Attorney Advisor

The Attorney Advisor

The Attorney Advisor provides legal services in matters of complexity and importance requiring very strong research and communication skills on a range of statutory, regulatory and legislative issues, and advises on how these issues affect both FCA's compliance with applicable laws and FCA's regulation and supervision of the Farm Credit System.

Duties

• Conducts and manages, with a significant degree of independence, broad-ranging legal research projects on unique and specialized legal questions that are unusually complex, difficult, and of the highest importance to achieving the mission of the Agency.
• Analyzes and synthesizes statutes, regulations, precedential decisions, and other materials.
• Produces clear, authoritative, and comprehensive written materials, such as legal memoranda and opinions, litigation and enforcement documents, and regulatory documents.
• Demonstrates and maintains in-depth knowledge of the Farm Credit System (System) and its institutions, the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as amended, and other laws directly impacting the System, as well as the Administrative Procedure Act and other laws governing the conduct of FCA as an Executive Branch agency.
• Demonstrates and maintains substantive expertise in several of the following areas and serves as the Agency expert in one or more of them: System authorities; lending law; capital requirements for financial institutions; System corporate activities; business and securities law; the regulation and examination of System institutions; representing the FCA in enforcement actions and litigation; borrower rights; and legal issues relating to contracting, procurement, and fiscal matters.
• Communicates effectively with and provides counsel to other Agency staff, including Board Members, on the legal significance of existing and proposed laws, regulations, policies, and programs, and addressing issues of the highest degree of legal difficulty and importance.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• If an applicant does not comply with submitting all the required documentation as stated in the announcement, they will be removed from further consideration.
• Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• Two-year trial period required, if not already served.
• Must be an active member of the bar in good standing.
• Submission of financial disclosure report is required.

Basic Requirements

• Must have a law degree (such as a J.D.) from a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association; and
• Must be a member in good standing of the bar of a state or territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Specialized Experience

• Experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of this position, and includes providing legal analyses that are subject to statutory, regulatory, or time constraints; drafting legal documents including legal opinions, enforcement documents, correspondence with the public and regulated entities on proposed and final rulemakings; and experience presenting and defending findings and providing legal advice in administrative law, regulations, supervision, enforcement, or policy development.

Education

• One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
• Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been 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: College Accreditation | U.S. Department of Education

Background Check

• To qualify for the VH-38 (GS-12 equivalent) band level: You must be a graduate from an accredited law school, be an active member in good standing of a qualifying legal bar, and have two years of specialized experience equivalent to the VH-37 (GS-11) band level.
• To qualify for the VH-39 (GS-13 equivalent) band level: You must be a graduate from an accredited law school, be an active member in good standing of a qualifying legal bar and have three years of specialized experience equivalent to the VH-38 (GS-12) band level.
• To qualify for the VH-40 (GS-14 equivalent) band level: You must be a graduate from an accredited law school, be an active member in good standing of a qualifying legal bar and have four years of specialized experience equivalent to the VH-39 (GS-13) band level.