Attorney Advisor (Senior Counsel)

Summary

This position is located in US Department of Agriculture, Office of the General Counsel. The primary purpose of the position is to provide professional legal services to major components of USDA and its agencies. This is an open-continuous announcement with an initial cut-off date of 12/4/2026 and then every month thereafter. Please see the "How to Apply" section.

Duties

• Provides effective legal services to USDA programs and activities, particularly within the U.S. Forest Service, that are consistent with USDA strategic goals and the priorities of the Secretary of Agriculture.
• Handles assignments that typically involve difficult or complex cases or legal problems related to one or more major Forest Service program area(s), including formulating, determining, or influencing the policies of the agency.
• Represents USDA and the US Forest Service in administrative and judicial adjudications and proceedings in complex cases with minimal assistance and instruction.
• Advises and or assists the US Department of Justice (DOJ), including U.S. Attorneys Offices, in connection with litigation, at both trial and appellate levels, in federal Courts.
• Prepares and reviews complex legal documents, such as: draft legislation or regulations, contracts, grants, agreements, leases, deeds, and other legal documents required in connection with implementation of USDA programs and activities.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.For consideration, all applicants must meet the minimum qualifications for attorney positions: Successful completion of a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the America Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD) (Law School transcript required) and Currently be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Applicants should have a strong interest in federal natural resources law and an exceptional academic background. Judicial clerkship experience and familiarity with civil litigation is highly desirable, and knowledge of natural resources law, environmental law, and the Administrative Procedure Act is a plus but not a requirement. Applicants must demonstrate superior research, analytical, and writing abilities. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE At the GS-15 level: Qualifying experience for GS-15 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-14 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is possessing: a comprehensive knowledge, understanding or expertise of a particular subject matter area involving natural resources and land management; a mastery in a number of legal subject matter areas involving one or more major Forest Service program area(s) and senior level experience in execution of assignments with no preliminary instruction and minimal supervision; or first-chair litigation skills at a caliber sufficient to represent USDA and the U.S. Forest Service in complex cases with minimal supervision. 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.