Lead Trial Attorney (Assistant Deputy Chief, Special Matters Unit)

Criminal Division (CRM)
Fraud Section
Attorney
Washington, DC
United States
22-CRM-FRD-020
About the Office: 

The Fraud Section is composed of three litigating units that investigate and prosecute complex white-collar criminal cases across the country, as well as internationally, and has responsibility for implementing and coordinating the Department’s fraud enforcement policy. An opening is available for an Assistant Deputy Chief of the Special Matters Unit.

The Special Matters Unit is responsible for coordinating a variety of Fraud Section significant matters and initiatives and focuses on matters involving attorney client privilege and other protections.  The Assistant Deputy Chief will be responsible for assisting the Unit Chief and supervising attorneys within the Unit, as well as working with the Fraud Section’s three litigating units—the Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit, the Health Care Fraud Unit, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Unit, to establish uniform practices for handling evidence collection and review that implicate claims of attorney-client or other privileges.  In addition to the team of dedicated attorneys and contractors in the Special Matters Unit, the Assistant Deputy Chief will work with members of the other Fraud Section Units and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices to oversee and, where necessary, litigate filter and privilege-related matters.  

Applicants to this announcement may also be considered for other Attorney positions within the Fraud Section, including positions located in the Health Care Fraud, Market Integrity and Major Fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Litigation, and Corporate Enforcement, Compliance, and Policy Units.

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: 

As Assistant Deputy Chief of the Special Matters Unit, the incumbent:

  • Leads and oversees the work of the Special Matters Unit’s attorneys and support staff.  Advises prosecutors and supervisors throughout the Fraud Section on strategic approaches to identifying and handling issues related to privilege at all stages of criminal investigations and litigation.   Handles and supervises pre-indictment privilege-related litigation, including grand jury litigation, that may be necessary to ensure that such matters are being handled appropriately and effectively. 
  • Ensures ongoing individual and team development, identifies and corrects performance deficiencies, and supervises the work of attorneys in the unit.
  • Assists and supports the Unit Chief and Section management by providing input on budget allocation, hiring, personnel disciplinary actions, technology, and various Department reporting responsibilities as they pertain to the Special Matters Unit.
  • Assists in the management of the Section’s programs to develop policies and procedures related to evidence collection and handling for materials that implicate attorney-client or other privileges, including where appropriate the establishment of filter teams or other evidence review processes.
  • Coordinates with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and federal law enforcement agencies in the development and implementation of privilege and filter teams.  
Qualifications: 

Required Qualifications: All applicants must possess a J.D. 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 have at least five (5) years of post-JD experience to include at least two (2) years of federal prosecution experience.  Applicants must also be an active member of the bar in good standing.

Preferred Qualifications: Your qualifications will be further evaluated based upon the following
competencies:

  • Expertise in the law of legal privilege, including the Attorney-Client Privilege, Work Product Doctrine, Spousal Privilege, and all exceptions to such privileges, including waiver and the crime-fraud exception.  
  • Experience leading attorneys and support staff engaged in the review of potentially privileged materials.  
  • Experience litigating privilege matters in federal court.  
  • Experience as a criminal prosecutor.
  • Knowledge of white collar criminal litigation.
  • Experience in supporting, litigating, and supervising federal or state criminal cases.
  • Experience with the federal judiciary.
Salary: 
The salary range for this position is $148,484 – $176,300 per annum, which includes locality pay. See OPM’s Web page at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2022/general-schedule/
Travel: 
Occasional travel will be required.
Application Process: 

The Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.

Any applicant who has, in the previous 24 months, applied for a position with the Fraud Section must note the date of any such application and position applied for in the applicant's cover letter. Please highlight recent relevant experience gained since the time of any previous application.

Please submit your application through USAJOBS. The list of required documents can be found in the USAJobs announcement.

  1. If you do not already have an account, please create a USAjobs account before applying Create an Account. You will be able to upload your resume and supporting documents and complete your profile prior to applying.
  2. Once you have an account, apply to the USAjobs vacancy: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/635897500. 

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: 
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Relocation Expenses: 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Number of Positions: 
1
Updated February 9, 2022

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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.