Attorney-Adviser

Full Job Description

You will serve as an Attorney-Adviser (Employment and General Law) in the General Law Practice Group, within the NASA Office of the General Counsel (OGC) at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

You will focus on federal employment law, including providing counseling and advice to senior managers and defending judicial and administrative complaints of employment discrimination, with federal sector litigation in multiple venues.

You will also perform other general law duties.

Basic Requirements for all grade levels: You must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from a full course of study at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; be an active member in good standing of the bar of any state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and have been admitted to practice law before a state or federal court.

To qualify for the GS-14: you must meet the basic requirement for all grade levels (as outlined above).

In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied: One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level: Offering oral and written legal guidance on federal personnel law, employment discrimination law, labor relations, or other legal issues to clients; Providing guidance to managers, supervisors, and/or Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) officers on federal employment law, including addressing grievances and discrimination complaints informally; Completing tasks and handling litigation in areas such as, federal employment law, labor law, EEO law, and general law areas with minimal oversight; Supporting representation of clients in formal administrative and federal civil litigation.

OR A graduate law degree (e.g., Master of Laws/LL.M.) and 1 year of professional legal experience equivalent to the experience described above.

To qualify for the GS-15: you must meet the basic requirement for all grade levels (as outlined above).

In addition, one of the following requirements must be satisfied: One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level: Delivering expert oral and written legal counsel on complex federal personnel law, employment discrimination, labor relations, or other specialized legal matters to senior leadership; Providing legal guidance to management, supervisors, and EEO officers on issues relating to federal personnel law, including the proactive informal resolution of employee grievances, disputes, and discrimination complaints; Independently managing and executing tasks and litigation in areas such as federal personnel law, labor relations, EEO law, or other General Law practice areas; Representing clients in formal administrative and federal civil litigation.

OR A graduate law degree (e.g., Master of Laws/LL.M.) and 1 year of professional legal experience equivalent to the experience described above.

Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience.

Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.

NASA prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool in drafting application and assessment responses.

Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of AI tools during the application process. Major Duties:

• Duties described below are at the highest grade advertised. Duties assigned at lower grade levels will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
• Provide expert employment law advice to all levels of management and organizations on agency programs, disciplinary and performance actions, compliance with anti-discrimination, labor laws, merit principles, accommodations, compensation, and leave.
• Represent NASA in administrative and civil litigation proceedings, including Federal Courts, Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Federal Labor Relations Authority, and state unemployment insurance cases.
• Research, draft, and review legal documents, including briefs, legal opinions, or other documents regarding novel and complex legal issues related to civil rights, labor, employment law, and other general law matters.
• Prepare and provide direct legal advice to management on interpretations of statutes, federal regulations, and agency policy directives. Advise on proposed legislation, executive orders, regulations, and Congressional testimony.
• Serve as a liaison between NASA and the Department of Justice in litigation concerning NASA programs, while providing support on other litigation matters as directed by management.
• Serve as a legal adviser to Agency personnel on novel general law matters, applying knowledge across general law areas including fiscal, ethics, environmental, information disclosure, tort claims, safety and security, and civil rights.
• Provide leadership and guidance within OGC across multiple legal disciplines. Serves as an expert resource for the OGC Enterprise and as an advisor to NASA leadership.