Office of the General Counsel Position Announcements

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If you are interested in an internship with the Office of the General Counsel, please send your resume and cover letter to OGCHR@hhs.gov. In your cover letter, please indicate your preferred OGC division(s) or regional office location(s).

Vacancy Announcements Listed:

Legal Intern 2010 (Paid)
Deputy Chief Counsel
Dep Assoc General Counsel for Public Health, IHS

Legal Intern 2010 (Paid)

Office of the General Counsel, Region 10

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Seattle, Washington

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Seattle is seeking a full-time legal intern for the summer of 2010, with the possibility of continued part-time employment (16-32 hours per week) during the 2010-2011 academic year.  Candidates must have completed the second year of law school when the internship starts.   Interns are paid on a pro-rated basis at the annual salary for a GS-7 level Federal employee ($41,390.00 per year/ approx $19.83 per hour).

About our office:  The Seattle Regional Office has nine (9) attorneys and two administrative staff.  We represent a variety of client agencies within HHS, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Indian Health Service, the Office for Civil Rights, the Administration for Children and Families, and the Public Health Service.  Our office handles matters in administrative and judicial litigation as well as a wide variety of administrative, regulatory, enforcement, contract, and personnel matters pertaining to HHS’s substantive programs.  For additional information on the Department and its programs, please visit our website at www.hhs.gov/ogc.

About the intern opportunity:  The legal intern will be assigned substantive legal projects on a wide variety of issues.  The position will utilize skills in legal research and writing, case management, litigation preparation, and self-motivation.  In addition, the intern will learn about the role of an agency attorney in Federal court litigation and may have the opportunity for supervised client interaction.  In the past, our interns have assisted us in preparing for administrative trials in nursing home enforcement cases and Equal Employment Opportunity hearings, in addition to assisting us in providing in-house counsel to our clients.  This position does not involve formulation of policy or drafting regulations.

Interested candidates should forward a resume and two short writing samples (no more than 10-15 pages total for both samples) with minimal outside editing, and a cover letter explaining your interest in this position to:

Office of the General Counsel, Region 10
Attention: Pamela Parker, Chief Counsel
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
2201 Sixth Avenue, Suite 902
Seattle, WA 98121
Ph: (206) 615-2268
Fax: (206) 615-2286
E-mail: lesley.wreden@hhs.gov

Applications must be received by close of business on Friday, March 5, 2010.

Deputy Chief Counsel  

Salary Range: 118,846.00 - 155,500.00 USD /year

Series & Grade: GS-0905-15/15

Promotion Potential: 15

Open Period: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 to Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Position Information: Full-Time. This position is in the Excepted Service under the Schedule A Appointment

Duty Locations: Vacancy(s) in one of the following locations: few vacancies - Atlanta, GA; few vacancies - Dallas, TX; few vacancies - San Francisco County, CA

The HHS OGC is the Department legal team, providing quality representation and legal advice on a wide range of highly visible national issues. OGC supports the development and implementation of the Department's programs by providing the highest quality nation-wide legal services to the Secretary of HHS and the Department various agencies and divisions.  As part of a team of over 400 attorneys and a comprehensive support staff, Regional attorneys are heavily involved in administrative and Federal court litigation. Attorneys have primary responsibility for complex district court and appellate litigation; and provide legal advice and counseling to clients in HHS Regional Offices in virtually every area of the Department of Health and Human Services' programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, Head Start, Indian Health Service, civil rights, ethics, personnel and contract matters.

For Questions About This Job:

Renita Morse
Phone: 202-690-5451
Email: OGCHR@hhs.gov

Or Write:

Department Of Health And Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 713F Humphrey Building
Washington, DC 20201
US

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Dep Assoc General Counsel for Public Health, IHS  

Salary Range: 119,554.00 - 179,700.00 USD /year USD /year

Series & Grade: ES-0905-99/99

Promotion Potential: 99

Open Period: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 to Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Position Information: Full Time Permanent

Duty Locations: Vacancy(s) in one of the following locations: 1 vacancy - Rockville

The Office of the General Counsel oversees the provision of legal advice and representation to all components of the Department (except the Office of the Inspector General), on all aspects of agency operations. OGC manages over 7,000 litigation matters in court and before administrative tribunals. Further, the office advises senior officials about the Department's more than 300 programs. OGC's administrative and court litigation work supports all the program areas with the Department's portfolio and all the Secretary's priorities for the Department, including, for example: food safety protections, organ donation, patient safety, welfare and health reform, and disease prevention. The incumbent serves as the Deputy Associate General Counsel for the Indian Health Service Branch and head of the Indian Health Service practice group.

The incumbent serves as the primary source of legal advice and services for the Indian Health Service (IHS). IHS is an agency of the Public Health Service charged with providing leadership and direction to programs and activities designed to serve Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. The IHS budget exceeds $3.3 billion. These matters include the development of a consistent strategy for negotiating and implementing contracts and compacts under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, which implicate billions of dollars in agency funds. Furthermore, advice is required to assist in implementation of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and the operation of direct care programs of the IHS, which encompasses the normal issues of running a major health care operation, but also requires knowledge of the unique legal status of American Indians and Alaskan Natives, as well as the challenges of serving both rural and urban populations. Matters range from advising on patient care issues, to coordinating with Medicare and Medicaid on reimbursement issues, to handling grant appeals and audit disputes.

Litigation is handled both before the Combined Board of Contract Appeals and the Federal courts. In the administrative proceedings, staff of the IHS Branch and the Regional Chief Counsels' offices handle the full range of activities, while in the case of judicial litigation, coordination with the Department of Justice and other affected Federal agencies (especially the Interior Department) is required.

The incumbent is responsible not only for managing the workload of the IHS Branch, but also for coordinating the work of the IHS practice group, involving about 30 attorneys from the Regional Chief Counsels' offices in addition to the seven attorneys of the Branch. While supervision of the regional staff is the responsibility of the Chief Counsels, the coordination function is a significant one. The incumbent works to assure consistency in contract and compact negotiation, in developing litigation strategy and filings, and in providing day-to-day advice to the IHS headquarters and to the IHS area offices. Typically, several monthly teleconference calls, as well as two major conferences each year, are organized and chaired by the incumbent to assure this coordination.

For Questions About This Job:

Kisha Hightower
Phone: 202-205-7744
Fax: 202-690-5778
TDD: 800-877-8339
Email: Kisha.Hightower@hhs.gov

Or Write:

Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave Rm 315B
Washington, DC 20201
Fax: 202-690-5778