U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section
Attorney-Advisor/GS-12 to 15
The Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, is seeking an experienced attorney to serve in the Disability Rights Section in Washington, D.C.
The Disability Rights Section implements the Americans with Disabilities Act which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, transportation, public services, and places of public accommodation. The Section is responsible for developing the regulations that implement the ADA requirements that prohibit discrimination in the operation of state and local governments and places of public accommodation and require new construction and alterations to comply with federal standards for accessible design. The Section is also responsible for investigating alleged violations of the ADA, initiating enforcement litigation, providing extensive technical assistance to covered entities and to the public, certifying State and local accessibility codes that are equivalent to the ADA standards, and providing ADA policy guidance. The Section also coordinates the government-wide implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The attorney-advisor selected for this position will be assigned to the unit in the Disability Rights Section that is responsible for developing and publishing regulations under Titles II and III of the ADA, including accessibility guidelines developed by the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board); responding to requests from state and local governments to certify that submitted accessibility codes are equivalent to the ADA Standards for Accessible Design; providing technical assistance to private sector organizations that develop model accessibility codes and standards and to members of the public; and providing legal or policy guidance and disability rights training to other Federal agencies. This position will not include litigation responsibility.
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar in good standing (any jurisdiction), and have a minimum of one year of post-J.D. legal experience. Applicants should possess knowledge of the laws outlined above, have strong interpersonal, organizational, writing, and oral communication skills. Occasional travel may be required.
Applicants must submit a cover letter (highlighting relevant experience), current resume, a brief civil rights related writing sample (maximum 10 pages), and a current performance appraisal, if applicable. If you are currently employed by the Federal Government, please also submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) by one of the two following means:
∙ Fax – (202) 305-9667
Attention: 09-ATT-011
∙ E-mail – crd.attyvacancies@usdoj.gov
Subject line: 09-ATT-011
[DOJ employees who wish to e-mail their application may select
‘attyvacancies, CRD’ in the e-mail user listing.]
No telephone calls please. This position is open until November 30, 2009. Faxes or e-mails must be received by that date. Current salary and years of specialized experience will determine the appropriate salary level within the GS-12 to 15 range ($73,100 through $153,200 per annum).
The positions are located in Washington, D.C. Relocation expenses are not authorized. Final selection for this position will be subject to budgetary funding constraints.
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 color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, status as a parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism. 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. 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.
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. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys’ Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are 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.
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, http//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 his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.
This and selected other legal position announcements can be found on the Internet at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.html.