Summary The Counsel position is in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Rules Committee Staff. OGC provides legal advice and services to the Director and Administrative Office of the U.S. (AO) staff, the Judicial Conference, judges, and senior court officials. OGC is responsible for rendering legal opinions and advice on a wide range of issues in federal judicial administration. Responsibilities The Office of the General Counsel, Rules Committee Staff (RCS) is seeking a self-motivated Counsel to join its team. RCS provides legal, operational, and logistical support to the Judicial Conference's Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure (Standing Committee), and the Advisory Committees on Appellate, Bankruptcy, Civil, Criminal, and Evidence Rules. RCS oversees the committees' work on proposed rule amendments and ensures compliance with the Judicial Conference's procedures and the Rules Enabling Act. The incumbent will support the six Judicial Conference committees RCS serves and will also collaborate with other OGC colleagues to provide advice on legal issues. The incumbent will report to the RCS Chief Counsel. The ideal candidate must have excellent legal research and analytical skills and the ability to: write clearly and succinctly; plan, organize, and work under demanding circumstances and time constraints; identify and resolve problems; work collaboratively; and effectively communicate with AO management, judges, senior court personnel, and employees of the Executive and Legislative Branches. The duties of this position include, but are not limited to: Providing primary attorney support for an Advisory Committee and its subcommittees and providing secondary assistance to other Advisory Committees. Assisting the Chief Counsel and RCS staff in providing overall support to the office and committees. Preparing agenda book materials for the Committee on Rules and Practice and Procedure and its advisory committees. Preparing reoccurring reports for the Judicial Conference from the Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure. Preparing rules to be published for public comment. Preparing the federal rules amendments packages to the Supreme Court and Congress. Working with AO offices and Judicial Conference committees on matters impacting the rules committees. Attending rules committee meetings and hearings. Serving as an expert resource to Judiciary clients on issues related to the rules of procedure and evidence. Collaborating with OGC colleagues to provide advice and counsel to Judiciary clients on other legal issues. Requirements Conditions of Employment CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed. Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship for competitive status positions or conversion to a competitive status position with the AO. If non-citizens are considered for hire into a temporary or any other position with non-competitive status or when it is confirmed by the AO Human Resources Office there are no qualified U.S. citizens for a competitive status position (unless prohibited by a law or statue), non-citizens must provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Employment of non-citizens/. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. All new AO employees will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check. New employees to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. All new AO employees are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment. You will be required to serve a trial period if selected for a first-time appointment to the Federal government, transferring from another Federal agency, or serving as a first-time supervisor. Failure to successfully complete the trial period may result in termination of employment. If appointed to a temporary position, management may have the discretion of converting the position to permanent depending upon funding and staffing allocation. Qualifications Applicants must have demonstrated experience as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which include interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions. Bar Membership: Applicants must currently be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a federal court of general jurisdiction. Applicants are responsible for citing minimum qualifications such as J.D. and bar membership information (institution name, state(s) for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes. Failure to supply details will constitute an incomplete application. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Post J.D. Experience: Applicants must also possess at least 2 years of post J.D. experience. Specialized Experience: Subsequent to graduation from law school, applicants must have at least one full year (52 weeks) (preferably 3 years) of specialized experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience is demonstrated experience as a practicing attorney providing legal advice and guidance on a broad range of issues, policies, procedures, and legislative matters or experience with civil or criminal litigation. Highly Desired: Experience handling civil or criminal litigation in federal courts. Experience with Judicial Conference Committees and the Rules Enabling Act. Education Applicants must possess a law degree (J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on OPM's website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/. Additional Information The AO is an Equal Opportunity Employer.