About This Position
About the Position: Incumbent relies on own knowledge and ability to independently plan, organize and perform work on assigned cases and problems for construction claims and appeals, contract formation, environmental work, EEO and employee relations work.
Qualifications
Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience 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. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Education Requirement for Attorney, GS-0905-13: An applicant must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (L.L.B or JD).
Only a law degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the American Bar Association is acceptable to meet positive education requirements.
You MUST submit a copy of your transcript if you want to substitute your education for experience. If you claim qualifications based on education and do not submit a transcript, your education will not be used in making a qualifications determination and you may be found "not qualified."
In addition to meeting the education basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Specialized Experience for GS-13 Level: Two or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Examples of experience: (1) Examines contract records, interviews government personnel involved in engineering, contract administration and inspection activities, and uses experts in the areas of engineering, contract administration and scheduling (2) Performs extensive research and analysis and prepares the Contracting Officer's report in final form for transmittal directly to the Division Counsel or Chief Counsel. (3) Renders legal assistance and advice in regard to 1) water resources planning for Federal and non-Federal projects; the preparation and processing of environmental impact statements and assessments under the National Environmental Protection Act. (4) provides legal advice and assistance in the broad area of Federal Employment law, including but not limited to: Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; 29 CFR 1614; AR 690- 600; EEOC's Management Directive 110; 5 CFR 1200-1206 and 1209, et seq; 5 USC 1205; 5 USC 7701; 5 USC 7504, 7514, and 7543; the Department of Defense Administrative Grievance System; and AR-690-800.
OR
Graduated from an ABA-Accredited Law School in the top 25% of the class or obtained and advanced law degree such as Master of Law (LLM) and have one year of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the bar, which commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. Time in Grade Requirement: If currently employed as an attorney by the federal government you must have completed one year of time-in-grade at the next lower grade level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement or previously served at the same or higher grade as the position being filled.
Major Duties
Reviews, analyzes, and provides legal advice on disposition of contract claims, to include money and difficult legal problems including fraud, and factual disputes because of the absence of closely applicable precedents.
Plans, organizes and conducts the factual and legal research to these claims in line with current decisions of Federal and State Courts, the various boards of Contract Appeals, Comptroller General Decisions, and statutes and regulations.
Responsible for laying the complete foundation for and trying cases appealed to the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, and Corps of Engineers Board of Contract Appeals.
Researches, analyzes, and provides legal advice on problems involving important legal or policy questions regarding innovative high dollar, long term contracts arising during contract formation.
Provides legal advice on any and all types of questions which arise on procurement matters prior to the award of a contract.
Renders legal assistance and advice on various environmental law issues like reviews of environmental impact statements under NEPA, issuance of permits under sections of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
Provides legal advice and assistance to managers, the District Engineer, and the Equal Employment Office, in the broad area of Federal Employment law.
Renders legal advice concerning CERCLA-related matters.
Education
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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
How You Will Be Evaluated
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.
Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Basis for Rating: If eligible and meeting basic qualifications, your application package will be evaluated in conjunction with your reΜsumeΜ and supporting documents for the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of this position:1.
Knowledge and experience with federal laws, regulations, policies, and procedures in research, analysis, and effectively advising regarding contract and/or construction law, with more weight given to federal government contract law experience.2. Ability to analyze problems, documents and proposed courses of action; identify any client objectives and legal issues involved; research and interpret pertinent laws, regulations, and precedents; and formulate well-researched and well-reasoned advice that is responsive to client needs.3. Ability to balance multiple national (external) and agency (internal) program goals and priorities; ability to review program implementation and results; ability to balance customer programs with legal goals and priorities; and ability to develop and utilize innovative approaches in solving problems and issues.4.
Ability to organize work effectively to meet established deadlines and priorities.5. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with diverse clients and constituencies on varied and complex topics. Please provide a writing sample, demonstrating your verbal communication and legal analysis skills through legal briefs, memoranda, or letters.
WRITING SAMPLES SHOULD NOT EXCEED 10 PAGES. Notice of Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Defense considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (for example, DD Form 214, "Certificate of Uniformed Service") to their submissions.
Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. The SF 15 will identify the supporting documentation required along with a list of the types of 10-point preference. The SF 15 is available from the OPM at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/sf/."
Additional Information
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. This is a Career Field (56) - Legal position Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest. Situational telework may be available according to agency policy. Enhanced Annual leave and credit for Non-Federal Service may be authorized.
For more information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/leave-administration/#url=Fact-Sheets Advanced In-Hire Rate may be authorized. For more information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-sheets/superior-qualifications-and-special-needs-pay-setting-authority/ Relocation/Recruitment/Retention Incentive may be authorized. For more information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/recruitment-relocation-retention-incentives/ Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) may be authorized.
For more information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/student-loan-repayment/
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/26/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application.
You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12907486).
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section.
You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted.
Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position.
Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.
For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
Required Documents
The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements. As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1.
Your resume: Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement.
If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position. Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood.
The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy. For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.
- Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses This position requires a job-related license or certification.
You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
In addition to the above documentation, you must also provide the following: 3. If you are a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents: Your latest non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50); Most recent Performance Appraisal
- If you are NOT a current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney, you MUST submit the following documents: Copy of law school transcripts AND an official statement of relative standing in your class, or official statement demonstrating the unavailability of class standing information (official copies will be required if selected and before placement); Certificate issued by the Bar Registrar or similar official showing that you are a member in good standing with the Bar, dated NO MORE THAN 3 months before the opening date of this announcement (a copy is sufficient for the application, but a certified copy may be necessary upon selection); A sworn statement, certifying that your fitness to practice law or your conduct as an attorney has never been challenged in any jurisdiction.
This statement MUST be notarized, on a date NO MORE THAN 3 months before the opening date of this announcement. As an alternative, a declaration under penalty of perjury may be submitted in the following format: "I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct... Executed on (date) (signature of applicant)." If your fitness to practice law or your conduct as an Attorney has been challenged in any jurisdiction, you must provide a notarized statement concerning the facts and circumstances, and any other explanation that you deem appropriate.
The names of three professional references who are each member of the Bar of a State or Territory; and A writing sample
NOTE: Writing samples shall not exceed 10 pages
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you.
You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application.
You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.