Job Opportunity : Dept of Interior – Washington DC

Department Of The Interior – Office of the Solicitor – Attorney –  Advisor

The following vacancy announcement SOL-2014-0010 is posted at:  https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/365422000

Job Title: Attorney-Advisor
Series & Grade: GS-0905-14
Position Information:  Excepted Appointment
NTE 2 years – Full Time
Location: Washington, DC
Closing Date:  April 6, 2014

If you have any questions regarding this vacancy announcement, please contact Kristen Davis at (703) 648-7463 or kjdavis@usgs.gov.

Job Opportunity – The Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice

Justice seeks to attract, retain, and promote individuals of exceptional ability and talent from all walks of life. The work environment and atmosphere is open, diverse, collegial, and inclusive. There are active affinity groups for African-American; Asian-American; Hispanic; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT); and Native American employees, which are open to all DOJ employees regardless of background. Justice fosters a work environment where people of all backgrounds and experiences may reach their full potential.

This and other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/attvacancies.html.

There was an error in the application information within the vacancy announcement sent to you yesterday with respect to the experienced attorney position in the Law and Policy Section of our Environment and Natural Resources Division.

The corrected announcement follows below.  We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause you.

ATTORNEY VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION
LAW AND POLICY SECTION
TRIAL ATTORNEY
GS-14/15
OPEN: MARCH 24, 2014
CLOSE: APRIL 11, 2014
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: ENRD-14-023-EXC

About the Office: The Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking an experienced attorney for its Law and Policy Section (“LPS” or “Section”) in Washington, DC.

The Law and Policy Section advises and assists the Assistant Attorney General on environmental legal and policy questions, particularly those that affect multiple sections in the Division. It handles the Division’s response to legislative proposals and Congressional requests, the Division’s comments on federal agency rulemakings, amicus participation in cases of importance to the United States, as well as other special projects on behalf of Division leadership. Attorneys in the Section also handle the Division’s involvement in international legal policy and trade matters, as well as the Division’s FOIA and Privacy Act work. Other LPS attorney duties include serving as the Division’s ethics officer and counselor, alternative dispute resolution counselor, and liaison with state and local governments.

For more information about the Environment & Natural Resources Division, visit the Justice Department’s web site at: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/.

Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: The Section’s work encompasses the full range of environmental, natural resources, public lands, and Indian-related laws handled by the Division, as well as issues of constitutional, administrative, and ethics law. The Section’s work often involves complex, novel, and cross-cutting issues which require close coordination with all of the Division’s other sections and interaction with other DOJ components. We expect that the attorney chosen for this position would maintain a portfolio that includes a broad mix of work in these areas, including legislative and proposed rulemaking analysis, litigation, and special projects that involve the analysis of cross-cutting legal and policy issues relating to litigation. We anticipate that an element of this position will involve work on issues of criminal law in a policy context (but not prosecution of criminal cases). Accordingly, experience with criminal law (especially but not necessarily environmental criminal matters) would be beneficial.

Qualifications: The Section’s docket is demanding and requires top caliber work products. Successful applicants will have a demonstrated record of analysis of complex legal problems, initiative and creativity, outstanding legal writing, and a commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards. Applicants must also demonstrate superior research, analytical, and writing abilities, good judgment, and be able to balance a diverse and constantly evolving workload. Highly desirable are a background in environmental, natural resources, Indian, criminal, and/or administrative law. Also desirable are experience working with or for federal agencies.

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree; be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a State, territory, or the District of Columbia, have at least 5 years of post-J.D. legal experience, and be a U.S. citizen. Position is available immediately, subject to approvals and security checks.

Travel: Periodic travel is required.

Salary Information: Current salary and years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level. The possible salary range is GS-14 ($106,263- $138,136) and GS-15 ($124,995- $157,100) per annum.

Location: Washington, DC

Terms of Appointment: Initial appointment to this position is for a period not to exceed two years. Selected attorneys who perform successfully will be eligible for conversion to a permanent appointment. Selected attorneys are eligible for employment benefits such as health and life insurance, the FERS retirement program, paid vacation and sick leave, and a public transportation subsidy.

