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Summary
This position is located in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Office of Chief Counsel.
This position's primary purpose is to provide legal advice, review disciplinary proposals, defend DEA in employment-related administrative litigation, and support the defense of DEA in federal employment-related lawsuits.
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Duties
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The Employment and Defensive Litigation Section (EDL) is a one-stop shop for all DEA personnel and employment law issues. EDL attorneys provide legal advice, review disciplinary proposals, defend DEA in employment-related administrative litigation, and support the defense of DEA in federal employment-related lawsuits. EDL handles a wide range of employment-related disputes and litigation matters. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical abilities, excellent advocacy and litigation skills, and experience managing complex cases in a fast-paced environment and handling employment law counseling matters.
Some duties of EDL attorneys include:

• Defending DEA in administrative, employment-law cases before the Merit Systems Protection Board and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
• Serving as agency counsel working with United States Attorney offices to defend DEA in federal employment-related lawsuits across the country.
• Providing advice to DEA management on employment and personnel matters.
• Providing advice/review on grievances, performance improvement plans, reasonable accommodations, security clearance suspensions/revocations, disciplinary actions, and similar matters.
• Serving as DEA liaison in response to various employment-related investigations, including those by the Office of Special Counsel and Department of Labor.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation. Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
• Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Incumbent is subject to random drug testing.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
• Selectee may be required to serve a 1-year OR 2-year trial period, as appropriate) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• Must be active member of a Bar Association.
• Initial appointment is conditional upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprints, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Qualifications
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
All applicants must be an active member of a bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction) and possess: 1) a J.D. degree (or equivalent) and have at least 2-year post-J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience; 2) excellent academic credentials; 3) strong oral and written advocacy skills; 4) superior legal research and analytical skills; and 5) a demonstrated ability to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding environment.
To qualify for each GS Level:
-Applicants applying for the GS-13 must have 2 or more years of post J.D. legal experience
-Applicants applying for the GS-14 must have 3 or more years of post J.D. legal experience
-Applicants applying for the GS-15 must have 4 or more years of post J.D. legal experience
Specialized experience:
Applicants applying for the GS-13 must have 2 or more years of cumulative post J.D. legal experience in litigation, employment law, and/or a judicial clerkship.
Applicants applying for the GS-14 must have 3 or more years of cumulative post J.D. legal experience in employment in litigation, employment law, and/or a judicial clerkship. Applicants should have substantial post-JD experience working on relevant legal matters, such as employment law counseling matters or litigation matters, with little or no guidance and/or supervision. Applicants should have mediation and/or hearing experience.
Applicants applying for the GS-15 must have 4 or more years of cumulative post J.D. legal experience in employment in litigation, employment law, and/or a judicial clerkship. Applicants should have substantial post-JD experience working on relevant legal matters, such as employment law counseling matters or litigation matters, with little or no guidance and/or supervision. Applicants must have mediation and/or hearing experience leading teams and/or advising senior leadership on legal and policy matters.
Qualifying litigation experience may include civil, administrative, or criminal litigation. Applicants should have a strong interest in civil litigation and employment law. Preferred applicants will have prior experience in a judicial clerkship and/or civil or administrative litigation (particularly that is related to employment law). Applicants must possess superior research, analytical, and writing abilities.
Education
A J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
For a list of schools that meet these criteria, see www.ed.gov.
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: ww.naces.org/members.php.
Additional information
For reasonable accommodation at the Drug Enforcement Administration, please contact the Human Resources office listed in this announcement.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office listed in this announcement.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Division/Office listed in this announcement.
Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. Please notify this office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.