The General Counsel serves at the pleasure of the Executive Officer and works under the general supervision of the Deputy Executive Officer. The incumbent directs and manages the Office of General Counsel.
Please note: This position will be open until filled. Resumes will be reviewed once a week and Friday, November 1, 2019 will be the first review.
Summary
The General Counsel serves at the pleasure of the Executive Officer and works under the general supervision of the Deputy Executive Officer. The incumbent directs and manages the Office of General Counsel.
Please note: This position will be open until filled. Resumes will be reviewed once a week and Friday, November 1, 2019 will be the first review.
The incumbent is responsible for resolving complex and difficult legal issues concerning the D.C. Courts, supervises assigned staff, and performs varied legal advisory functions with independent responsibility for providing officials of the D.C. Courts with legal counsel in such broadly-defined areas as the following: appropriations, contract law, personnel, procurement and other court policy, rulemaking, tax issues, criminal and civil procedure, retirement provisions, and legal issues related to accounting.
Brief description of major duties:
Advises the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration, Executive Officer, Chief Judges, Associate Judges, Magistrate Judges, and management personnel on federal and District laws, regulations and cases, opinions of the Comptroller General, and agency policies as they affect court operations.
Directs and manages responses to oral and written requests for legal review, advice and recommendations from judicial officers and management officials on matters relating to court administration, appropriations, judicial procedures, procurement, personnel rights and benefits.
Directs the Office of General Counsel’s answers to questions which are covered by interpretations of the Comptroller General or other legal authority and obtains guidance from the Government Accountability Office, the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of the Treasury, the Office of Management and Budget, and other agencies with respect to court issues.
Provides sound and effective legal advice on questions of law or administrative policy involved in the operations of the Courts and their contacts with other agencies, private organizations, and the general public.
Keeps abreast of legislative changes and proposed changes affecting the Courts so as to anticipate legal issues or risks.
Directs and manages the preparation of legal requests and reports for submission to District or federal entities including the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Management and Budget.
Serves as the senior liaison between the D.C. Courts and various federal and District of Columbia agencies concerning issues involving the Courts' responsibilities to the public and its employees and litigation involving the Courts or court employees.
Directs the research and preparation of memoranda of law concerning the correct court procedures to follow in order to comply with statutory provisions, rules, and court decisions. Identifies areas where operations or conduct of personnel might be incompatible with statutes or regulations and proposes appropriate remedies in order to limit or mitigate the Courts' risk exposure.
Serves as the legal advisor to various adhoc committees of the Court of Appeals and the Superior Court.
Background and security investigation are required.
To qualify for this position, you must submit the following: 1. Resume
2. Completed Vacancy Questionnaire
3. Documentation /Proof of Education (e.g. copy of law degree or transcript from an accredited university or college)
4. Responses to Court Executive Service Core Qualifications
5. List of professional references
All required documentation must be received by the closing date of the announcement.
Qualifications
Qualifications:
Graduation from an accredited law school and an active member of the District of Columbia Unified Bar. A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible legal administrative and management experience with at least six of those years in positions of substantial management responsibility in a court, legal, or justice-related environment.
Thorough knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations concerning city government.
Ability to establish and maintain an effective working relationship with all levels of management, court officials, vendors, other government agencies, other employees, and the general public.
Proficient in performing extensive legal research, and the demonstrated ability to discern legal principles from leading legal treatises, federal and local case law, legislation, law review articles, legal digests, and other legal manuals.
Demonstrated skill in writing detailed legal memoranda that convey research, analysis, and recommendations; and ability to make concise, comprehensive oral reports and presentations.
Ability to think strategically and meet organizational goals and customer expectations, and to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.
Ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals; and to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
Ability to exercise independent judgment in providing guidance on complex legal issues.
Ability to manage and supervise employees.
To qualify you must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under Court Executive Service Core Qualifications (CESCQ) listed below. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at or above the GS/JS-15 grade level in the federal/DC Court service or its equivalent in the public/private sector. Candidates must possess senior level management and technical experience. Candidates' experience must have been at a high level of difficulty to show clearly that the candidate possesses the professional and technical, as well as program knowledge, skills, and abilities outline under the five CESCQ. Failure to meet the basic qualification and address the CESCQ factors automatically disqualifies an applicant.
Please note that authorization for the release of your adult criminal record revealing any convictions and forfeitures, and any criminal cases currently pending before the courts is required. If you are selected for the position, a criminal history records check will be conducted.
Education
To qualify based on education, upload a copy of your law school transcript or degree. The transcript must show the name of the law school, your name, list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking.
Foreign Education: Education completed outside the United States must have been evaluated by a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials, commonly called a credential evaluation service to meet the above requirements.
Additional information
This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive Federal civil service.
Please note there is a mandatory one year probationary period for all non-judicial new employees.
All required information must be received by the vacancy announcement closing date.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
This is not a federal position.
The District of Columbia Courts is an independent agency of the District of Columbia Government and is not under the authority of the City Mayor or the D. C. Council. DC Courts' appropriation comes directly from Congress. All DC Courts non-judicial employees receive federal benefits for the following programs: Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits, Health Insurance and Workers Compensation.