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Submission Process and Deadline Date: Applications must be received by Friday, April 11, 2014.

Applicants must email a current resume, cover letter, writing sample, and OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment (Click on the link below to obtain the OF-306) to:

Rhodora Woolner, Supervisory Administrative Specialist, U.S. Department of Justice

Please reference vacancy announcement number ENRD-14-023-EXC.

Email applications only, please to attyapply-lps.enrd@usdoj.gov.

OF-306-Declaration for Federal Employment

No telephone calls, please.

Internet Sites: For more information about the Environment & Natural Resources Division, visit the Justice Department’s web site at: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/. This and selected other legal position announcements can be found on the Internet at: http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/attvacancies.html

Department Policies: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination based on color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, status as a parent, membership or nonmembership in an employee organization, or personal favoritism.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

We place a high value on diversity of background, experience and cultural perspective and encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including those from all racial and ethnic groups, women, LGBT individuals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

There is no formal rating system for applying veterans= preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans= preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans= preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov.

Schedule A: The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department.

NOTE: The Department of Justice also suggests eligible Schedule A applicants should submit their resumes to resume@benderconsult.com and reference “Federal Career Opportunities” in the subject line. For more information, visit the Bender Consulting Services website at http://www.benderconsult.com

NABA-AZ – Ann Marie Downes – March 2014 Member Profile

NABA-AZ is excited to present Ann Marie Bledsoe Downes as the March 2014 Member Profile.  Read below to learn more about this wonderful person. NABA-AZ is grateful she is a member of our organization.

Ann Marie Bledsoe Downes currently serves as the Interim Executive Director of the Indian Law Program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU. She recently completed a short term appointment as the Interim President of Little Priest Tribal College and has served in various administrative roles at the Indian Legal Program. Ann Marie has taught courses in Advanced Legal Research and Writing in Indian Law and co-teaches Contemporary Issues in Tribal Economic Development. Prior to joining the Indian Legal Program, she served as the Policy Advisor for Tribal Affairs to former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano.  Ann Marie previously served as president of Little Priest Tribal College located in Winnebago, NE. As President, she was responsible for the day-to-day administration and program implementation at Little Priest Tribal College and assisted the college in attaining 10 years of continued accreditation. During her tenure as President she was also a member of the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities.  In the early 1990’s she served as a Gaming Commissioner on the Hoopa Valley Tribal Gaming Commission and then for her own tribe’s gaming commission for a short time in 2000.  She is a member of the Little Priest Tribal College Board of Trustees and as a member of the Board of Directors for the tribal corporation, Ho-Chunk, Inc. She is an enrolled member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

Q&A

1.        Are you a native Arizonan? If not, where are you from? If so, have you spent a significant amount of time living somewhere else different from this state?

I am originally from Nebraska.  I grew up on the Winnebago reservation in northeast Nebraska and lived there until I left to attend law school at ASU. I have lived in both northern and southern California but have spent most of my life in either Nebraska or Arizona.

2.        How did you decide to become a lawyer? Did you always want to practice Indian law and/or work for a tribe? Why or why not?

I knew I wanted to be a lawyer at a very young age.  My tribe had been fighting to have a new IHS hospital built in our community for a number of years and every so often our tribal leadership would come to the public school on the reservation to encourage us to stay in school and get an education. They would regularly mention our fight for this hospital and would emphasize the fact we had treaty rights and sovereignty. I knew that these words, these concepts, had a meaning beyond what even my tribal leadership was expressing. I knew in order to learn more about these legal principles and to be an advocate like my leaders, I had to go to law school.  I never thought I would practice law. I was just looking for answers. My undergraduate degree is in 7-12 Social Sciences education so I thought I would be a social studies teacher and spend the rest of my time helping to fight to get resources to our community and to change the way people thought about my tribe. I’ll never forget the first week of my position as President of Little Priest. About my third day on the job I received a card from the tribal council inviting me to the groundbreaking for our new hospital.  It was a decades old fight, but we had finally won. 

