General Attorney - Office of General Counsel

About the role

As a General Attorney, you will serve as an employment law attorney in the General Law Division / Office of the General Counsel (OGC). OGC provides sound and timely legal advice and representation to GSA clients. The General Counsel is GSA’s Designated Agency Ethics Official and is responsible for managing the Agency’s ethics program. OGC also maintains a central office that manages GSA-wide claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Responsibilities

• Research and analyze complex employment laws, regulations, policies, and case precedents to formulate well-reasoned and legally sound advice on a wide range of personnel matters of first impression.
• Provide seasoned guidance to management on personnel actions, such as disciplinary actions, performance management issues, and adverse actions, ensuring compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
• Represent the agency in the most complex and difficult cases before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Merit Systems Protection Board.
• Provide litigation support to Assistant U.S. Attorneys litigating employment cases before federal district and appellate courts.
• Assist in the legal review and assist in the development of agency-wide policies, regulations, and directives to ensure legal compliance and consistency with GSA's statutory authorities under applicable statutes.
• Review the legal sufficiency of conduct and performance actions.
• Handle matters that may be so delicate they have intense congressional interest, involve the largest sums of money handled by the office (i.e. multi-million dollars), and/or are vigorously contested by extremely capable attorneys.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (at the time of graduation).
• Active member of the Bar in good standing (licensed to practice law) in any State, a Territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• At least three years of professional legal experience acquired after being admitted to the bar.
• Your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience described in the job announcement.
• Submit a copy of your law school transcript(s) by the closing date of the announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.
• US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island).
• Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date.
• Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959.

Conditions of employment

• If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
• Serve a two-year trial period, if required.
• Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 2 investigation level).
• Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security's e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
• Complete a financial disclosure report to verify that no conflict, or an appearance of conflict, exists between your financial interest and this position.

Pay

The GS-14 salary range starts at $133,007. Locality pay will be determined upon selection. If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

Benefits

• Health insurance (choose from a wide range of plans).
• Life insurance coverage with several options.
• Sick leave and vacation time, including 11 paid holidays per year.
• Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k) plan).
• Flexible work schedules.
• Transit and child care subsidies.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Long-term care insurance.
• Training and development.