VLJ Openings

[gunner]

Just saw this on USAJobs:

www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/344943000

Job Title:Veteran Law Judge
Department:Department Of Veterans Affairs
Agency:Board of Veterans Appeals
Job Announcement Number:VA-13-904226-NE

The incumbent serves as a Veteran Law Judge in the Office of Veterans Law Judges (OVLJ) within the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. 
 
Duties include but are not limited to the following:
Managing, mentoring, training, developing and leading staff counsel;Reviewing requests for and determining whether statutory and regulatory provisions pertaining to hearings are satisfied;  Identifying the issues raised by and on behalf of the appellant and determining which of these issues has been procedurally developed for appellate review;Analyzing all previously developed evidence and appraising previous adjudicative processes by the originating agency; Determining whether there are other parties with adverse interests who may be joined in a contested appeal;Recommending to the Chairman that subpoenas be issued or revoked;Correlating and resolving conflicting evidence;Fully considering all the evidence of record and issuing decisions which are completely independent and final, signed by the Veterans Law Judge and published to the parties in interest without prior review; Ruling on motions, as provided by the applicable law and regulations; andConducting in person or video conferencing hearings.

SALARY RANGE:$129,065.00
to

$138,878.00

/ Per Year
OPEN PERIOD:Wednesday, June 19, 2013 to
Wednesday, July 03, 2013
SERIES & GRADE:AL-0905-03POSITION INFORMATION:Full Time -
Excepted Service Permanent
DUTY LOCATIONS: Many vacancies in the following location: Washington DC, DC United States

[bartleby]

That's interesting because an 0905 position is an attorney position and not an ALJ position.. Fairly good pay..

[chinook]

VLJs are not ALJs, the pay is about a GS-14 but the exact numbers don't match anything on the OPM pay scales.

[1234]

Does anyone know anything more about these positions, like: how many people they are looking to hire, how much travel is there, how often are these positions posted (meaning how often do you get the chance to apply), how is this position looked upon with respect to qualifications for a federal alj job, etc. etc.?

[1234]

P.S. (Thank you for posting, Gunner.)

[sealaw90]

Based upon many of the members who have posted on this board, including many of you who did not move on to the testing phase, this job may actually be up your alley.  I've copied the questionaire portion from the Application Manager.  For those who have more administrative than litigation/judicial experience, I could really see how you have a better chance for these positions.  Based on posts in this Board, there seem to be attorneys at SSA who work in offices that handle VA disability cases as well as  representatives who split their time between VA and SSA cases who would be better qualified than a federal litigator like me.

Section 1:
1.  Are you a member in good standing of the bar of a State or Territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico?  A Yes   B No

2.  Do you possess a full seven (7) years of experience as a licensed attorney preparing for, participating in, and/or reviewing formal hearings or trials involving administrative law at the Federal, State or local level?


This is the KSA section: Section 2

In addition to your resume, please provide a separate typed narrative statement which briefly describes any experience, accomplishment, training, education and awards which demonstrate your ability to meet each of the mandatory Rating Factors for this position. (Written responses to the Rating Factors should not exceed 6 pages ... Narrative statements should be uploaded under "Qualifications" in the application manager)

1. Knowledge of the laws and regulations pertaining to veterans' benefits, as set forth primarily in title 38 of the United States Code and the Code of Federal Regulations, the precedent decisions of the United States Court of Veterans Appeals and other federal courts, and the precedent decisions of the VA General Counsel.

2. Knowledge of specialized areas of medicine and/or law as they relate to the Board's jurisdiction.

3. Ability to accurately and efficiently analyze, evaluate and resolve independently appeals for veterans benefits.

4. Ability to analyze critically a draft appellate decision, submitted by a staff attorney, to ensure a full and complete review of record, an equitable resolution of the questions at issue, and proper application of statutory and regulatory criteria.

5. Ability to participate effectively in and conduct personal hearings at Central Office in Washington, DC or at field offices.

6. Ability to successfully lead and manage a staff of attorneys who are responsible for submitting tentative decisions/work products to the Decision Team or Appellate Group and meeting with attorneys to review their work and offer suggestions for improvement.

7. Ability to work effectively within the Decision Team or Appellate Group in order to meet the assigned productivity goals.

8. Ability to function as a team, helping advance the overall mission and objectives of the Board and the efficiency of its operations, including consistently professional and cooperative relationship with appellants, their representatives, and other members of the public, as well as with co-workers, supervisors, and others within the VA, conscientiously adhering to established office administrative policies and procedures, and effectively participating in appropriate training or learning activities.


Good luck to those that apply!