Legal Careers
Assistant Director-Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation
Washington, DC - United States
The Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch seeks Assistant Directors to oversee high-impact affirmative litigation that ensures nationwide compliance with federal law. The Branch offers a frontline role in the Department's major civil enforcement initiatives. Well-qualified candidates may be eligible for a signing bonus of up to $25,000. All recipients of a signing bonus are required to fulfill a service obligation
The Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch safeguards Americans' health, safety, economic security, and data privacy through proactive enforcement and high-impact affirmative litigation. The Branch's mission is to bring affirmative litigation to enforce federal laws and regulations, enjoin actions that conflict with or violate federal law, obtain declaratory judgments regarding the laws of the United States, and seek monetary penalties where appropriate.
The Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch is seeking Assistant Directors to supervise a broad range of affirmative civil litigation. The Branch is structured into two sections: an Enforcement Section that pursues cases under key consumer protection and public-safety statutes, and an Affirmative Litigation Section that files lawsuits against state, local, or private actors to ensure nationwide compliance with federal law.
The incumbent serves as a Supervisory Trial Attorney, with an organizational title of Assistant Director. The incumbent reports to the Deputy Director, supervises Senior Litigation Counsels, Trial Attorneys, and Paralegal Specialists, and serves as lead attorney on more complex or difficult cases. If selected you may, at the discretion of the Director or designee, be assigned work in both the Affirmative and Enforcement Sections, or other areas of the Branch, that involves supervising the work of attorneys in those areas.
The incumbent supervises and serves as rating official to attorneys, as well as support staff and detailed employees. Additionally, the incumbent may oversee and review the work of contract employees. The duties of the incumbent include: supervising and planning the work to be accomplished by subordinates; assigning work based on priorities; assigning work based on priorities and on consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments and the capabilities of employees; developing performance standards; evaluating work performance and serving as rating and reviewing official on performance appraisals, as appropriate; giving advice, counsel, or instruction to employees on both work and administrative matters; interviewing candidates for positions; recommending appointments, awards, promotion, and reassignment to such positions; hearing and resolving complaints from employees; referring group grievances and more serious unresolved complaints to a higher-level manager; effecting minor disciplinary measures, such as warnings and reprimands, and recommending other action in more serious cases; identifying developmental and training needs of employees and providing or arranging for needed development and training; and determining how to improve production or increase the quality of the work performed.
The incumbent also handles the oversight, planning, and preparation of litigation; ascertains, reviews, and analyzes the facts pertaining to the cases; develops the necessary strategies to most effectively represent the U.S. Government, including meeting and corresponding with the various federal agencies that may be involved in the cases, and expert witnesses or authorities and other knowledgeable parties in order to obtain information or materials; reviews drafts and final versions of pleadings, motions, interrogatories, findings of fact, memoranda, and other legal documents and court filings; coordinates with other Division elements and Department components, as necessary.
Finally, the incumbent works closely with and advises the Section Deputy Director, the Branch Director, and the Deputy Assistant Attorney General in planning strategy or tactics to be employed in the preparation and presentation of the cases. The incumbent recommends approaches, courses of action, and possible negotiating points; assists attorneys litigating cases by recommending sound legal strategies and supplying relevant precedent or past practices and closely guiding the positions taken in litigation; reviews legal pleadings and memoranda and makes suggestions regarding changes and procedures to be followed; prepares, as required, all types of pleadings and assists as the need arises; responds to inquiries from the White House, Congress, federal departments and agencies, foreign authorities, and private individuals on matters within the scope of assigned statutory responsibilities; makes recommendations with respect to proposed changes in legislation relating to provisions of law; and provides advice concerning legal and policy questions related to statutes or practice areas administered by the Office.
This is not a remote location position. You will be required to work in person five days a week.
Interested applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent, degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing.
- To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must possess at least four (4) years of post-J.D. legal experience. Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Preferred qualifications: Applicants must have excellent academic credentials and outstanding advocacy and legal writing skills. Experience supervising teams and leading investigations and litigation, drafting and revising dispositive motions, and overseeing discovery are highly desirable. Successful applicants will be highly motived, exhibit sound judgment and creativity, and have several years of active litigation and supervisory experience. Judicial clerkship experience and familiarity with constitutional challenges and the enforcement of federal laws is strongly preferred.
Trial Period Statement
As a condition of employment for accepting this position in accordance with section 11.5 of Executive Order 14284, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applicants will be on or about May 20, 2026. A final certificate will be issued after the announcement closes. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to ensure full consideration. Applications will be evaluated by a reviewing panel.
Please Note: The Selecting Official may select additional candidates if more positions become available within 120 days after the closing date of the vacancy.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/01/2026 to receive consideration. Click link: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/868844000
1. Click "Apply Online" to get started.
2. If you're not logged in to your USAJOBS account, you will need to login. If you don't have an account, please create one.
3. You will be prompted to select one of your stored (or uploaded) resumes, and any supporting documents you have uploaded to USAJOBS. If you have not uploaded these documents, you can do so later before submitting your application.
4. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, you will be asked to submit your demographic information (if you have provided this in your profile). Submission is optional and anonymous.
5. You'll be asked to confirm your choices and certify the accuracy of your information before you're able to continue to the Application Manager system. Until you see the blue border and DOJ logo, you are still on USAJOBS. You'll see a folder animation just before you leave USAJOBS.
6. Once you reach DOJ's Application Manager system, you'll be asked to verify the information you transmitted from USAJOBS. You will then respond to the application assessment questionnaires and indicate your eligibility options.
7. After responding to the questionnaires, you will have the opportunity to attach the documents you brought over from USAJOBS *OR* upload documents directly from your computer or device.
8. If you opt to upload a document directly, click the "Upload" button and select the document on your device, then wait for the upload to finish. Repeat as needed. Documents must be less than 3 MB each and should be in a compatible file format.
9. Once all your documents are uploaded, you must assign the uploads to the appropriate document category. You may attach more than one document to each category. Click the drop-down menu for a document category, and select one of the available options in the menu. The document will be listed under this category. You can click the drop-down again to add other documents, as needed. You can have up to 15 document assignments.
10. Once you've uploaded and assigned all your documents to an appropriate document type, you can proceed to the final verification step, and click Submit.
11. If you have correctly submitted your application, you will receive an automated e-mail notification within 30-60 minutes. Be sure to review the announcement fully to make sure that your application contains everything that is required.
Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
$169,279.00 to $197,200.00 Per Year; Unless you have prior federal experience, you will likely be appointed at step 1 of the applicable pay scale.
Department Policies
The Department remains steadfast in its commitment to equal employment opportunity (EEO) and treating employees with fairness, dignity and compassion. We must ensure that no applicant for employment or employee of our Department is denied equal opportunity because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex – including pregnancy – or because of age, physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor and that all have the freedom to compete on a fair and level playing field. To learn more, please view the Department’s full Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.
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.
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.
Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement.
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://help.usajobs.gov/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.
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).
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.
This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. 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.