Legal Careers
Trial Attorney - Federal Programs Branch
Covering twelve diverse litigation areas, the Federal Programs Branch defends the United States, the Executive Office of the President, and federal agencies in cases challenging the legality of government policies and actions brought in federal district courts. The Branch's work touches on almost all areas of the federal government, including national security, foreign affairs, and high-profile domestic policy initiatives.
Trial attorneys in the Federal Programs Branch are generalists who participate in significant, often high-profile litigation across a broad range of practice areas. Trial Attorneys are expected to handle all phases of district court litigation, including taking and defending depositions, managing written discovery, conducting legal research and analysis, writing briefs and other documents, attending court conferences, arguing motions, and conducting trials. As part of their work, Trial Attorneys communicate regularly with client agencies, Department of Justice leadership, opposing counsel, and others. Trial Attorneys work on both individual and team cases in support of the Branch's and Department's mission of defending the interests of the United States.
This is not a remote location position. You will be required to work in person five days a week.
For more information about the work of the Federal Programs Branch, please see the following:
https://www.justice.gov/civil/federal-programs-branch
Applicants must have a J.D. degree (or equivalent), be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) and have at least 1 year of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-12 level; have at least 1.5 years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-13 level; have at least 2.5 years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-14 level; and 4 years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-15 level. Applicants should also have excellent academic credentials and outstanding advocacy and legal writing skills. Experience drafting and arguing motions, handling discovery, taking, and defending depositions, developing expert witness testimony, and trying cases are highly desirable. You must also be a U.S. citizen.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation through USA Jobs:
You must submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample (not more than 15 pages in length, and written in the past 3 years). If you are claiming veterans preference, you must also submit your DD-214, and/or other documentation that you may have. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Application materials must be received no later than 11:59 pm EST February 28, 2025.
No telephone calls, please.
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.
Salary is from the GS-12 level of $101,401 to the GS-15 level of $195,200 per year.
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. 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.
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.