Attorney

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Office of General Counsel

Attorney-Advisor: Contracts, Information and Appropriations Law Group (CIA)

Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office: Office of General Counsel (OGC) Series/Grade: GS-905 (Attorney), grade commensurate with experience

Location: Chicago (Hines) Illinois

About the Position

The Office of General Counsel is seeking a licensed attorney to join the Contracts, Information and Appropriations Law Group (CIA), a legal practice group supporting VA's acquisition, information governance, appropriations, and litigation functions. This is an opportunity to provide legal counsel on matters with direct impact on Veteran care, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and the Department's acquisition programs. The attorney will work under the direction of the CIA Associate General Counsel (AGC) and alongside a team of attorneys supporting a high-visibility legal portfolio.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Acquisition and Procurement Legal Support

• Provide legal advice to program offices and acquisition centers on source selection design, solicitation development, and contract structuring
• Review and clear Justification & Approval documents and evaluation criteria for legal sufficiency
• Support the Department's response to pre-award and post-award bid protests before the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Court of Federal Claims (COFC)
• Apply Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and Veteran-Owned Small Business set-aside requirements under 38 U.S.C. § 8127, Trade Agreements Act country-of-origin rules, and Made in America sourcing requirements to assigned matters
• Review, draft and negotiate data rights terms and conditions
• Business lines include Cemetery maintenance and construction, Technical acquisitions, Pharmaceutical, General and services

Litigation Support

• Litigate and negotiate on behalf of the Department in matters before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Court of Federal Claims, GAO, agency-level bid protests, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, and/or federal district court, as assigned
• Manage an assigned caseload, prioritizing matters by legal risk and complexity
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date case tracking and reporting consistent with office practice

Legal Risk and Compliance Review

• Identify and help resolve legal, operational, and reputational risk in assigned areas, which may include appropriations law, information governance (FOIA, eDiscovery), or cybersecurity incident response
• Apply fiscal-year obligation rules and anti-augmentation principles to funding and reimbursement questions
• Support the development of repeatable, consistent approaches to recurring legal risk issues

Congressional and Interagency Matters

• Support legal review of representations made to Congress, the public, and the press regarding VA acquisitions
• Apply procurement integrity protections under FAR 3.104 when handling requests for access to source-selection-sensitive information
• Assist in determining appropriate allocation of litigating authority between VA and the Department of Justice, including coordination of formal DOJ delegation requests

Whistleblower Protection Program Support

• Support the statutory decision pipeline under 41 U.S.C. § 4712, including legal review of matters referred from the Office of Inspector General
• Assist in the defense of agency determinations appealed to federal court

General Legal Practice

• Research and analyze complex legal questions, draft legal memoranda, and provide clear, actionable recommendations to leadership and client offices
• Collaborate with attorneys across OGC and with client program offices to deliver consistent, well-reasoned legal positions
• Maintain professional responsibility obligations and bar licensure in good standing throughout employment

Qualifications

• J.D. from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association
• Active membership in good standing with a state bar (any U.S. jurisdiction)
• Experience in government contract law, bid protest litigation, appropriations law, or related federal practice areas preferred
• Strong legal research, writing, and analytical skills
• Ability to manage multiple matters under competing deadlines
• Ability to obtain and maintain any required security clearance or suitability determination

Preferred Experience

• Prior experience practicing before GAO, the Court of Federal Claims, or the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals
• Experience advising on federal acquisition regulations (FAR) and agency supplements
• Experience with FOIA, eDiscovery, or information governance matters
• Prior federal government or military legal experience