The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board, an independent agency established by the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018, works with government agencies to accelerate the release of civil rights cold case records related to incidents occurring between 1940 and 1979.
This position provides legal support to the Review Board members and its staff related to access to public records, the Freedom of Information Act, civil rights, including rights to privacy, constitutional law, administrative law, courts and civil procedure, and American public law in general.
Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Review Board and Chief of Staff, you will:
Provide legal support and advice to the Review Board and its staff on issues related to their authorities, roles, and responsibilities as set forth in law and policy.
Perform legal analysis and research, to include preparing memoranda, guidance documents, studies, and other legal materials related to access to government records and other issues of significance to the Review Board.
Draft and/or review correspondence, reports, memoranda, testimony, Federal Register notices, legislation, guidance, and other documents related to matters within the purview of the Board’s legal mandate.
Provide oral and written briefings, consultations, and presentations.
Review policies, procedures, orders, regulations, handbooks, technical manuals, and other Board publications.
Advise on the substance of responses to Congressional inquiries.
The first professional law degree (LL.B. or JD) or the first and second professional law degree (LL.M.); AND
Specialized professional experience in excess of three (3) years that is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position. The quality of the individual’s background may be evidenced by the relatedness of his or her specialization.
Specialized Experience
The skills and experience listed immediately below are of particular importance to the position, and applicants should provide specific detailed information in these areas, where applicable, as part of their application.
You qualify for the GS-15 grade level if you have at least one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-14 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).
Education Requirements
Applicants must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. You must submit a copy of both your law school and college transcript with your application. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.
Conditions of Employment
You must be a U.S. citizen or national to apply for this position.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
Only experience obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
You must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
You must successfully pass a background investigation.
You must be able to obtain and hold a Top Secret security clearance.
Employees who are initially appointed to supervisory positions must serve a supervisory probationary period for one year.
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
This position has been designated excluded from bargaining unit representation under the national security provision of 5 U.S.C. 7112(B)(6).
All employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/ Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
A cover letter.
Your resume showing a detailed description of your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates with the month and year and hours worked per week (if less than 40) for each paid and unpaid work experience job title listed.
A copy of your law school transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an institution accredited by the American Bar Association. In addition, a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable). Once selected and prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official transcript for both college and law school.
A legal writing sample not to exceed 10 pages.
Proof that you are an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.
Are you a current or former Federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your appointment type, tenure group, and salary. If you are applying for a higher grade, please submit the SF-50 showing the highest (permanent) grade ever held, if different from your current grade. Please note: Performance award, Details, and Realignments are not acceptable SF-50s.
Are you a veteran? You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference. The member 4 copy of your DD214 "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable. If claiming 10-point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference." If applying based on eligibility under Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions. View more veterans' information.
Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
Position title;
Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
Agency; and
Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
How to Apply
You must email your Application Package to info@coldcaserecords.gov by 11:59 PM EST on 09/26/2024.
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board was established in accordance with the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018, which won bipartisan support in Congress. The Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump on January 8, 2019, and the Review Board's members were nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2022. The Review Board's charge is to expedite the review and release of government-held records related to civil rights cold cases of incidents occurring between 1940 and 1979. The law establishes new standards for the public disclosure of these records. The Review Board and its staff will work closely with federal agencies to accelerate the release of documents to make them more readily available to families of victims of civil rights crimes, legal organizations, journalists, scholars, and students who examine American history.