Legal Careers
Trial Attorney - Camp Lejeune
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) Office defends litigation brought under the "Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022" (CLJA), Pub. L. No. 117-168, § 804, 136 Stat. 1802, 1802-04 (2022). This statute aims to provide "appropriate relief" to service members and others who were injured as a result of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
This position is Trial Attorney, located in the Camp Lejeune Unit, Environmental Torts Litigation Section, Torts Branch, Civil Division, Department of Justice.
Environmental Torts Litigation (ETL) handles the defense of complex, high-stakes, high-visibility environmental and toxic tort cases brought against the United States, including multi-billion-dollar sensitive cases of substantial public and Congressional interest. Cases defended by ETL commonly involve hundreds, if not thousands, of individual plaintiffs, expansive facts, expert discovery, and novel issues of law. The facts at issue in toxic tort cases can span decades. The duration of the cases, from inception to resolution, is often measured in years. Continuity of counsel competent to deal with the medical, scientific, and legal issues, is required to manage such massive and complex cases.
Trial Attorney responsibility primarily involves defending the United States in complex, high stakes civil litigation in federal courts nationwide. Its attorneys directly handle all aspects of wrongful death, personal injury, and property damage cases that often involve hundreds, even thousands, of plaintiffs. The cases typically stem from alleged exposure to environmental contaminants, such as biological agents, chemicals, and other substances; defending fact and expert depositions; working with expert witnesses; draft and argue motions; assist with trials and work on settlement matters; preparing for and conducting hearings, settlement negotiations, and trials of complex cases; preparing memorandums such as pleadings, motions, briefs, and other documents on the basis of factual and legal research; participating in pretrial and pre-hearing conferences; conducting trials or presents oral arguments in federal courts, state courts, and administrative proceedings, as appropriate.
Camp Lejeune Unit Litigation involves responding to inquiries from the White House, Congress, federal departments and agencies, state and local authorities, and private individuals on matters within the scope of assigned statutory responsibilities. Making recommendations with respect to proposed changes in legislation relating to provisions of law. Provides advice concerning legal and policy questions related to statutes administered by the office.
This is not a remote location position. You will be required to work in person five days a week.
Minimum experience: Applicants must have a J.D. degree (or equivalent), be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) and have at least one-year post-JD. (or equivalent) legal/trial or other relevant experience commiserate with the grade you are applying to. You must be a US Citizen
Possessing the minimum post law degree legal experience does not guarantee the applicant will be selected at that grade level.
- GS-13 - minimum 1.5 years post-JD legal experience
- GS-14 - minimum 2.5 years post-JD legal experience
- GS-15 - minimum 4 years post-JD legal experience
Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Examples of the experience described above include: independently performing legal analysis; composing pleadings, briefs and other court documents involving unique and/or difficult legal issues in civil or criminal litigation; conducting highly complex civil or criminal litigation; and leading paralegals and support staff.
Preferred qualifications: Applicants should have excellent writing, negotiation, and interpersonal skills; exhibit good judgment, and have experience in trial work. Judicial clerkship experience is desirable.
Trial Period Statement
As a condition of employment for accepting this position in accordance with section 11.5 of Executive Order 14284, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
· your performance and conduct;
· the needs and interests of the agency;
· whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
· whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/03/2025 to receive consideration. To apply, please click this link:
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 conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
120,579.00 - 195,200.00
Department Policies
The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. To learn more, please visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.