National Courts is one of the largest sections in the Civil Division, which has been ranked one of the best places to work in the Federal government. We employ approximately 130 attorneys and 40 support staff. Most of these employees work in Washington, D.C. We have an office in New York that handles certain matters before the Court of International Trade.

National Courts is led by a director, two deputy directors, and a number of assistant directors, with certain of our most experienced attorneys serving as Senior Trial Counsel. We have organized our office to handle both large-scale team litigations and smaller matters best handled by individual attorneys. We assign some attorneys to work on particularly intensive team litigations on a full-time basis; other attorneys work part-time on teams, part-time on their own matters. We also assign some attorneys to teams with expertise in a particular practice area, such as appellate litigation, bid protest litigation, or international trade, though these attorneys also handle matters outside of their specialities. Many attorneys in the section are generalists, handling a variety of their own cases in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the United States Court of Federal Claims, and the United States Court of International Trade.

Our support staff consists of paralegals, legal assistants, and secretaries, all of whom are organized into teams led by assistant directors and paralegal supervisors. Our support staff assists attorneys in all aspects of litigation, from legal research and document review and organization, to court filings. Our support staff also attend court with attorneys and staff members quickly gain substantial litigation support experience.

Why work for National Courts?

National Courts provides exceptional opportunities for attorneys and support staff interested in litigation. Attorneys who work for National Courts are given tremendous responsibility the moment they walk in the door, typically handling their own cases or playing integral roles on litigation teams. This means attorneys can expect meaningful involvement in all stages of litigation, including the pleadings stage, discovery, motions practice, trial, and appeal. National Courts attorneys usually handle their own appeals and appeals from administrative tribunals. This exposure to both trial and appellate work is an important part of our practice. National Courts is a part of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, which is consistently recognized as one of the best places to work in the federal government.

Attorneys who work in National Courts are also exposed to a wide variety of substantive areas of the law, despite the specialized appearance of our practice. Many National Courts attorneys simultaneously handle a variety of matters in all three of the National Courts, from contract disputes, takings claims, and procurement disputes in the United States Court of Federal Claims, to antidumping and Trade Adjustment Assistance cases in the United States Court of International Trade, to veterans benefits and personnel matters in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. These differing areas of the law constantly challenge attorneys in the Section with novel and complex legal problems, both substantive and procedural. Those attorneys assigned solely to team cases receive intensive exposure to highly complex litigation, quickly becoming seasoned experts in both discovery and trial practice. Given the similarities between the rules of our courts and those of other federal courts, the skills our attorneys learn are readily transferable to litigation in other fora.

Attorneys in National Courts daily confront fast-paced litigation that demands efficiency. We face constant competing deadlines that require us to work quickly without sacrificing the quality of our work product. Nevertheless, National Courts is also a collegial place to practice law. Attorneys here do not compete with one another for business or work; we work together to represent the interests of the United States in the best way possible. Colleagues talk, debate, and grapple with the law together. Younger attorneys also benefit from our well-developed and comprehensive mentoring and training programs. Attorneys may attend training at the National Advocacy Center, the Justice Department’s national training center in Columbia, South Carolina. In addition, time is made available for participation in frequent in-house and other Washington, D.C., based training.

Like attorneys, support personnel who work for National Courts get immediate and intensive exposure to litigation. Support staff, including paralegals, legal assistants, secretaries, and students, assist in all aspects of our practice. Consistent with his or her level of experience, members of our support staff perform legal research, assist in discovery, trial, and appellate work, and provide administrative assistance.

Detailed information concerning salary and benefits offered by the Department of Justice can be found here.

Opportunities to work for National Courts

National Courts routinely hires attorneys and support staff. Vacancy announcements for attorney positions are posted on the Department’s Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management site. We hire support staff through various mechanisms.

Experienced attorneys

National Courts typically hires a number of experienced attorneys each year. We hire attorneys with a range of experience levels and backgrounds, including law firm associates and partners, experienced litigators from other components of the Department of Justice, attorneys with experience in other Federal agencies, and attorneys from the corporate world. Our successful applicants have very strong academic or work records -- frequently including federal appellate or district court clerkships -- and a demonstrated ability to handle demanding complex litigation. Our attorneys are committed to public service. Successful applicants are looking for an opportunity to gain experience litigating challenging cases, and they have the skills to manage a busy caseload. Our compensation for experienced attorneys is consistent with OARM policies. We hire at the GS-12 to GS-15 level, commensurate with years of practice and general experience level. Vacancies are posted on the OARM website.

Attorney General’s Honors Program attorneys

National Courts typically hires one or two attorneys each year through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. Our Honors Program attorneys often, but not always, come from Federal district or appellate court clerkships. Like our experienced attorney hires, our Honors Program attorneys tend to handle cases of increasing complexity as they gain more experience, but they are given immediate responsibility for their own caseload. They are also afforded substantial opportunities for formal in-house and DOJ-sponsored training. Our Honors Program attorneys are compensated in manner consistent with OARM policies.

Summer Law Intern Program

National Courts shares law students selected by the Department to participate in the Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP) with the other components of the Commercial Litigation Branch. These interns assist Section attorneys by performing legal research, drafting legal memoranda and pleadings, and aiding with discovery, trial, and appeal work. This work often involves complex and challenging legal problems related to our various practice areas. SLIP participants gain hands-on exposure to the work of our Section and provide us vital assistance.

Law intern program

National Courts hires, on a volunteer basis, approximately 10 law students during the school year and summer through the Department’s Volunteer Intern Program. Like SLIP participants, these interns perform legal research, draft legal memoranda and pleadings, and assist with discovery, trial, and appeal work. Although these positions are uncompensated, our volunteer interns often receive law school credit for their work.

Support staff

National Courts hires paralegals and legal assistants on an as-needed basis. Strong oral and written communication skills, organizational ability, and computer literacy are required. The applicant should have the ability to multi-task, respond to last minute requests, and demonstrate strong attention to detail. Previous legal experience is preferred, but sometimes not required.

College student interns

Our college student interns assist our attorneys and support staff with a variety of case-related administrative tasks. We make an effort to involve our students in the daily work of our attorneys, providing valuable exposure to the workings of a busy law practice.