General Attorney - Chicago, United States - US Customs and Border Protection

US Customs and Border Protection

Verified Company

Chicago, United States

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Mark Lane

beBee recruiter

Description

Duties:

This position starts at a salary of $80, GS-11, Step 1) to $177, GS-14, Step 10) with promotion potential to $177, GS-14, Step 10).

In this position, you will become a key member of the legal team for The Office of The Chief Counsel

Typical work assignments include:

Providing legal advice to, and legal representation of, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in matters relating to the activities and functions of CBP at the ports of entry (i.e., in the passenger, cargo, airmail, and seaport environments) and between the ports of entry;
Providing ethics advice and representing CBP in administrative hearings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Merit Systems Protection Board, Federal Labor Relations Authority, administrative law judges, and arbitrators involving matters such as employee discipline, discrimination complaints, collective bargaining agreements, and broker license revocation;
Supporting the Department of Justice as agency counsel in civil and criminal actions (i.e., FOIA, tort/Bivens, asset forfeiture, immigration, penalty collection) brought in federal court by preparing litigation reports, affidavits, and other pleadings, and participating in eDiscovery, motion drafting, witness interviews, and mediation/settlement discussions; and
Developing and delivering legal training to CBP managers and employees relating to the activities and functions of CBP (i.e., disclosure of information, search and seizure, and investigations) and legal issues involving CBP employees (i.e., ethics, reasonable accommodations, whistleblower protections, Hatch Act).

Requirements:

Conditions of Employment:

Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service
Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below)
You may be required to pass a background investigation
CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures

Qualifications:

Applicant must be a graduate from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

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Specialized Education: Recent law school graduates may be appointed to attorney positions at the GS-11 level with the following additional qualifications: rank in the top 1/3 of graduating class; participation on the school's official Law Review; membership in the Order of the Coif; or winning of a moot court competition. An interim appointment of 14 months may be made pending the selectee's admission to the bar. Selectee will be required to provide admittance and standing to the Bar and must provide a copy of their official law school transcript.

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, Noncareer SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

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Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances.

For additional information, review the following links:
Background investigation and the e-QIP process.
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Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of th