Attorney-Adviser

Full Job Description

You will serve as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), reporting to the Associate General Counsel, General Law Practice Group.

You will perform legal counsel functions across all offices of OGC and NASA, advising senior management on complex and difficult legal and policy issues confronting the agency in the areas of fiscal and appropriations law.

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: Providing authoritative legal counsel on fiscal law and appropriation matters to clients at all levels, such as budget execution, appropriations, continuing resolutions, authorization legislation, or Anti-Deficiency Act questions and investigations; Analyzing legal authority for funding programs based on legislative language, conference committee reports or executive branch policy directives; Developing legal interpretations and written opinions on statutes, federal regulations, or directives to support organizational priorities and decision making; Applying legal knowledge in related general law areas, including government ethics, FOIA, or employment law, and contributes to the field through high quality work and mentorship in fiscal law.

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: Providing authoritative, independent legal advice and application of fiscal and appropriations law; Delivering legal analysis and written opinions, identifying complex issues and offering preventative legal guidance to support organizational objectives; Serve as an expert on fiscal and appropriations law to senior organizational leadership on budget and resource matters, informing organizational priorities and decision making; Applying expert knowledge in related general law areas, including government ethics, FOIA, or employment law, and contributes to the field through high quality work and mentorship in fiscal law.

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.
• Serves as an expert in fiscal and appropriations law, providing advice on budget development and execution, financial policy, and the drafting and interpretation of appropriations laws and regulations.
• Provides legal advice on the proper use and expenditure of funds, inter-agency agreements, federal travel, debt collection, grants and financial assistance, and partnerships with non-federal agencies and organizations.
• Provides expert consultative services to attorneys across the Agency, trains and mentors fiscal attorneys as well as a variety of client groups across the Agency. Manages and coordinates the fiscal and appropriations law community of practice.
• Provides personal expertise on solving problems, mitigating risks, and allocating resources with regard to fiscal and appropriations law.
• Represents NASA to U.S. Government entities and other organizations on fiscal and appropriations law matters, including the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), congressional staff, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
• Incorporates expert knowledge of fiscal law, NASA’s organic legal authorities, and transferable best practices from other organizations and industries to provide advice supporting NASA’s enterprise risk management.
• Occasionally provides support in other areas of law which may include government ethics, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), employment law, or other areas within the General Law Practice Group.