Legal Adviser Position
The position is located in the Joint Force Headquarters - State (JFHQ-ST), Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA). The primary purpose of the position is to serve as the full-time professional legal adviser and support to the Adjutant General, the Commander of federally recognized Army and Air National Guards, and state/territory unique public defense or safety structures. Also serves as the principle professional legal adviser to the United States Property and Fiscal Officer (USPFO), state/territory National Guard senior leadership, state/territory National Guard directorates, and subordinate National Guard commanded units or state/territory level divisions.
Responsibilities include:
- Acting as a legal adviser and attorney for the state/territory National Guard, responsible for the formulation of state/territory legal policy and its execution legal representation; legal initiatives; interpretation and litigation of U.S. and state/territory(s) constitutional, civil, criminal, labor law; international law and treaty agreements; trial defense; and a full spectrum of expert legal advice.
- Advising on the legal, factual and other impacting aspects of drafting, interpretation and application of legislation, regulation, tasking orders, decision, opinions or other guiding, or lack there of, instruments associated with emerging or highly conflicted and emotionally charged issues such as intelligence oversight related to Homeland Security, or advising on Federal and state/territory Executive Orders for the use of federalized troops in response to domestic emergencies and natural disasters.
- Serving as the state/territory National Guard litigation point of contact. Representing the state/territory National Guard in all legal matters in state/territory and Federal courts of original or appellate jurisdictions. Conducting investigations of fact and legal sufficiency; advising on administrative remedies; developing the trial strategy, content and means of presentation, and trial delivery; making motions; and conducting post-trial duties.
- Providing acquisition and fiscal legal advice to the state/territory's assigned United States Property & Fiscal Officer (the Chief of the National Guard Bureau's agent in the state/territory) and active duty military advisers. Advising Army National Guard (ARNG) and Air National Guard (ANG) contracting officers, reviewing contracts, procurement actions and real property matters involving Federal and state/territory funds (some involving substantial amounts of money) for legal sufficiency, appropriate titling and claim initiation or resolution actions.
- Acting as the Adjutant General's representative in third-party proceedings under Federal labor-management and equal employment opportunity statutes and regulatory provisions. Representing the state/territory National Guard as a trial attorney on assigned cases before investigators, administrative judges and arbitrators from various appellate bodies including, but limited to, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, the Federal Services Impasses Panel and Federal Courts.
- Advising the convening authorities, including the state/territory Adjutant General, on procedural and legal issues associated with Courts Martial, Non-Judicial Punishment Administrative Board proceedings and subsequent actions.
- Serving as the state/territory Ethics Adviser. Reviewing sensitive financial disclosure statements for General Officers and other key personnel. Providing or participating in various training activities, preparing reports and providing counsel on complex ethics issues and policies; and ensuring Federal and state/territory annual administrative reporting requirements are met.
- Serving as claims officer for the state/territory National Guard. Reviewing Claim Investigating Officer reports, adjudication recommendations, regardless of filing location, and approving forwarding of actions to the appropriate claims office.
- Providing oversight and guidance to the state/territory Judge Advocate's Legal Office, Legal Assistance and Preventative Law Programs, and supervising assigned full-time attorney and support staff. Coordinating the provision of legal services throughout the state and overseeing the assignments of attorney and paralegal personnel within the subordinate units in both the Army and Air National Guard to accomplish all legal support requirements.
- Performing other duties as required.