Attorney Advisor

The Regulations and Rulings (RR) Directorate of the Office of Trade (OT) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is seeking interested candidates to apply to Attorney-Advisor positions at the GSGSGSand GSlevels with a full performance level (FPL) of GS. These assignments are full-time bargaining unit positions. Current practicing lawyers or recent graduates who are members of a bar of a state or the District of Columbia by the date of expiry of this notice are eligible to apply. Candidates must be U.S. citizens and the desired candidate should have an interest in international trade law customs law administrative law national/border security intellectual property law or any combination thereof. Candidates with significant legal experience may be hired at a higher grade level.

The work of the RR Directorate directly affects CBPs mission of promoting lawful travel and trade. Although a successful candidate may be assigned to any one of RRs three headquarters divisions (Border Security and Trade Compliance (BSTC) Commercial and Trade Facilitation (CTF) or Regulations and Disclosure Law (RDL)) priority will be given to those candidates who qualify to serve as an Attorney-Advisor in the Exclusion Order Enforcement (EOE) Branch within BSTC the Disclosure Law & Judicial Actions (DLJA) Branch the Border Security Regulations (BSR) Branch or the Trade & Commercial Regulations (TCR) Branch within RDL. All candidates must meet the Knowledge Skills and Abilities Section below and possess a juris doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited law school. As described below additional requirements are necessary for those candidates interested in applying for positions with the EOE Branch the DLJA Branch the BSR Branch or the TCR Branch.

This position starts at a salary of $84601.00 (GS-11 Step 1) to $185234.00 (GS-14 Step 10) with promotion potential to $185234 (GS-14 Step 10).

Working under general supervision the incumbent exercises a significant degree of independence in completing the types of assignments typical of the assigned Branch.

• Develop binding rulings (e.g. in response to protests requests for internal advice or requests for reconsiderations and modifications of earlier rulings) with respect to classification valuation marking country of origin of imports or with respect to legal issues relating to trade issues in entry procedures carrier and navigation matters penalties for violations of customs laws duty refunds unfair trade practices (e.g. infringement of patents copyrights trademarks etc.) and similar type of cases.
• Adjudicate and give advice on cases involving the imposition mitigation remission or cancellation of fines penalties forfeitures and liquidated damages for violations of customs laws regulations and policies. The incumbent may perform work involved in deciding to accept or reject offers in compromise and in deciding strategies for settling cases relating to significant penalties forfeitures and liquidated damages claims.
• Develop appeal decisions on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) cases and perform work consistent with other information disclosure statutes such as the Trade Secrets Act and Privacy Act. The incumbent may provide informal advice in these areas to the public CBP field personnel including law enforcement officers and other Branches in RR.
• Develop new or revised regulations pertinent to the functions of the Branch to which assigned or carry out other broad responsibilities with regard to the wide range of regulations falling within the purview of CBP including title 8 U.S.C. and title 19 U.S.C. subject matters. The incumbent prepares briefing materials and briefs senior CBP Department of Homeland Security and Department of the Treasury officials about proposed regulations.
• Review and prepare comments on and consult with officials of CBP Department of Homeland Security the Department of the Treasury and congressional committee staff members on proposed legislation trade agreements and Presidential actions affecting the programs of the Branch RR or the Office of Trade.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service
• Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below)
• You may be required to pass a background investigation
• CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures
• As an employee of CBP you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees and to CBP employees specifically as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link.
• DHS uses E-Verify an Internet-based system to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities.
• Financial Disclosure is required.
• Bargaining Unit: This is a bargaining unit covered position represented under the National Treasury Employees Unions - NTEU. For local chapter contact information see Chapter Websites - National Treasury Employees Union - NTEU

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you are an active 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.

Education Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show your completion of the first professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) from an accredited institution. If applying to a GS-12 grade level position or higher you must satisfy the legal experience requirements set forth below.

GS-11 Qualifications: Recent law school graduates with superior law student work or activities as demonstrated by one of the following:

• Academic standing in the upper third of the attorneys law school graduating class;
• Work or achievement of significance on one of the attorneys law schools official law reviews or journals;
• Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school (e.g. membership in the Order of the Coif winning a moot court competition or membership on the moot court team that represents the attorneys law school in competition with other law schools);
• Full-time or continuous participation in a legal aid program as opposed to one-time intermittent or casual participation;
• Significant summer law office clerk experience; or
• Other evidence of clearly superior accomplishment or achievement.

• Preparing comprehensive and succinct administrative rulings decisions and interpretations of laws that address matters involving legal or factual questions and novel issues where the precedents which should apply are highly arguable and/or the facts are so complex that different possible constructions or interpretations can be placed on the laws the facts and/or the precedent involved.
• Participating in meetings and briefings with representatives and legal counsel for private companies and industries and staff members of federal agencies.
• Working under the general supervision and guidance of the branch chief (or the supervisory equivalent) when adjudicating and giving advice on cases involving the imposition mitigation remission or cancellation of fines penalties seizures and forfeitures and liquidated damages for violations of customs laws regulations and policies.

• Preparing comprehensive and succinct administrative rulings decisions and interpretations of laws that address matters involving difficult legal or factual questions and novel issues where the precedents which should apply are highly arguable and/or the facts are so complex that different possible constructions or interpretations can be placed on the laws the facts and/or the precedent involved.
• Participating in meetings and briefings with representatives and legal counsel for private companies and industries and high-level members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies.
• Working under the general supervision of a branch chief (or the supervisory equivalent) with minimal guidance when adjudicating and giving advice on cases involving the imposition mitigation remission or cancellation of fines penalties seizures and forfeitures and liquidated damages for violations of customs laws regulations and policies.

• Preparing comprehensive and succinct administrative rulings decisions and interpretations of laws that address matters involving difficult legal or factual questions and novel issues where the precedents which should apply are highly arguable and/or the facts are so complex that different possible constructions or interpretations can be placed on the laws the facts and/or the precedent involved.
• Participating in meetings and briefings with representatives and legal counsel for private companies and industries and high-level members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies.
• Working under the general supervision of a branch chief (or the supervisory equivalent) with minimal guidance when adjudicating and giving advice on cases involving the imposition mitigation remission or cancellation of fines penalties seizures and forfeitures and liquidated damages for violations of customs laws regulations and policies.