3.        To date, what do you think is your most notable accomplishment – either legal or personal?

I am extremely proud of the work I did at Little Priest Tribal College. We completed an accreditation visit during my last year there and were awarded continuing accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission. This work is a total team effort but I was a young professional with a very steep learning curve. To accomplish continued accreditation for my tribe’s Tribal College will forever be a highlight of my professional career.  In my personal life I am very proud of my family. My husband and I have worked very hard to create a marriage that is a partnership. My kids are successful and happy and I hope they see our marriage as a good model to emulate in their future relationships.

4.        Is there anything in your career that you have not yet accomplished that you have set as a goal for yourself? If so, what is that? If not, do you plan to retire at some point or try another career?

This is the toughest question for me. I’ve been fortunate enough to achieve so much of what I set out to do. I work in Indian legal education, I get to teach, support students as they pursue their goals, work for my community by being on various boards and my family supports me and keeps me balanced. (Well, for the most part. Any working mom knows it is easier said than done!) So, I feel like new goals are a bit greedy. With that said, I do miss being in the classroom and hope I get opportunity to teach again soon. As a long term goal, I have recently considered going back to Nebraska someday and either working for our tribal economic development corporation or even running for our tribal council. 

5.        Why did you join NABA-AZ? What would you like to see the organization do or accomplish in the near and/or distant future?

I remember when the organization was first started and I was excited to see how it would grow. The website still has elements of those early days when my colleague and friend, Kate Rosier helped to develop the initial webpage. I think the organization has had tremendous growth in such a short time. There is an active and committed group of people who have really allowed the organization to make huge impact with limited resources.  In the long term, I think we want to be the organization that students and lawyers think of first when they are looking for a resource to help them connect with other lawyers in the field. Our activities should raise the visibility of Indian law and tribal law both locally and nationally, as well as highlight the number of great lawyers in Arizona who practice in that area.

6.        Do you have any advice for new lawyers? If so, what is it?

Find a good mentor and be patient. The role you are to play as a lawyer doesn’t always reveal itself the first, second or even third year out of law school.  Find someone who will help guide you both personally and professionally. Use your law degree to do good. 

 

Job Opportunities – The US Department of Labor

The US Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor, Fair
Labor Standards Division has two positions currently posted on USA Jobs.
One is for an Attorney at the GS-12/14 and the other, a Law Clerk,
GS-904-11.

Attached are the links for the two vacancies.

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/364454400  Attorney

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/364455000   Law Clerk

Job Opportunity – Tribal Health Attorney – Anchorage, Alaska

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium anticipates expanding it legal team to support new and exciting initiatives to improve health care quality and access for Alaska Native patients and communities.  We primarily need additional legal expertise to assist with new and developing partnerships and transactions, medical staff issues, ACA issues, and regulatory compliance.

Ideal candidates will have at least seven years of experience in health law; an understanding of “Indian law,” the intersection between medical staff and employment issues, and government contracting; demonstrated experience working for complex clients in a team-oriented environment; exquisitely good judgment; and a talent for reconciling competing legal principles to help ANTHC find innovative ways to achieve its vision that “Alaska Natives are the healthiest people in the world.”

The Consortium works with Alaska’s Tribal health organizations and over 229 federally recognized Tribes to administer the Alaska Tribal Health System.  The Consortium partners with Southcentral Foundation to co-manage the 150 bed Alaska Native Medical Center, which is a Level II Trauma Center and has achieved Magnet status in recognition of nursing excellence.  ANTHC also provides community and environmental health services; constructs health clinics and water and sanitation systems in rural Alaska; develops and deploys telehealth technology; administers an epidemiology center; develops training for allied health providers; and provides technical assistance and support to other members of the Alaska Tribal Health System.

The Consortium’s main office is located in Anchorage, Alaska.  In accordance with federal law, ANTHC applies Native Preference in hiring and contracting.  Learn more about ANTHC at http://www.anthctoday.org/ and ANMC at http://www.anmc.org/.

For more information, please direct inquiries and resumes to Nacole Heslep, General Counsel at ndheslep@anthc.org with “Health Attorney G” in the subject line.