Attorney Advisor (Senior Counsel)

This position is located in U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the General Counsel, Natural Resources and Environment Division, the incumbent serves as an attorney providing legal advice, research, analysis and interpretation of federal, state and local laws, as well as oral and written opinions, memoranda, pleadings, briefs and legal support of all USDA programs and litigation, and performs other legal services as assigned. Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. For consideration, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications for attorney positions: Successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the America Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (J.D. or equivalent degree) (Law School transcript required); and Currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Applicants should have demonstrated specialized experience in legal research, excellent writing and communication skills, and a strong employment and academic record. This experience should be clearly documented in the cover letter and resume.

Preferred Experience:

This experience is not required to qualify but will be considered in identifying the most competitive applicants. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a minimum of (3) years of progressively responsible litigation experience. Applicants should have experience serving as lead or first-chair litigation counsel with demonstrated responsibility for directing case strategy, representing a client in federal court, and managing all phases of litigation.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

In addition to the basic requirements, the following additional experience is required. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. GS-15: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the (GS-14) level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that has equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform as an Attorney Advisor for infrastructure permitting.

NOTE:

This experience must be demonstrated on your resume/supporting documents. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.