Attorney

Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA)
Executive Office for United States Attorneys
Attorney
600 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20530
United States
16-EOUSA-1791989-DE
About the Office: 

This position is located on the Victim-Witness (VW) Staff,  Office of Legal and Victim Programs (OLVP), Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA). VW Staff is functionally responsible for providing policy and support to the United States Attorneys' Office (USAOs) in the area of victim and witness assistance, community programs, and other priority programs within the Department and EOUSA.

The office is ideally situated among three Metro stations, one block from the Verizon Center, a short walk to the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall, and is surrounded by numerous restaurants and shops. In addition, we offer creative work solutions in which we provide compressed work schedules and flexible work schedules, along with transit subsidy.

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.html.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

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.

Job Description: 

If selected for this position you will serve as an Attorney-Advisor and will be responsible for: 

·  Providing support, professional legal advice and guidance, and related services to Assistant United States Attorneys, Victim-Witness Coordinators, and EOUSA on federal laws, regulations, and policies related to victim and witness topics. 

·  Responding to Congressional and Departmental inquires on the status, resources, and effectiveness of the USAOs' victim and witness programs.

·  Serving as liaison to Department components and other government agencies to further the interests of the nationwide USAO Victim-Witness program and initiatives.  Representing EOUSA on committees and working groups to resolve victim, witness issues.   

·  Evaluating the effectiveness of victim, witness-related policies, operations, and practices nationwide.  Recommending appropriate changes to ensure adherence with applicable laws, policies, and court decisions.  

·  Developing and interpreting policies and controls governing the victim and witness assistance programs.  Analyzing and providing EOUSA with comments and recommendations on proposed legislation, regulations, and policy affecting or related to victims' rights, witness assistance matters. Tracking legislation and case law and determining the impact on the USAOs.  

·  Drafting and interpreting policy, guidelines, rules, regulations and other guidance in the area of victims' rights laws, developing pertinent portions of the United States Attorneys' Manual. 

·  Identifying training needs, developing training programs, and delivery of training courses and materials. 

·  Preparing reports, analyses, and memoranda for use by EOUSA and USAO management.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications: 

Required Qualifications:  

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree,

Be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction),

*You must include your bar membership information in the application package to be considered.

To qualify at the GS-14 grade level applicants must have at least 2 1/2 years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

To qualify at the GS-15 grade level applicants must have at least 5 years post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

 Preferred Qualifications: 

Applicants must also possess experience performing legal analysis related to victim witness programs and initiatives; developing and interpreting policies and guidelines governing the victim witness assistance programs. Tracking legislation and case law and determining its impact.

In addition, applicants should have a demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding office; should possess analytical ability to quickly identify and clearly and accurately articulate critical issues in pending litigation; should be able to demonstrate superior oral and writing skills as well as strong legal research skills; should exhibit strong interpersonal skills and good judgment. 

United States citizenship is required.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Salary: 
$108,887-$160,300
Travel: 
1-2 weeks per year
Application Process: 

You must apply though USAJOBS at:.https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/PrintPreview/449394600

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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.

Application Deadline: 
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses will not be paid.
Number of Positions: 
One
Updated September 8, 2016

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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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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.