Trial Attorney
- Employer
- USAJobs
- Location
- Washington, D.C
- Closing date
- Jan 19, 2021
View more
- Industry
- Government and Public Services, Federal
- Function
- Lawyer and Attorney
- Hours
- Full Time
- Career Level
- Experienced (Non-Manager)
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Duties
Summary
The Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking an experienced litigator for its Appellate Section for full-time positions in Washington, DC.
Learn more about this agency
Responsibilities
The Appellate Section's work involves cases arising under the more than 200 statutes for which the Division has litigation responsibility. Subjects covered include water and solid waste regulation; hazardous substance clean-ups; public land use and forest management; fish and wildlife conservation; water rights; Indian sovereignty, treaty rights, and gaming; land condemnation; Fifth Amendment takings; onshore and offshore mineral development; and criminal prosecutions involving environmental, wildlife, animal welfare, and worker safety statutes. Many of the section's cases involve complex questions of administrative and constitutional law.
Section attorneys:
The Section also works closely with Justice Department's Office of the Solicitor General, making recommendations whether to appeal adverse district court decisions or to seek Supreme Court review of adverse appellate decisions. Section attorneys write draft briefs for the Solicitor General in Division cases before the Supreme Court.
For more information about the Appellate Section, visit: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/appellate-section
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Supervisory status
No
Promotion Potential
15
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Qualifications
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and be a U.S. citizen or national. Applicants with Court of Appeals experience or with a background in environmental or natural resources law will be preferred.
Specific grade level requirements:
Years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level. The possible salary range is:
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
Education
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
Veterans Preference: If you are entitled to or claim veteran preference (VP), you should indicate the type of veteran preference (5 or 10 points) you are claiming on your resume. In order To determine your eligibility, you can find additional information at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide/ . To verify your veteran preference entitlement, submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214; official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
Schedule A: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and 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. DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: www.benderconsult.com.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov .
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. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys' Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are 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.
Please Note : Additional candidates may be selected if more positions become available in the Division within 90 days after the announcement closes.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience you report relative to this position. Paid and unpaid experience will be considered.
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 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).
Background checks and security clearance
Security clearance
Other
Drug test required
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness
Required Documents
Summary
The Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking an experienced litigator for its Appellate Section for full-time positions in Washington, DC.
Learn more about this agency
Responsibilities
The Appellate Section's work involves cases arising under the more than 200 statutes for which the Division has litigation responsibility. Subjects covered include water and solid waste regulation; hazardous substance clean-ups; public land use and forest management; fish and wildlife conservation; water rights; Indian sovereignty, treaty rights, and gaming; land condemnation; Fifth Amendment takings; onshore and offshore mineral development; and criminal prosecutions involving environmental, wildlife, animal welfare, and worker safety statutes. Many of the section's cases involve complex questions of administrative and constitutional law.
Section attorneys:
- brief and argue appeals in all thirteen federal circuit courts of appeals around the country, as well as in state courts of appeals and supreme courts;
- handle appeals in all cases tried in the lower courts by any of the sections within the Division;
- oversee or handle directly appeals in cases within the Division's jurisdiction that were tried in the lower courts by U.S. Attorney Offices; and
- are responsible for petitions for review filed directly in the courts of appeals in environmental or natural resource cases involving the Department of Energy, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Surface Transportation Board.
The Section also works closely with Justice Department's Office of the Solicitor General, making recommendations whether to appeal adverse district court decisions or to seek Supreme Court review of adverse appellate decisions. Section attorneys write draft briefs for the Solicitor General in Division cases before the Supreme Court.
For more information about the Appellate Section, visit: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/appellate-section
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Supervisory status
No
Promotion Potential
15
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
- You must complete a background investigation to include pre-employment drug testing.
- Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
- You must maintain a bank account for direct deposit of salary.
Qualifications
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and be a U.S. citizen or national. Applicants with Court of Appeals experience or with a background in environmental or natural resources law will be preferred.
Specific grade level requirements:
- At least 3 years of post J.D. civil/environmental litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-13 grade level.
- At least 4 years of post J.D. civil/environmental litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-14 grade level.
- At least 5 years of post J.D. civil/environmental litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-15 grade level.
Years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level. The possible salary range is:
- GS-13 ($103,690 - $134,798)
- GS-14 ($122,530 - $159,286)
- GS-15 ($144,128 - $172,500)
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
Education
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
Veterans Preference: If you are entitled to or claim veteran preference (VP), you should indicate the type of veteran preference (5 or 10 points) you are claiming on your resume. In order To determine your eligibility, you can find additional information at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide/ . To verify your veteran preference entitlement, submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214; official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
Schedule A: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and 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. DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: www.benderconsult.com.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov .
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. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys' Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. Citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. Citizens are 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.
Please Note : Additional candidates may be selected if more positions become available in the Division within 90 days after the announcement closes.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience you report relative to this position. Paid and unpaid experience will be considered.
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 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).
Background checks and security clearance
Security clearance
Other
Drug test required
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness
Required Documents
- Resumé and cover letter highlighting relevant experience
- Writing sample
- OF-306, Declaration of Employment
- Law school transcript showing award of degree
- DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation, as applicable.
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