Reply to Board of Veterans Appeals (Attorney Advisor)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]You’re correct, BVA experience is generally not marketable. Most employers in the private and federal sectors don’t care about veterans law. But, BVA experience is very helpful for attorneys who want to become a law clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). Most of the law clerks there at CAVC have BVA experience.

I know a lot of GS-12 SSA attorneys who are former BVA attorney. SSA loves to hire BVA attorneys because the work is so similar. In fact, the current Executive Director of SSA’s Appeals Council was a supervisor at BVA. SSA hired her to increase the productivity of decision writer attorneys/paralegal specialists. SSA is a good transfer option for BVA attorneys because with BVA experience, you wont have to start off as a GS-9 attorney; SSA will let you transfer as a GS11 or even give you the maximum grade of GS-12.[/quote]

But what is the career path at SSA?  If you like writing decisions and don't want to move up to a high GS-level, it could be fine.  [/quote]

Most decision writing attorneys at SSA retire as a GS-12. Promotions above GS-12 are possible, but the competition for GS-13 positions is intense and years can pass before a GS-13 vacancy opens up. It’s much easier for a decision writer paralegal to be promoted to GS-13 and GS-14 positions because the union advocates for promotional opportunities for paralegals to address systemic racism at SSA (the attorney decision writers are mostly white while the paralegal decision writers are mostly  minorities). At most SSA offices, a GS-14 paralegal supervises the attorney staff and reviews their work.[/quote]

This is specific to the decision-writing position. In the DC area, SSA employees are more likely to be working at the Appeals Council level. There is an application process to apply from a GS-12 to a GS-13, but nearly everyone halfway decent gets to a 13 within 2-3 years. Paralegals are not supervising attorneys at the Appeals Council level and in fact, it is more common for attorneys to move into supervisory positions as the agency has not hired non-attorneys since about 2009.

I agree the decision writer position is sort of a dead end, but if you’re in the DC area, there is a somewhat competitive opportunity to move to a GS-14 in addition to a lot of detail opportunities outside of just disability program work. [/quote]

I recently left SSA and a paralegal was my boss. My division director was also a paralegal.[/quote]

Where did you go after leaving SSA?[/quote]

Like a lot of SSA attorney decision writers, I left SSA to join BVA with the hope of reaching GS-14. However, I know realize that my greed blinded me to the realities of the terrible work environment at BVA. I knew how terrible BVA was before I joined BVA. Yet, I still made the transfer. Unfortunately, I left a job that was manageable and stable for a job that is not viable in the long term. I’m able to meet production now by working 50-65 hours a week (unpaid overtime). But, I wonder whether I will be able to work these hours as a I grow older and have more family responsibilities (whether caring for children or elderly parents)..

Having seen BVA management fire career GS-14s with decades of service for failing to meet production (one had cancer, the other has to take care of a sick relative), I fear for my future, as I know management won’t hesitate to fire, even after decades of loyal service, if my production falls short.[/quote]

It’s hard to know how truly, truly, inhumane it is without working here. It’s an awful place. I wish this thread was around when I was researching the job, I would not have even bothered with the interview. [/quote]

Don't despair, while your BVA experience isn't marketable for other attorney jobs, I don't think it will hinder your job search so long as you're will to accept entry GS-11 attorney positions. [/quote]

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