Attorney-Adviser (General)

Job summary

THIS IS A NATIONAL GUARD TITLE 5 EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION. This National Guard position is for a ATTORNEY-ADVISER (GENERAL), Position Description Number PDT0097000 and is part of the WY Joint Forces Headquarters ARNG, Wyoming National Guard. This position is in the Excepted Service "under the authority of Title V, P.L. 114-328, and Sections 932 and 1084 (FY17 NDAA)". This is a Title 5 Excepted Service position. Military affiliation is not required.

Major duties

The position is in the Wyoming National Guard's (WYNG), Joint Force Headquarters Integrated Primary Prevention Branch. The primary purpose is to serve as the full-time professional legal adviser and support to the Adjutant General (TAG), the Commander of federally recognized Wyoming Army and Air National Guards, and Wyoming's unique public defense or safety structures. In this primary purpose, this position also serves as the full-time professional legal advisor and support to Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) and Wyoming Equal Employment Opportunity advisors, and subordinate commanders to support the WYNG's prevention efforts relating to sexual assault, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse. This position also serves as a professional legal adviser to the United States Property and Fiscal Officer (USPFO), WYNG senior leadership, WYNG directorates, and subordinate WYNG commanded units or divisions. The incumbent will function as an expert, advising and acting across the full spectrum law concerns, including the highly conflicted, sensitive and emotionally charged areas of sexual assault and harassment; domestic violence and abuse; equal opportunity and labor law provisions, processes and third-party reviews, as well as personnel administrative actions. He/she is Wyoming's Subject Matter Expert in emerging, special victims' law to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and congressionally mandated protections. Special Legal Advisers are experts in domestic violence law, equal employment law, sexual assault, retaliation and reprisal and medical discharge processes to ensure issues are addressed and resolved at the lowest levels. ** This is NOT an all-inclusive list of duties. **

Requirements

EMPLOYMENT NOTES and CONDITIONS: U.S. Citizenship Required. Must obtain and maintain a SECRET security clearance. This position is exempt from the provisions of the DoD Priority Placement Program. Employees are paid through Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer (DD/EFT). Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation. GS-0905-13 positions are within the professional series IAW 5 USC §3319, and compensably disabled preference eligible veterans (CPS/CP) are not automatically placed at the top of the Certificate of Eligibles (5 USC §3313). Eligibles will be listed in score order, including veterans' preference points. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives ARE NOT authorized. PCS costs are not authorized. Must be willing to relocate at own expense if selected. May be required to successfully complete a two-year trial period. 1. Must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance of the position. 2. This position is covered by the Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Amendment (30 Sep 96) of the Gun Control Act (Lautenberg Amendment) of 1968. An individual convicted of a qualifying crime of domestic violence may not perform the duties of this position. 3. Ability to establish effective professional working relationships with coworkers and customers, contributing to a cooperative working environment and successful accomplishment of the mission. 4. May occasionally be required to work other than normal duty hours; overtime may be required. 5. The duties and responsibilities may significantly impact the environment. Responsible for maintaining awareness of environmental responsibilities as dictated by legal and regulatory requirements, organization, and its changing mission. 6. Work may require frequent travel away from the normal duty station on military and commercial aircraft. The work may require the employee to drive a motor vehicle. An appropriate, valid driver's license may be required for the position. 7. Must either be currently in good standing (certified) with a State Bar or able to obtain certification and must be a graduate of an ABA accredited law school. 8. This position is designated as Essential Personnel and may be subject to duty in preparation for, or in response to, a state emergency or disaster declaration. This designation will not exceed 14 calendar days per year unless otherwise approved in advance by TAG.