Please click on the following for more information about these benefits:
Annual Leave: Individuals occupying CES positions earn eight hours of annual leave each biweekly pay period, regardless of years of credited service and may carry over unused annual leave from year to year subject to a 480-hour ceiling.
Sick Leave is used for personal medical needs, care of a family member, or adoption-related purposes. Full-time employees earn four(4)hours of sick leave biweekly. This leave can be accrued without limit.
In addition to the federal health plans, the DC Courts offer employees supplemental vision and dental plans as well as a commuter transit benefit subsidy, for a maximum of $150 a month. There are 26 pay periods in the year.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure that you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Answers submitted in the questionnaire must be supported on your resume.
Your resume must reflect the relevant experience and that you meet the minimum qualifications or your application will not be considered.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
This is not a federal position.
The District of Columbia Courts is an independent agency of the District of Columbia Government and is not under the authority of the City Mayor or the D. C. Council. DC Courts' appropriation comes directly from Congress. All DC Courts non-judicial employees receive federal benefits for the following programs: Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits, Health Insurance and Workers Compensation.
Please click on the following for more information about these benefits:
Annual Leave: Individuals occupying CES positions earn eight hours of annual leave each biweekly pay period, regardless of years of credited service and may carry over unused annual leave from year to year subject to a 480-hour ceiling.
Sick Leave is used for personal medical needs, care of a family member, or adoption-related purposes. Full-time employees earn four(4)hours of sick leave biweekly. This leave can be accrued without limit.
In addition to the federal health plans, the DC Courts offer employees supplemental vision and dental plans as well as a commuter transit benefit subsidy, for a maximum of $150 a month. There are 26 pay periods in the year.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the vacancy questionnaire. Afterward, click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
To process your application successfully, DC Courts encourages applicants to use Internet Explorer (IE) 9 or IE 10 since these are internet browsers supported by our system.
COURT EXECUTIVE SERVICE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (CESCQ): All applicants must submit written statements. Your narrative response must not exceed two (2) pages per CESCQ and needs to include at least (2) examples per CESCQ. The CESCQs were designed to assess executive experience. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of CES positions.
You must address each CESCQ separately. You are required to respond to all CESCQs. If you fail to do so, you will be rated as ‘ineligible’. Each response should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of programs managed, and results of your actions.
CESCQ 1 LEADING CHANGE: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this CESCQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. (Competencies: Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision).
CESCQ 2 LEADING PEOPLE: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this CESCQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. (Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Team Building, Developing Others).
CESCQ 3 RESULTS DRIVEN: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this CESCQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. (Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility).
CESCQ 4 BUSINESS ACUMEN: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. (Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management).
CESCQ 5 BUILDING COALITIONS: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Courts, Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. (Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating).
A qualified candidate for the General Counsel position must have at least ten (10) years of progressively responsible legal administrative and management experience with at least six of those years in positions of substantial management responsibility in a court, legal, or justice-related environment. This requirement should be highlighted throughout the CESCQ responses. The ability to communicate effectively in writing is expected to flow throughout the narrative responses and reflect a mastery of that ability.
The Court Executive Service Core Qualifications are supported by the Court values of Accountability, Excellence, Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Transparency.
Click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
District of Columbia Courts
Moultrie Building
500 Indiana Avenue, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20001
United States
Next steps
Once your completed application is received, the qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. All applicants will be notified of the final outcome.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the vacancy questionnaire. Afterward, click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
To process your application successfully, DC Courts encourages applicants to use Internet Explorer (IE) 9 or IE 10 since these are internet browsers supported by our system.
COURT EXECUTIVE SERVICE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (CESCQ): All applicants must submit written statements. Your narrative response must not exceed two (2) pages per CESCQ and needs to include at least (2) examples per CESCQ. The CESCQs were designed to assess executive experience. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of CES positions.
You must address each CESCQ separately. You are required to respond to all CESCQs. If you fail to do so, you will be rated as ‘ineligible’. Each response should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of programs managed, and results of your actions.
CESCQ 1 LEADING CHANGE: This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this CESCQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment. (Competencies: Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision).
CESCQ 2 LEADING PEOPLE: This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this CESCQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. (Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Team Building, Developing Others).
CESCQ 3 RESULTS DRIVEN: This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this CESCQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. (Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving, Technical Credibility).
CESCQ 4 BUSINESS ACUMEN: This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically. (Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Technology Management).
CESCQ 5 BUILDING COALITIONS: This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Courts, Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals. (Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating).
A qualified candidate for the General Counsel position must have at least ten (10) years of progressively responsible legal administrative and management experience with at least six of those years in positions of substantial management responsibility in a court, legal, or justice-related environment. This requirement should be highlighted throughout the CESCQ responses. The ability to communicate effectively in writing is expected to flow throughout the narrative responses and reflect a mastery of that ability.
The Court Executive Service Core Qualifications are supported by the Court values of Accountability, Excellence, Fairness, Integrity, Respect and Transparency.
Click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
District of Columbia Courts
Moultrie Building
500 Indiana Avenue, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20001
United States
Next steps
Once your completed application is received, the qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. All applicants will be notified of the final outcome.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
