Attorney Advisor

Summary

The Attorney Advisor position is in the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO), Judicial Conference Secretariat Office (JCS). JCS supports the Judicial Conference of the United States and its committees and coordinates the advisory group process for the AO. The Judicial Conference, a standing body of federal judges, serves as the national policymaking arm of the federal judiciary and sets policies governing the operation of federal courts and federal defender offices.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO), Judicial Conference Secretariat Office (JCS), seeks a motivated, professional Attorney Advisor to join its team. This position reports to the Judicial Conference Secretariat Officer.

JCS activities are highly visible to senior officials of the federal judiciary and high-level staff in the AO. JCS provides procedural guidance, advises on policymaking, and addresses inquiries regarding Judicial Conference policies and actions.

The Attorney Advisor reviews and suggests revisions to policy proposals concerning the governance and administration of the federal judiciary that are presented to the Judicial Conference and its committees; prepares agenda materials for the Judicial Conference's Executive Committee; guides and supports committee staffers; and helps with logistical and administrative arrangements for Judicial Conference sessions and Executive Committee meetings.

The ideal candidate must have excellent research, critical thinking, and analytical skills and the ability to write clearly and succinctly; plan, organize, and work under demanding circumstances and time constraints; identify and resolve problems; work collaboratively; and effectively communicate with AO management, judges, senior court personnel, and employees of the executive and legislative branches.

The duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

1. Assisting the JCS Officer in providing legal, policy, and professional staff support to the Judicial Conference and its Executive Committee.
2. Responding to inquiries concerning Conference policy positions.
3. Advising Judicial Conference committee members, AO leadership, and staff on procedural matters.
4. Identifying, researching, and analyzing relevant legal, policy, and factual issues pertaining to Judicial Conference policy and policymaking.
5. Reviewing draft committee reports and agenda items and addressing concerns with committee staff.
6. Assisting in the drafting, preparation, and review of materials distributed to Judicial Conference members, including consent and discussion calendars and preliminary and final reports of Judicial Conference proceedings.
7. Managing the process for finalizing Judicial Conference committee reports and reviewing draft reports to ensure both format and substantive changes are incorporated prior to distribution to the Conference.
8. Attending Executive Committee meetings, taking notes, and preparing Memoranda of Action reflecting decisions taken at those meetings.
9. Providing advisory process support and assistance to advisory councils and groups.
10. Maintaining the office's subject-matter database of Judicial Conference positions and assisting with recordkeeping and related functions.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

1. All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.
2. Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship for competitive status positions or conversion to a competitive status position with the AO. If non-citizens are considered for hire into a temporary or any other position with non-competitive status or when it is confirmed by the AO Human Resources Office there are no qualified U.S. citizens for a competitive status position (unless prohibited by a law or statue), non-citizens must provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Employment of non-citizens/. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
3. All new AO employees will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check.
4. New employees to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit
5. All new AO employees are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment.
6. You will be required to serve a trial period if selected for a first-time appointment to the Federal government, transferring from another Federal agency, or serving as a first-time supervisor. Failure to successfully complete the trial period may result in termination of employment.
7. If appointed to a temporary position, management may have the discretion of converting the position to permanent depending upon funding and staffing allocation.

Qualifications

Applicants must have demonstrated experience as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which include interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.

Bar Membership : Applicants must currently be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a federal court of general jurisdiction. Applicants are responsible for citing minimum qualifications such as J.D. and bar membership information (institution name, state(s) for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes. Failure to supply details will constitute an incomplete application. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Post J.D. Experience : Applicants must also possess at least 3 years of post J.D. experience.

Specialized Experience: Subsequent to graduation from law school, applicants must have at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience must demonstrated experience in ALL areas defined below:

• Providing legal and policy advice and guidance on a broad range of issues, policies, procedures, and legislative matters.
• Analyzing and presenting interpretations of statutes, regulations, decisional law, opinions, and legal or policy issues.
• Preparing written communications, such as legal or policy memoranda, judicial opinions, executive-quality correspondence, and reports.

Highly Desired:

• Federal judicial law clerk experience.
• Knowledge of federal judiciary policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Law review editorial board experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat.
• The ability and desire to work as part of a team.
• Strong attention to detail and editing skills.
• Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal skills, and a talent for adapting quickly and effectively.
• A strong work ethic and resourceful attitude that result in being prepared, organized, and able to anticipate challenges and propose solutions.
• The capability to receive feedback well and to provide feedback constructively.

Education

Applicants must possess a law degree (J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on OPM's website at

Additional information

The AO is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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.

Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.