Legal Careers
Trial Attorney
Seattle, WA 98101 - United States
Are you interested in a rewarding and challenging career? Join the U.S. Trustee Program!!
The U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) is a litigating component of the Department of Justice and has the legal authority to appear in the majority of the bankruptcy cases filed in the United States, from Chapter 7 liquidations to major Chapter 11 business reorganizations. As a result, USTP employees headquartered in Washington, D.C., and in our 93 field office locations throughout the country handle a wide range of challenging and significant matters as we strive to promote the integrity of the bankruptcy system by enforcing bankruptcy laws. Of particular importance is this Program's effort to address fraud and abuse by debtors, creditors, attorneys, and others in the bankruptcy system by taking formal and informal actions in a civil context and making criminal referrals to and working with the U.S. Attorneys.
We place a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspective and encourage applications from all interested eligible candidates, including candidates from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, women, LGBT individuals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
If you are interested in a challenging and rewarding career and access to a generous benefits package, consider the USTP as your employer of choice!
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.
Incumbent will serve as a Trial Attorney in a field/regional office within the United States Trustee Program (USTP), with the responsibility for assisting in supervising the administration of cases and trustees in cases filed under chapters 7, 11, 12 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. The incumbent will be required to review cases for bankruptcy fraud and abuse (both civil and criminal); oversee business reorganization filings, draft motions, pleadings, and briefs; and will be primarily responsible for the preparation, presentation, and litigation of cases arising under the Bankruptcy Code. The following are duties the incumbent can expect to perform at the full performance level:
· Provides procedural and legal guidance to Trustees serving in Title 7, 11, 12, and 13 cases and periodically attend § 341 meetings of creditors to observe trustee performance. Providing oversight of trustees to ensure adherence to Program policies and procedures, and to identify weaknesses or deficiencies in performance.
· Provides advice and assistance as necessary which may include active participation in the presentation of a case, preparing witnesses, examining and cross-examining witnesses, and consulting with other trial attorney’s with respect to the line of argument.
· Recommends issues for appeal, and prepares appellate pleadings. Considers the effect of the decision as a precedent if allowed to stand, the weight of the evidence, the need for consistent application of the law in all jurisdictions, the amount of money involved, the cost of litigation, and other considerations bearing on the advisability of appeal.
· Reviews pleadings filed by trustees which reflect issues of case administration, including sales, abandonment, employment or fees of professionals, and objections to claims of exemption.
· Implements civil enforcement strategies to combat fraud and abuse in the bankruptcy system and makes referrals to federal government and state agencies regarding criminal violations of bankruptcy laws.
· Devises appropriate legal strategies for seeking remedies under 11 U.S.C. §§ 110, 329, 707(a) and (b), 727, as well as provisions relating to debtor audits, creditor abuse, and other bankruptcy statutes.
Required Qualifications: Applicants must have at least five (5) years post Juris Doctorate (J.D.) professional legal experience interpreting, applying and advocating on behalf of clients the provisions of the United States Bankruptcy Code, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and related laws, rules, and regulations that arise in bankruptcy cases.
Preferred Qualifications: In addition to the required qualifications listed above, it is preferred that applicants have three or more years of experience with Chapter 11 reorganization cases, devising appropriate legal strategies for seeking remedies as well as provisions relating to debtor audits, creditor abuse, and other bankruptcy statutes.
Your resume must have complete information:
Please ensure your resume accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities under each position you have held with each employer. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. It is your responsibility to make sure your resume states complete information for each job entry (beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/YYYY; and total hours worked per week). If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package may be rendered disqualified and you will no longer be considered for this position.
EDUCATION: Candidates must have a Juris Doctorate degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
BAR MEMBERSHIP: Candidates must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico with a valid license to practice law.
Applicants are responsible for citing minimum qualifications such as JD and Bar membership information (institution name, state for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes. Failure to supply details will result in an incomplete application.
All Application Packages must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.
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/GetJob/ViewDetails/397984900.
$105,243.00 to $136,816.00 / Per Year
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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.
Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: 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.
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.