Qualification

Referrals of qualified applicants will be issued as follows: Area 1: Permanent and indefinite Wyoming Army National Guard (NG) T5 and T32 Dual Status Technicians (DST) employed within the Joint Forces Headquarters. Area 2: Permanent and indefinite WYNG Title 5 and T32 DST employed with the Wyoming Air/Army National Guard. Area 3: Current Federal employees within the Competitive and Excepted Service, and Competitive Service Reinstatement Eligible employees. Former NG T32 Dual Status employees receiving an Honorable or a General Discharge under Honorable Conditions are eligible for reinstatement provided they have been separated for at least one year before applying for reinstatement and received a rating of record of their most recent permanent position of a least fully successful (or equivalent). Area 4: Currently serving and former Active Guard/Reserve (AGR), and M-Day/Drill Status Guard (DSG) members of the National Guard. This provision is intended to boost the candidate pool to reach more qualified candidates and place DSG/M-Day personnel on par with currently serving civilian personnel. * Veterans' Preference Rules are mandated by law, and some applicants may receive priority consideration before other applicants without veterans' preference. * Area 7: U.S. Citizens Upon acceptance of this position, if selected candidate is a competitive employee, they will convert to Excepted Service and be required to sign a memorandum IAW 5 CFR 302.102. Acceptance of the proposed appointment will take the employee out of the competitive service while s/he occupies the position. TITLE 5 POSITION INFORMATION: Type of Appointment: Permanent Tenure: Group 1 or 2 Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 am - 4:30 pm FLSA: Exempt Telework: The duties of this position require primary physical presence. Situational teleworking may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Para/Line: 119A / 002 Selecting Official: Ms. Kristin Malone To qualify, you must meet the experience and/or education requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. MANDATORY QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Mandatory to have a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in law issued be an American Bar Association accredited law school. (Must provide transcripts with application.) Proof applicant is a licensed and member in good standing to practice law in the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia. Annual bar certification cards issued from your state of licensure are not considered acceptable. Proof is a "certificate of good standing" issued by your state of licensure dated within 6 months of the closing date of this announcement or a screenshot of your bar status taken from your state of licensure website that is dated within 6 months of the closing date of this announcement or sworn statement to that effect. If there is not a date on the screen shot, you must provide a statement signed by the applicant on the date the screen shot was created. If selected for employment, it may be required to provide a "certificate of good standing" issued by their respective bar showing they are in a good and active status prior to appointment. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess professional legal experience more than 2 years commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. The legal experience described in your application package or resume will be evaluated and screened for competencies required to perform the duties of the position as described in the Major Duties section of this announcement. The QUALITY of experience will be evaluated and screened to determine how closely or to what extent your experience, education, and training are relevant to the duties and responsibilities of the announced position. Your application package or resume must demonstrate you have the competencies and quality of experience necessary to successfully perform the work of the position at the appropriate grade level. Preference consideration may be given to applicants who possess current or prior experience serving as a legal adviser and attorney, responsible for assisting in the formulation of legal policy pertaining to prevention of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse, while serving as the special legal advisor to the Adjutant General (TAG), the Office of Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA), Commands Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention (SHARP) and State Equal Employment Manager (SEEM) programs over applicants without similar experience. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILIITIES (KSAs): Knowledge of formulating legal policy pertaining to prevention of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse, while serving as the special legal advisor to TAG, the Office of Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA), Commands Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention (SHARP) and State Equal Employment Manager (SEEM) programs. Skilled in advising on legal, factual, and other impacting aspects of drafting, interpretation and application of legislation, regulation, tasking orders, decision, opinions or other guiding, or lack thereof, instruments associated with emerging or highly conflicted, sensitive and emotionally charged issues relating to sexual crimes, harassment, domestic violence/abuse, and to the prevention and response of sexual crimes, harassment, and domestic violence/abuse. Ability to represents the WYNG in all legal matters in Wyoming of original or appellate jurisdictions, to include matters pertaining to sexual crimes, sexual harassment, and domestic violence/abuse. Skilled at serving as legal counsel for victims of domestic violence on behalf of TAG and SJA. Legal counsel consists of providing information to victims regarding available Wyoming and federal victim compensation and restitution programs, and referral/connection to external legal resources. TIME-IN-GRADE: Any applicant who within the previous 52 weeks held a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12 Level. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If you are a current non-temporary GS employee applying for a higher grade than the grade you currently hold, provide an SF-50 that shows the required lower grade was held for at least one year. Some SF-50s effective within the last 52 weeks will not demonstrate the required lower grade was held for at least one year (e.g., General Adjustment SF-50 from this year). In many cases, we may need to see two (2) SF-50s to determine time-in-grade and eligibility for promotion. If you are a DoD employee, you may obtain copies of your SF-50(s) from MyBiz (https://compo.dcpds.cpms.osd.mil/) DRIVER'S LICENSE: You must possess a valid driver's license. VETTING REQUIREMENTS: New Title 5 Attorney's will be vetted through National Guard Bureau's General Counsel prior to appointment to the position. The package will include the Position Description, Resume, Transcripts, Licenses, etc.

Education

Refer to Mandatory Qualification Requirements above.

Evaluations

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence Technical Competence CATEGORY RATING Once the application process is complete, a review of your qualifications will be conducted to determine if you are qualified for this job. Applicants who meet the basic qualification requirements will be placed in a numeric group based upon ranking factors such as knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors as reflected in their application package. Eligible candidates will be forwarded to the hiring manager to conduct a Panel Review prior to the HR issuing the Certificate of Eligibles. The purpose of the Panel Review is for Subject Matter Experts an opportunity to review eligible candidates to determine who should move forward to the interview process based on the candidates' received application materials and qualifications. The categories are: a. Highly Qualified: To be highly qualified, an applicant is considered by the Human Resources Office and Subject Matter Expert (selecting official) as being highly proficient in all the requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position almost immediately or with a minimum amount of training and/or orientation. b. Well-Qualified: To be well qualified, an applicant meets the minimum qualifications of the position and is proficient in most, but not all, of the requirements of the position. May require some training or orientation to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position. c. Qualified: To be qualified, an applicant meets the minimum qualifications of the position and is proficient in some, but not all, of the position's requirements. May require extensive training or orientation to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Please note that if, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating can and will be adjusted to reflect your abilities more accurately, or you may lose consideration for this position. Verbiage displayed on your resume or application must contain your own words. You may refer to position descriptions, i.e. the general and specialized experience located within the vacancy announcement, to assist with describing work experiences; however, resumes or applications received in verbatim will not be considered. In your resume you will need to address the general and specialized experience listed above. Please use as much detail as needed, giving dates (months and years) of the experience, position title and how the experience was gained.