Salary Range: $57,118-107,680.00 Open Period: Ongoing
Series & Grade: GS-0905-9/11/12 Position Information: Full-Time (Permanent)
Promotion Potential: GS-0905-12 Duty Location: Macon, Georgia
Who May Be Considered: U.S. Citizens
Job Summary:
Millions of Americans depend on the Social Security Administration (SSA) for their well-being. Social Security programs offer protection against the risk of reduced income due to retirement, disability or death, and assist aged, blind, and disabled people in financial need. SSA offers challenging careers and professional advancement. Make a difference in people’s lives and your own. Join our dynamic team! Serve as an attorney-adviser to one or more Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) in a Social Security Administration (SSA) Hearing Office (HO).
Key Requirements:
• US Citizenship is required.
• Background and/or Security Investigation required.
• Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.
• All Attorney positions in the Federal Government require Bar membership. Proof of membership
in the bar must indicate a current active membership.
• Relocation expenses will not be paid.
• Telework eligible as determined by Agency policy.
Major Duties:
The Attorney advises and assists Administrative Law Judges (ALJ) on complex legal issues and drafts legally sufficient ALJ decisions. Incumbent develops and implements legal strategies and reviews, analyzes, and develops cases. Incumbent also reviews Appeals Council remands and court orders to ensure adherence to policy and recommend appropriate action.
QUALIFICATIONS:
You will be rated on the extent and quality of your education and/or experience according to information provided in your application forms.
All Attorney positions in the Federal Government require Bar membership. Proof of membership in the Bar must indicate a current active membership. (No exceptions permitted to this requirement.)
For the GS-9 Grade Level:
Basic Requirement: First Professional Law Degree (J.D.) AND proof of current active bar membership.
For the GS-11 Grade Level:
To be rated eligible, you must meet one of the requirements described below: The Basic Requirements
and one of the following:
- Fifty-two weeks of professional legal experience or experience as a practicing Attorney in which
assignments involved complex and difficult legal questions requiring extensive research, analysis,
and evaluation of information in controversial areas. Such experience would include: a) preparation
of legal documents for filing by drafting complaints, orders to show cause (judge issues this
document), indictments, preliminary motions (requests) and supporting affidavits and briefs; b)
drafting of pleading and motions for cases in litigation, conducting investigations to obtain
facts, study of legal precedents and preparation of recommendations; and c) assisting attorneys in
charge of court cases by cross-examining witnesses and drafting findings of facts, conclusions of
law and orders based on the record (you must provide the dates including month, day and year of
employment and the hours worked per week); OR - A second professional law degree (LL.M.) which requires one full year of graduate study; OR
- The first professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) with a record that shows superior law student
work or activities as demonstrated by one of the following:
• Academic standing in the upper third of the law school graduating class;
• Work or achievement of significance on the law school’s official law review (explain duties
and hours devoted per week);
• Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, such as election to the
Order of the Coif;
• Winning of a Moot Court (Appellate) Competition or membership on the Moot Court team, which
represents the law school in competition with other law schools;
• Full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid (Paralegal or Legal Assistant) program
equivalent to 6 months of full-time work (dates including month, day and year of employment and
hours worked per week are required)(this position works for the Attorney). Not to include one-time,
intermittent or casual participation;
• Significant summer law office clerk experience while attending law school equivalent to 6
months of full-time work (dates including month, day and year of employment and hours worked per
week are required)(this position works for the Judge); OR Legal Intern experience under the supervision of
an Attorney is creditable if it involves the following kinds of work: preparation of answers or
briefs; review of affidavits; legal research on questions arising from statutes; preparing drafts
of proposed opinions on individual cases; claims or other matters with or without established
formats and precedents; preparation of documents following guidelines and instructions; review of
State and Federal legislative proposals identifying impact; investigation and preparation of cases,
etc.
• Law Clerk experience is by its very nature Attorney experience and therefore is qualifying
for Attorney positions.
• Other equivalent evidence of superior achievement while in law school.
For the GS-12 Grade Level:
The GS-11 requirement plus one additional year (i.e., 52 weeks, full time) of professional legal experience or experience as a practicing Attorney (including the examples of experience described in the GS-11 grade level requirement). OR
In unusual circumstances, education is qualifying provided the applicant has advanced educational attainments substantially beyond those indicated as required for work at the GS-11 grade level and his/her education clearly indicates ability to perform work of the type to be assigned, for example, education beyond the first professional degree which include courses directly pertinent to work of the agency. The essential point in these circumstances is to assure that the person’s education has enabled him/her to step into complex legal work characteristic of the GS-12 level and to operate with the degree of independence and responsibility typical to that level.
Note: Part-time work is prorated in crediting experience (example: If you worked 20 hours per week for a 12- month period, you will be credited with six months of experience.)
Veterans Preference:
If you are claiming veterans’ preference, submit a copy of your military discharge certificate DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other proof of eligibility. To be acceptable, the document must show Character of Service. If you are claiming 10-point veterans’ preference, you must also submit an Application for 10-Point Veterans’ Preference (SF 15) and the required documentation specified on the reverse of the SF 15. You will be granted preference as appropriate based on the documents we receive. For more information on veterans’ preference, consult the Vet Guide on the OPM website at
http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.htm.
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested applicants must submit:
- A Resume. Your resume should include:
• Personal Information: Full name, mailing address, contact information including email address,
and Social Security Number.
• Education: Colleges/Universities attended, major field of study, total credit hours received,
and type and year of degree received.
• Work Experience: Job title, hours per week, employer’s name and address, supervisor’s name
and phone number, starting and ending dates of employment (month and year format), salary, duties
and accomplishments. Indicate whether your current supervisor may be contacted.
Resumes must contain all of the information listed above in sufficient detail to enable Human
Resources to make a determination that you have the required qualifications for the position.
- Proof of Current Active Bar Membership.
- Proof of Veteran Preference (if applicable). If you claim Veterans’ Preference, you must
provide:
• DD-214 (Member-4 Copy)
• If you claim 10-point preference, also submit an SF-15 (http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf) and the documents listed in the “Documentation Required” section of the SF-15 form. Save an electronic copy of the completed form to upload with your other application documents.
- Two (2) Legal Writing Samples
- Proof of Education.
You must submit proof of your law degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. In addition, if you do not have qualifying legal experience, your
transcripts will verify your class standing in determining qualifications based on education
alone.
Submit your resume and application materials electronically to OHO.R4.Macon.HO@ssa.gov, or to:
Marcus Goode
Hearing Office Director
484 Mulberry Street
Macon, Georgia 31201
We highly recommend you submit your application electronically. Mailed application materials may be mailed to receive consideration for this job posting.
Candidates with questions may contact the office at: (866) 331-2191, extension 22939 (Marcus Goode).
Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.