Veterans Attorney

Overview

The position is located in Washington DC. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of General Counsel (OGC) Benefits Law Group is seeking to hire a skilled attorney for a broad and dynamic legal practice involving Veterans benefits and administrative law. Prior experience in Veterans benefits law is not required. The attorney should have strong research, writing, analytic, and problem-solving skills and enjoy engaging in a varied legal practice at an agency with a strong mission of serving Veterans.

This position offers opportunities to work on a wide array of matters, including appellate litigation, legislative matters (drafting and review of legislation, hearing testimony, and agency views), drafting and review of regulations, extensive legal research (including statutory and regulatory histories and case law), and preparation of legal analyses and advice to assist Department officials administering programs providing disability and economic benefits to over 6 million Veterans and their families.

The ideal candidate would have one or more years of experience in some or all of those legal disciplines and demonstrate the ability to produce a consistently high volume of complex legal work while maintaining the highest standards of quality.

• Relevant legal experience in a position demonstrating strong research, writing, analytic, and problem-solving skills
• Relevant legal experience may include the following:
  • Litigation, including drafting persuasive and well-researched briefs. Relevant experience may also include leading complex discoveries, preparing senior clients for depositions, and other federal district court practice, though these activities are rare in this position.
  • Preparation of legal opinions or decisions involving analysis of statutes, regulations, their histories, and case law.
  • Drafting and/or analyzing proposed legislation, legislative testimony, and legislative views.
  • Drafting and/or analyzing Federal regulations.
  • Experience involving the Administrative Procedure Act and/or adjudications and appeals before Federal agencies.
  • Experience involving Veterans benefits under title 38, United States Code.
  • Experience involving questions of Constitutional law, including due process, equal protection, and the separation of powers.
• Candidates should have experience managing and prioritizing their workload to meet varied deadlines and client needs

• This office provides the full range of legal services necessary to support VA’s programs of Veterans benefits. Accordingly, the duties of the position may include a wide range of issues, including interpretation of statutes and regulations specific to certain VA benefits and broader issues of constitutional law, administrative and judicial procedures, and Governmental operations.
• The position includes responsibility for legal issues arising from the following VA benefit programs:
• Disability compensation
• Need-based pension
• Veteran Readiness and Employment
• Insurance programs
• Cemetery matters and burial benefits
• Fiduciary matters
• Accreditation of Representatives and fee disputes
• Legal issues concerning the disability compensation program include matters relating to implementation of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (commonly called the PACT Act), which expanded benefits for disabilities due to toxic exposures in service and is the largest expansion of VA benefits in decades.
• Within the assigned subject areas, duties of the position include the following:
  • Litigation:
    Drafting well-researched and persuasive briefs and assisting Department of Justice attorneys in preparing for oral arguments. Litigation is generally before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, with occasional cases before other Federal courts.
  • Legislative matters:
    Reviewing draft legislation and preparing agency views or technical assistance; preparing or reviewing draft testimony for legislative and oversight hearings; drafting or reviewing agency legislative proposals.
  • Regulatory matters:
    Assisting VA program offices in developing and drafting proposed and final rules; reviewing draft rule making documents for legal sufficiency and compliance with governing statutes.
  • Legal advice and opinions:
    Drafting well-researched and thorough opinions addressing often-complex legal issues, to assist VA officials and non-attorney clients in implementing governing laws and operating VA benefit programs. Providing oral advice to VA officials and other clients in meetings and other settings. Reviewing a wide variety of administrative and oversight materials, including reports and formal correspondence.

• J.D. degree from an accredited law school and a license to practice in at least one U.S. state.
• Strong writing, communication, teamwork, organizational and analytical skills.