Duties

Summary

Our office places a high value on diversity of experiences and perspectives and encourages applications from all qualified men and women from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBT individuals, and persons with disabilities.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

As a Trial Attorney (Chapter 11), GS-0905-14/15, duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Serving as a member of a cohesive and collegial team of experienced chapter 11 bankruptcy attorneys based in OGC reporting to the Associate General Counsel.
• Developing litigation strategies, conducting legal research, and drafting and reviewing pleadings, memoranda, briefs, and other legal documents for a broad spectrum of chapter 11 litigation.
• Providing legal advice and litigation support for field office trial attorneys involved in challenging or novel chapter 11 issues arising in a variety of chapter 11 cases-from small individual chapter 11s to the largest, most complex business reorganizations-often on a short deadline.
• Providing legal advice and counsel on a broad range of chapter 11 issues to senior management.
• Developing and implementing chapter 11 policies on matters of USTP significance, as assigned.
• Preparing and presenting training sessions, both live and distance, for USTP personnel on a variety of chapter 11 issues.
• Assisting and advising a team of dedicated appellate lawyers on the defense and prosecution of appeals relevant to chapter 11 issues.
• Assisting in the drafting, review, and preparation of public presentations and articles.
• Cooperating with and supporting other departments in EOUST on special projects, as assigned, related to the chapter 11 practice, including media, congressional, and public inquiries and information requests.
• Identifying emerging issues and developing trends in chapter 11 practice and recommending USTP responses, as appropriate.
• Participating in working groups and other collaborative efforts relevant to chapter 11 practice.
• Consulting and advising on cases under other chapters of the Bankruptcy Code, where issues may affect or intersect with chapter 11.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
15

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

See Qualifications below.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications : Applicants must have excellent academic and professional credentials; superior oral and written communication skills; outstanding legal research, analytical, and legal reasoning skills; thoughtful judgment; and the ability to function with minimal guidance in a demanding legal environment. Further, an applicant must have a J.D. degree from an accredited law school; be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) in good standing; and have at least four (4) years post-J.D. professional legal experience interpreting, applying, and advocating under chapter 11 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, the ideal candidate will have:

• A demonstrated record of analyzing complex legal problems, interpreting statutes, rules, and regulations, and developing litigation strategies;
• The ability to be a forceful advocate for transparency and accountability in the bankruptcy process and to act as a watchdog for the public's interest in the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system;
• Outstanding organizational skills and the ability to address a broad array of issues arising in a large volume of cases;
• The ability to articulate accurately and precisely the critical issues in a wide variety of cases and projects;
• The ability to set, manage, and balance diverse, evolving, and challenging projects and priorities;
• Demonstrated initiative and creativity;
• Strong communication skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work in a professional manner with staff and managers at every level in high-pressure, time-sensitive situations;
• Strong information technology skills, including using data bases and IT systems to manage and track work; and,
• A commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards.

Please Note: Your years and type of experience will determine at which grade-level to set your starting salary.

Education

See the "Qualifications" section of this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 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 color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, pregnancy, status as a parent, or any other nonmerit-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 .

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 his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Continuation from above,
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).

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

See the "How To Apply" section of this vacancy announcement.