General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel

Duties

The General Counsel (1.) Serves as a principal general legal adviser to the Court, interpreting laws and providing legal opinions on a breadth of practice areas including but not limited to procurement law and government contracts, appropriations law, and employment law; (2.) Provides advice and guidance on legislative, administrative, organizational, ethics and conduct, budgetary, and management matters; (3.) Serves as the Court's compliance officer and evaluates activities and functions to assess compliance with laws, regulations and contract provisions. Identifies deficiencies and makes recommendations to ensure compliance with program requirements; (4.) Drafts policy and related documents to memorialize the Court's stance on a variety of issues affecting Court operations; (5.) Represents the Judges and employees acting in their official capacities in judicial and administrative proceedings. This includes drafting pleadings, reviewing complaints, and coordinating with the Department of Justice and or outside counsel on such matters.

The Assistant General Counsel assists the General Counsel in providing legal and policy advice and recommendations, including written opinions, with respect to a broad variety of administrative, organizational, and management matters affecting the Court. Practice areas include, but are not limited to, tax law, procurement law and government contracts, appropriations law, and employment law. The Assistant General Counsel also assists with Court Committee work, legislation, budget matters, ethics inquiries, opinion review, suits against Judges and the Court, and substantive and procedural matters relating to cases before the Court.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Conditions Of Employment

Applicants must be United States Citizens or Nationals.
All Court employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for U.S. Tax Court Employees.
Employment at the United States Tax Court is subject to the provisions of the United States Tax Court Personnel Management System, a distinct system of personnel management practices specific to the Court as authorized by Public Law 111-366.
The United States Tax Court Personnel Management System adheres to the provisions set forth in section 2301(b) of title 5, United States Code (Merit Systems Principles) and section 2302(b) of title 5, United States Code (Prohibited Personnel Practices). All United States Tax Court personnel must conduct themselves in accordance with these provisions.
Appointments under the United States Tax Court Personnel Management System subsequent to January 4, 2011, do not grant the rights to (a) appeal a reduction in grade or removal to the Merit Systems Protection Board under chapter 43 of title 5, United States Code; (b) appeal an adverse action to the Merit Systems Protection Board under chapter 75 of title 5, United States Code; (c) appeal a prohibited personnel practice described under section 2302(b) of title 5 , United States Code, to the Merit Systems Protection Board under chapter 77 of that title (d) make an allegation of a prohibited personnel practice described under section 2302(b) of title 5 , United States Code, with the Office of Special Counsel under chapter 12 of that title for action in accordance with that chapter; or (e) file an appeal with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under part 1614 of title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Employment with U.S. Tax Court is "at-will;" employment may be terminated at any time by either party, with or without cause.
Those who are required must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
Appointment to these positions is contingent upon favorable suitability determination and security background checks, which include a credit check and a criminal check.

See "ADDITIONAL INFORMATION" for complete Conditions of Employment.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA:

The Successful Applicant Should Be a Highly Motivated Self-starter, An Organized Team Player, And Must Consistently Exhibit Good Judgment And Tact. To Qualify For The Position

Candidates must be a graduate of a full course study in a School of Law (must have a J.D. or an LL.B. degree) accredited by the American Bar Association and a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Must possess at least ten (General Counsel) or six (Assistant General Counsel) years of legal professional experience as a private practitioner or as an attorney on the staff of a government law office or court, and managerial experience related to the field of litigation or adjudication. Managerial or legal experience within the Federal court system is preferred.
Ability to respond to requests on short notice and to manage multiple tasks and stringent deadlines.
Aptitude and experience dealing with professional legal staff, court personnel, Federal agency officials, and the public and an ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing.
Solid critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Education

Candidates must be a graduate of a full course study in a School of Law (must have a J.D. or an LL.B. degree) accredited by the American Bar Association and a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Additional Information

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT (Continued)

A candidate selected for this position must be current on his or her Federal income tax obligations before employment with the U.S. Tax Court and must remain current at all times while employed by the U.S. Tax Court.
Continued employment post appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of the background investigation and credit check and favorable adjudication. A background reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time during employment.
All applicant information is subject to verification.
New appointments to the Federal service require a probationary period of 52 weeks. Appointments to the Tax Court from other Federal positions may require a probationary period of up to 52 weeks.
Appointments to the General Counsel position requires a supervisory probationary period of 52 weeks unless the selectee has completed a supervisory probationary period in another Federal role.
The Federal Financial Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages for Court employees.

NUMBER OF POSITIONS / SELECTION BASIS

This is a multiple-position announcement. Up to one General Counsel and up to one Assistant General Counsel selections may be made from this vacancy announcement. The General Counsel position is graded GS-15 as a full performance position. The Assistant General Counsel position is graded GS-14/15 as a career ladder position, with full performance at GS-15. Applicants will be considered for selection for the position for which they are most suited. Initial pay will be set based on the position selected for, relevant experience, and the availability of funds.

EFFECT OF EXCEPTED SERVICE APPOINTMENT IN THE U.S. TAX COURT ON COMPETIVE STATUS : Title 26, Section 7471(a)(9) provides that "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any employee of the Tax Court who has completed at least 1 year of continuous service under a non-temporary appointment with the Tax Court acquires a competitive status for appointment to any position in the competitive service for which the employee possesses the required qualifications."

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