[blindlaw] DOJ Civil Rights Division, Special Legal Counsel position announcement

[Nightingale, Noel]

Link:
http://www.justice.gov/oarm/jobs/10-att-035.htm

Text:
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section
Special Legal Counsel, SL-00
Closing Date: January 14, 2011
10-ATT-035

The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division<http://www.justice.gov/crt/index.php> is seeking an experienced attorney for the position of Special Legal Counsel of the Disability Rights Section<http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/drs/> in Washington, D.C. The Disability Rights Section handles the Department's enforcement responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) under Title I (employment by State and local governments), Title II (all programs, services and activities of public entities), and Title III (public accommodations and commercial facilities). The Section has regulatory authority under Titles II and III and coordination responsibilities under Title II and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Section also provides extensive technical assistance, certifies State and local accessibility codes for equivalency with ADA standards, and provides ADA policy guidance. The Section also handles the Department's enforcement responsibilities under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.
APPLICATION PROCESS: Attorney positions are in the excepted service, and applicants for attorney positions are not rated/ranked. For a description of the Civil Rights Division's process for hiring experienced attorneys, please see http://www.justice.gov/crt/legalinfo/attyhire_exp.pdf.
There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the 'point' system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service-connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
DUTIES:
The Special Legal Counsel reports directly to the Section Chief and acts to ensure the adequacy, consistency, and appropriateness of legal and policy positions taken throughout the Section's work. In particular, the Special Legal Counsel will be charged with coordinating Section legal policy with the Appellate Section, Office of the Solicitor General, other Department components, and other Federal agencies. The incumbent is also responsible for monitoring judicial and regulatory developments and assessing the impact of the Section's work, updating staff on significant developments as well as informing the Section Chief of all major activities, and responds to requests for legal guidance from specialists on the ADA information line. Additionally, the incumbent should demonstrate thorough knowledge of the legal principles applicable to the Department responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act and other Federal disability rights laws, and the disability provision of Executive Order 11250. Further the incumbent shall assist the Section Chief and other Section managers in a variety of administrative and management tasks. The post requires extended hours and a limited amount of travel.
Qualifications:
MINIMUM FEDERAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a State, territory, Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia, and have a minimum of seven years of post-J.D. legal experience. Applicants must possess an extensive knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title V of the Rehabilitation Act, the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. Applicants also must have strong interpersonal, leadership, organizational, editing and writing, and oral communication skills.
Specialized Education: You must be a graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar.
Employment is contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation.
It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment.
Other Information:
The Department of Justice encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted disabilities under 5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u), to apply. Targeted disabilities are deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial or complete paralysis, convulsive disorder, mental retardation, mental illness, severe distortion of limbs and/or spine. Applicants who meet the qualification requirements and are able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation are encouraged to identify disabilities in response to the questions in the on-line application system seeking that information. For additional information about hiring authorities for applicants with targeted disabilities, please contact the Civil Rights Division's Disability Program Manager, Diane Petrie, at (202) 514-3934 or the Department's Equal Employment Opportunity Staff at (202) 616-4800; see also http://www.jan.wvu.edu/LEAD/index.htm and http://www.opm.gov/disability/PeopleWithDisabilities.asp.
As part of the agency's review of your application, the agency may view and/or access publicly available information about you, including information publicly available on the internet, that is job-related and consistent with the merit system principles and prohibited personnel practices set forth in the Civil Service Reform Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 2301, 2302. No information from any source may be used to discriminate for or against an applicant based on race, color, national origin.
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
As a condition of employment, all male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service. If selected for this position, the applicant must sign a statement certifying his registration, or the applicant must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys' Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY / REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer, and encourages qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination for or against an applicant because of color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact one of the Civil Rights Division's Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators, Kate Nicholson (202) 514-0547 or Carolyn Weiss (202) 514-6269. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The materials you send with your application will not be returned.
How To Apply:
You must submit your application and all required information so that it will be received no later than 11:59 PM EST on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If materials are not received, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible.
Due to the delayed delivery of mail, applicants must either fax or e-mail their application in by the closing date for this position. Please submit your application via fax at 202-514-6603 or by email to CRD.ATTYVACANCIES at USDOJ.GOV<mailto:CRD.ATTYVACANCIES at USDOJ.GOV>. If you are submitting your application via e-mail, please indicate the Vacancy Announcement Number and position title in the subject line.
Required Documents: (are permissible w/ initial application only if specified in announcement.)
*       A cover letter (highlighting relevant experience), a resume, a brief writing sample (10 pages or less) that is the applicant's own work, and a current performance appraisal.
*       If you are a current or former federal employee, please attach a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action)
*       Veterans' preference documentation, if applicable.
Individuals who are eligible for consideration under a special hiring authority (e.g., severely handicapped individuals) will be accepted and considered non-competitively for this vacancy.
Special hiring authority eligibles must indicate on their application if they are applying under a special program and submit proof of eligibility with their application.
Applications mailed using government postage and/or internal federal government mail systems are in violation of agency and postal regulations and will not be accepted.
Contact Information: Agency Information:
Diane Turner Department of Justice/CRD
Phone: 202-514-3934 PLEASE DO NOT MAIL APPLICATIONS
Fax: 202-514-6603 PLEASE SEE "HOW TO APPLY" SECTION
Email: crd.attyvacancies at usdoj.gov<mailto:crd.attyvacancies at usdoj.gov> WASHINGTON, DC 20530
FAX: 202-514-6603