law and Civilian Personnel Law; Your research, analytical, and communication skills (both oral and written); Your interpersonal skills, including your ability to establish effective attorney-client and professional relationships; Your experience advising clients. APPLICATION PACKAGE You must submit: A cover letter that explains why you are interested in and qualified for the position. If applicable, you must include any requests for a relocation incentive or PCS funding in your cover letter. A current resume, no more than two (2) pages in length , that shows relevant experience, including: Job titles (with GS level(s), if applicable); Dates of employment (month/year); and Bar membership, stating jurisdiction(s). Two brief legal writing samples (no more than ten (10) years old and no more than ten (10) pages each) that demonstrate analytical and advocacy abilities (excerpts of lengthier written work products are acceptable). Your two most recent performance evaluations, including performance ratings and rater comments. (Mid-year assessments are not acceptable.) If performance evaluations or ratings and rater comments are unavailable, please explain. The names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three references, including a supervisor, who may be contacted. Current and former Federal employees must also provide a copy of their most recent Standard Form-50 (SF-50) showing title, series, grade, and current salary information (if unavailable, please explain). Do not submit SF-50s for performance awards. If you are not currently a member of DON OGC, you must also submit a copy of your law school transcript(s) for all legal degrees held, showing award of the degree, final GPA, and final class rank where available. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted, but official transcripts will be required before the applicant is selected. Social security numbers and dates of birth should be redacted from all documentation submitted. NOTICE OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must specifically claim such eligibility in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., Department of Defense (DD) Form 214, \"Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty\" or other supporting documentation) 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 (OPM) website at Not all veterans are preference eligible. For a summary of time periods, campaigns, and conditions that entitle an applicant to preference eligibility, please visit OPM's Feds Hire Vets webpage, USAJOBS' Dedicated Veterans Website, and the Department of Labor's Veterans' Preference Advisor. Fair & Transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance. Criminal History Inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Financial Suitability Selective Service Social Security Number Request New Employee Probationary Period Privacy Act Reasonable Accommodation Policy Signature and False Statements #J-18808-Ljbffr CA Paralegal