Legal Careers
Trial Attorney
Washington, DC 20004 - United States
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 Trial Attorney. The attorneys 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. More specifically, the attorneys' work primarily will be devoted to investigating, negotiating, and litigating matters relating to this work.
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.
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.
The incumbents will be responsible for duties such as, but not limited to: 1) conducting investigations, litigation, and negotiations; 2) working with managers to develop and establish strategies and priorities for enforcement; 3) working with team members to coordinate with other federal agencies and other components within the Department of Justice to develop strategies for effective and efficient information sharing and case referrals; and 4) conducting outreach. The incumbents will be responsible for screening and developing new matters, conducting comprehensive investigations involving in-person visits, witness interviews, and work with experts, analyzing data, drafting written recommendations including legal analyses, litigating all aspects of the Section's enforcement duties and negotiating, monitoring, and enforcing settlement agreements.
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 the minimum years of post professional law degree experience commensurate to the grade level of eligibility, as shown below. Applicants also must have demonstrated academic achievement; demonstrated substantive knowledge and expertise in the laws, rules and regulations applicable to the work of the section or substantively similar laws, rules, and regulations; demonstrated ability to handle effectively all aspects of difficult cases and materials with minimal supervision, and the ability to delegate responsibility to other staff; demonstrated ability to manage a significant docket, handle several difficult or complex cases and matters at the same time, and meet applicable deadlines; excellent written and oral communication skills; outstanding skill and experience working collaboratively and productively with others; demonstrated initiative; and the ability to excel in a fast-paced, demanding environment.
At least 1.5 years-GS-13 ($90,823 to $118,069 per annum)
At least 2.5 years-GS-14 ($107,325 to $139,523 per annum)
At least 4 years-GS-15 ($126,245.00 - $158,700 per annum)
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: (1) civil or criminal trial experience; (2) federal civil or criminal litigation experience; (3) experience with complex investigations; (4) skill and experience identifying, developing, and implementing outreach efforts or public presentations; (5) knowledge of police practices and experience enforcing laws related to police conduct; (6) demonstrated sound professional judgment, including the ability to develop and implement effective advocacy strategies and balance competing priorities; and (7) Spanish-language "Speaking 2+" (Limited Working Proficiency, Plus) for speaking and listening, as defined in Interagency Language Roundtable skill level descriptions, www.govtilr.org/). Applicants given a preference for language proficiency must undergo testing to verify their level of proficiency. 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.
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/407509600.
GS-0905-13/15 Promotion Potential: 15 $90,823.00 to $158,700.00 / 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.
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.