Deputy Chief (Supervisory Trial Attorney)

Civil Rights Division (CRT)
Special Litigation Section
Attorney
601 D Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004
United States
15-ATT-016
About the Office: 

The Civil Rights Division (Division) of the Department of Justice, created by the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The Division is primarily responsible for enforcing federal statutes and executive orders that prohibit, among other things, unlawful discrimination in education, employment, housing, police service, public accommodations and facilities, voting, and federally funded and conducted programs. The Division also has jurisdiction to enforce constitutional prohibitions on certain conduct by law enforcement agencies and public residential institutions, such as health care and correctional facilities.

The Special Litigation Section (SPL or Section) is one of several Sections in the Civil Rights Division. SPL is seeking one or more experienced attorneys for the position of Deputy Chief. The attorney selected for this position will be dedicated to the Section's work under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 addressing systemic violations of the Constitution and other federal law by police and other law enforcement agencies.

Division offices are near metro transportation systems or other public transportation, and are conveniently accessible to restaurants, museums and other D.C. area attractions. Most jobs in the Division offer alternative work schedules and other family friendly opportunities are available. Most employees who commute by public transportation are provided transit subsidy benefits.

Additional positions may be filled from this vacancy announcement.

Job Description: 

The Attorney selected for this position will be responsible for duties such as, but not limited to: (1) working with the Section Chief and management team to develop and establish strategies and priorities for SPL's work addressing the conduct of law enforcement agencies; (2) leading the practice group, including attorneys and staff, charged with implementing the strategies to address the conduct of law enforcement agencies; (3) working collaboratively with other DOJ components and federal agencies on matters relating to the conduct of law enforcement agencies; (4) supervising sensitive and/or complex investigations, litigation, and negotiations relating to SPL's work addressing the conduct of law enforcement agencies; (5) reviewing, editing, and approving extensive written work product; (6) supervising and mentoring attorneys and other Section staff addressing the conduct of law enforcement agencies; (7) working with the Section Chief and management team to develop and establish strategies and priorities for SPL's work addressing the conduct of law enforcement agencies; (8) coordinating with other federal agencies to develop strategies for effective and efficient information sharing; (9) supervising and conducting outreach activities; and (10) undertaking various administrative duties, including evaluating attorneys and staff and performing non-litigating assignments and special projects assigned by the Chief or other officials in the Division. The incumbent will be responsible for supervising: implementation of practice area priorities; screening and development of new matters; comprehensive investigations involving in-person visits, witness interviews, experts, data analysis, and preparation of written recommendations and legal analyses; litigation involving all aspects of the Section's work addressing the conduct of law enforcement agencies; the negotiation, monitoring, and enforcement of settlement agreements; and attorney and staff development. Litigation associated with the Section's investigations is typically complex, involving extensive discovery, pretrial motions practice, preliminary injunction hearings, trials, and post judgment enforcement and contempt proceedings.

Qualifications: 

Required Qualifications:

Applicants must possess a J.D. from an American Bar Association accredited law school, be an active member of the bar in good standing (any jurisdiction), and possess a minimum of four (4) years of post-professional law degree experience. Applicants also must have strong demonstrated qualifications in the following areas: academic achievement; substantive knowledge and expertise in the laws, rules and regulations applicable to the work of the section relating to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 or substantively similar laws, rules, and regulations; ability to effectively supervise all aspects of difficult cases and materials, and the ability to delegate responsibility to staff; ability to manage a significant docket, handle several difficult or complex cases and matters at the same time, and ensure that applicable deadlines are met; editing, writing and oral advocacy skills; community outreach skills; outstanding skill and experience leading and working collaboratively and productively with others; mentoring skills; negotiation skills; professional judgment; initiative; and the ability to excel in a fast-paced, demanding environment. In addition, applicants must have outstanding professional references.

Preferred Qualifications:

Given the nature and volume of this work, the Section generally seeks candidates with significant litigation experience. Applicants with one or more of the following qualifications are preferred but not required: (1) civil or criminal trial experience; (2) extensive federal civil or criminal litigation experience; (3) experience with complex investigations; (4) extensive knowledge of police practices and experience enforcing laws related to police conduct; (5) extensive negotiation skills; (6) extensive skill and experience identifying, developing, and implementing outreach efforts or public presentations; (7) ability to develop and implement effective advocacy strategies and balance competing priorities; and (8) extensive experience leading and developing high performing teams to achieve strategic objectives. Judicial clerkships (especially in federal court), law review, moot court, clinical experience, and skill and experience working cooperatively and productively with a range of people, including individuals from disadvantaged or disenfranchised groups, opposing counsel, judicial or administrative officials, advocacy groups, law enforcement personnel, and the staff of other federal or state governmental agencies, are also preferred.

Salary: 
GS-0905-15 $126,245.00 to $158,700.00 / Per Year
Travel: 
Occasional travel may be required on average 4-8 nights each month including, occasionally, holidays and weekends. Extensive travel may be required during certain phases of a case, on-site investigations, settlement negotiations, and trial.
Application Process: 

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time Zone) on Tuesday, July 28, 2015.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

1. Cover Letter

2. Résumé

3. A complete Occupational Questionnaire

4. Writing sample of no more than ten pages (a brief or comparable analytic legal exposition that is your work product)

5. Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable

6. Sch A documentation, if applicable

To apply for this position, see page at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/407996100.

Application Deadline: 
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation Expenses are not authorized.
Number of Positions: 
1 Full-Time Position
Updated April 7, 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 color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, on the basis of personal favoritism, or any other non-merit 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.

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 targeted/severe disabilities are encouraged to register for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Shared List of People with Disabilities (the Bender Disability Employment Registry) by submitting their resume to resume@benderconsult.com and referencing "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line.  Additional information about the Bender Registry is available at www.benderconsult.com.  Individuals with disabilities may also contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC).  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 who have lived outside the United States for two or more of the past five years will likely have difficulty being approved for appointments by the Department Security Staff. The two-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.

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 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).

 

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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.