Legal Careers
Supervisory Trial Attorney - Assistant Director
The Consumer Protection Branch is seeking an Assistant Director to lead investigations and the litigation of cases in district courts throughout the country. The Branch pursues both criminal and civil enforcement actions in matters of national importance related to consumer fraud schemes; food, drug, and product safety; prescription drug diversion; and data privacy.
The Consumer Protection Branch (CPB) enforces federal consumer protection laws throughout the United States. CPB brings both criminal prosecutions and civil enforcement actions in matters of national importance related to complex consumer fraud schemes, prescription drug diversion, adulterated and misbranded products, deceptive trade practices, and data privacy. The Branch also defends against suits in district court challenging consumer protection agencies' regulatory actions. The Branch's litigation regularly involves issues that attract congressional and media interest. CPB works closely with U.S. Attorneys' Offices, the Criminal and Antitrust Divisions, and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, Postal Inspection Service, and Defense Criminal Investigative Service. CPB also works extensively with the Food and Drug Administration, Federal Trade Commission, and Consumer Product Safety Commission.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
The Consumer Protection Branch is seeking an Assistant Director to lead a broad range of criminal litigation focusing specifically on violations of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The Assistant Director will supervise trial attorneys and staff in all phases of criminal discovery and litigation, including use of the grand jury, the preparation of appropriate pleadings, and the handling of motions and trials before U.S. District Courts. He or she also will work closely with U.S. Attorneys' Offices and federal law enforcement partners, including the FDA, FBI,DEA, Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations . Each Assistant Director will have responsibility as well for coordinating multi-component and international matters and initiatives, and he or she will represent the United States in direct negotiations with opposing counsel. In addition to supervising matters, the Assistant Director will be expected to personally handle the Branch's most complicated and important matters. The Assistant Director also may supervise the defense of criminal convictions and sentences on appeal.
Areas of enforcement emphasis for the Branch include: adulterated and misbranded food, drugs, tobacco, and medical devices; the prescription opioid crisis; fraud schemes affecting older Americans and U.S. service members; and deceptive trade practices and data privacy.
This is a supervisory position. As a member of the Branch’s management team, the Assistant Director will help guide select Branch initiatives and develop policies. He or she further will be expected to review and opine on regulatory and legislative proposals related to public health and safety, and to advise U.S. Attorneys’ Offices on considered prosecutions under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other federal laws. The Assistant Director will be responsible for managing administrative and personnel responsibilities, leading trainings, serving on committees, and engaging with Department leadership. The Assistant Director will delegate assignments to staff, plan and assign work to subordinates, evaluate work performance, and participate in the selection and training of staff members.
This is not a remote location position.
Additional selections may be made within 90 days from this announcement if openings occur in the hiring office.
Applicants must be a graduate from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree; be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction); have at least four years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-15 level. You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.
Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in appellate work, excellent writing and analytical skills, and an exceptional academic background. Federal judicial clerkship experience is highly desirable.
To apply for this position, you must submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample (not more than 10 pages in length). If you are claiming veterans preference, you must also submit your DD-214 (Member 4 Copy), and/or other documentation that you may have.
Applicants must submit their materials by email to: Consumer.Protection@usdoj.gov.
On the subject line, please put CPB - Assistant Director Application.
The suggested submission format is to email a single .pdf file of the following required documents, in order:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Writing sample (not more than 10 pages in length)
- Veterans' preference DD-214 (Member 4 Copy)/other documentation
Emailed applications with multiple files attached will also be accepted.
Application materials must be received no later than 11:59 pm EST May 8th.
No telephone calls, please.
Salary is at the GS-15 level, from $163,964 to $191.900 per year.
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Department Policies
Equal Employment Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.
Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
Suitability and Citizenship: It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.
Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
USAO Residency Requirement: Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
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