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.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• This position is open to U.S. citizens nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
• You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Position subject to pre-employment background investigation or higher-level clearance. Investigation/Clearance may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
• Financial Disclosure Drug Testing and/or the Travel Requirements for this position may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
• This position may require a two-year trial period. If selected the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 11. **See Additional Information section**

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 to review NASAs 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 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: degrees must have been received in the year of or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation.

Additional 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 governmentwithin 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 - 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.

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.

Required Experience:

Unclear Seniority