Closing Date: 17th August, 2026
Description:
Summary:This vacancy is for a GS-0905-14, Trial Attorney (Admiralty) located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, SUSPENSION and REVOCATION NATL CENTER OF EXPERTISE -S and R NCOE in MARTINSBURG, West Virginia.
Duties:
You will serve as a Trial Attorney (Admiralty) responsible for providing assistance and advice to the Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis (CG-INV), CG-LMI, Sector Commanders, and Investigating Officers (IOs) on issues involving Suspension & Revocation (S&R) of merchant mariner credentials, data systems, and policies.
Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include:
- Preparing for, and representing, the Coast Guard at Suspension and Revocation (S&R) hearings before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
- Providing programmatic expertise through advice and counsel to Sector Commanders and IOs involving complex and challenging legal matters.
- Reviewing unresolved legal issues, synthesizing and simplifying complicated facts to present findings effectively and cogently to all examining parties.
- Participating in teams to assist with S&R hearing preparation and Coast Guard representation at administrative hearings.
- Providing in-depth analysis and articulating the Coast Guard legal position on complex issues and questions of law.
Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
Do NOT include the following types of information in your resume:
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Date of Birth (DOB)
- Photos of yourself (if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position)
- Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
Key Requirements:
- Must be a U.S. Citizen.
- Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov
- A one-year probationary period may be required.
- To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation. This position requires a Public Trust clearance.
- This is not a Bargaining Unit position.
- All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.
Qualifications:
This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements:
Education:
You must possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) from an accredited ABA institution.
And
You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia. (Note: proof of bar membership will be required at the time of application submission.)
And
Specialized Experience:
One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-13 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:
Note: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
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.
Education:
This position has a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail.
College Transcript: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. Transcripts should be legible and detailed, showing course number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.
Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here (http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html)
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
Student Loan - Selectee(s) for this position who are newly appointed to a permanent or term position may be eligible for student loan repayment up to $10,000 (pre-tax) for one calendar year. More than one loan may be repaid if the combined repayments do not exceed $10,000. Receipt of this incentive will require a three-year service agreement.
Additional Information:
You must possess a professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) from an accredited ABA institution.
And
You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia. (Note: proof of bar membership will be required at the time of application submission.)
And
Specialized Experience:
One year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-13 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:
- Litigating a wide array of complex cases in nature including but not limited to: highly scientific, expert witnesses, medical testimonies, fatalities, and property damage;
- Drafting comprehensive and succinct pleadings, motions, interrogatories, rulings, decision and interpret laws/precedents for difficult and novel issues;
- Conducting legal research, investigation and negotiation, and providing legal advice, opinions, recommendations and legal memoranda in conjunction with cases pending an administrative hearings, trials, and/or appellate courts; and
- Coordinating with internal and external stakeholder on legal matters.
Note: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
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.
Education:
This position has a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail.
College Transcript: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. Transcripts should be legible and detailed, showing course number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.
Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here (http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html)
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
Student Loan - Selectee(s) for this position who are newly appointed to a permanent or term position may be eligible for student loan repayment up to $10,000 (pre-tax) for one calendar year. More than one loan may be repaid if the combined repayments do not exceed $10,000. Receipt of this incentive will require a three-year service agreement.
Additional Information:
E-Verify
DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify (https://www.e-verify.gov/), including your rights and responsibilities.
Fair Chance Act
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code 9202(c) (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2022-title5/pdf/USCODE-2022-title5-partIII-subpartH-chap92-sec9202.pdf) and 5 C.F.R 920.201 (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2022-title5/pdf/USCODE-2022-title5-partIII-subpartH-chap92-sec9202.pdf) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to debra.a.carson@uscg.mil.
Suitability Statement
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment (https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/OF0306.pdf), and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
Shared Certific
DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify (https://www.e-verify.gov/), including your rights and responsibilities.
Fair Chance Act
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code 9202(c) (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2022-title5/pdf/USCODE-2022-title5-partIII-subpartH-chap92-sec9202.pdf) and 5 C.F.R 920.201 (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2022-title5/pdf/USCODE-2022-title5-partIII-subpartH-chap92-sec9202.pdf) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to debra.a.carson@uscg.mil.
Suitability Statement
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment (https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/OF0306.pdf), and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
Shared Certific