General Attorney 11/12 (Excepted Service)

Closing Date: 30th September, 2024

Description:

Summary:
At Federal Student Aid (FSA), we are proud sponsors of the American mind. As a principal office of the U.S. Department of Education (ED), FSA provides students and families financial assistance for higher education, and we promote the value of postsecondary education to society. We ensure that all eligible students and families can benefit from federal financial aid for education or training beyond high school.

Duties:
We encourage you to read this entire vacancy announcement prior to submitting your application. Multiple positions are located in the Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, and Borrower Defense Group within the Enforcement Directorate.

The Borrower Defense Group considers and issues recommendations or decisions on claims by borrowers who assert a defense to repayment of Federal student loans based on an act or omission of an Institution of Higher Education that gives rise to a cause of action under State law or Federal regulations, as applicable.

As a General Attorney, GS-0905-11, with significant oversight you will be responsible for:

• Prepares preliminary memoranda/reports outlining facts and legal issues, analyzing the factual and legal issues involved, explaining the application of legal principles and precedents to the relevant facts, and justifying recommendations or conclusions.
• Conducts research in connection with legal questions, such as questions concerning the interpretation and application of statutes, rules, and regulations as they pertain to Enforcement matters.
• Reviews and synthesizes evidence to support legal theories.
• Investigates and/or adjudicates borrower defense claims involving varied factual and legal issues.

As a General Attorney, GS-0905-12, you will be responsible for:

• Prepares preliminary memoranda/reports outlining facts and legal issues, analyzing the factual and legal issues involved, explaining the application of legal principles and precedents to the relevant facts, and justifying recommendations or conclusions.
• Conducts research of statutes, regulations, Education (ED) and Federal Student Aid (FSA) policies and legal opinions bearing on the legal issues involved in the development and implementation of investigation activities and borrower defense decisions.
• Gathers, reviews, and analyzes evidence to support case development.
• Investigates and/or adjudicates borrower defense claims involving varied factual and legal issues.

Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:

• Must be a US Citizen.
• Background investigation and fingerprint check (if applicable).
• Law degree.
• Be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) in good standing.
• Financial Disclosure: This position requires completion of a OGE Form 450.

• A resume demonstrating your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiating your responses to the occupational questionnaire.

If you are claiming Veterans' Preference you must submit:

• A copy of your DD-214 that shows active service and character of discharge, member copy 4 (Separated Members only);
• Or
• A certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date of application (Current Active Duty Members only);
• And/or
• The Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) AND all documents indicated on the form as proof of type of preference; AND/OR •Proof of Sole Survivorship Preference (e.g., certificate of death or 100% disability as a result of serving in the armed forces). Veteran's Preference: Department of the Education attorney positions are in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Education considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor consideration in the attorney hiring process. If you are eligible for veterans' preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with the supporting documentation, e.g., SF-15, DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation.

Qualifications:
You must meet the following Selective Placement Factor:

• Must be a graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.

Proof of admission to the Bar of the highest court of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and a current membership in such Bar as would permit the practice of law. You must be a member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar.

And

Preferred Qualification: Experience relating to Title IV programs of the Higher Education Act (HEA), Borrower Defense regulations, other loan discharge regulations, and/or consumer protection statutes highly desirable, as well as journal and/or clerkship experience.

Specialized Experience for GS-11:
One year of experience equivalent to the GS-09 performing at least two (2) of the following three (3) duties of work assignments:

• Training and/or experience in legal analysis and writing.
• Training and/or experience in conducting legal research.
• Training and/or experience in reviewing and analyzing evidence.

Specialized Experience for GS-12:
One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 performing at least two (2) of the following three (3) duties of work assignments:

• Experience in legal analysis and writing.
• Experience in conducting legal research.
• Experience reviewing and analyzing evidence.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
The quality of your experience will be measured by the extent to which you possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs). You do not need to provide separate narrative responses to these KSAs, as they will be measured by your responses to the occupational questionnaire (you may preview the occupational questionnaire by clicking the link at the end of the Evaluations section of this vacancy announcement).

• Skill in legal analysis and legal writing.
• Legal research skills.
• Skill in analysis of evidence.
• Skill in applying the law to specific facts, cases, or claims.

Education:
This position has a positive education requirement.

Must be a graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.

Foreign Education:
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet 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. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, please click Foreign Education.

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