Attorney Adviser Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. ENRD-25-012-EXC Department Offices, Boards and Divisions
Salary $139,395.00 to $191,900.00 Grade 14 to 15
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/19/2024 Close Date 12/3/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

As an Attorney-Adviser in the Law and Policy Section, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for providing critical legal advice in support of the Environment and Natural Resources Division's litigation and other work.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens or nationals

Duties

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 Law and Policy Section's work encompasses the full range of environmental, natural resources, public lands, and Indian-related laws handled by the Division, as well as issues of constitutional, administrative, and ethics law. The Section's work often involves complex, novel, and cross-cutting issues which require close coordination with the Division's other sections and interaction with other DOJ components and leadership.

We expect that the attorney chosen for this position would maintain a portfolio with a broad mix of work that could include appellate and district court litigation, legislative and proposed rulemaking analysis, and special projects that involve the analysis of legal and policy issues relating to litigation, and consideration of ethics issues.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen or national; JD required.
  • Pre-employment drug testing required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable.
  • You must maintain a bank account for direct deposit of salary.
  • Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a full field background investigation.

Qualifications

The Section's docket is demanding and requires top caliber work products. Successful applicants will have a demonstrated record of analysis of complex legal problems, initiative and creativity, and a commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards. Applicants must also demonstrate outstanding legal research, analytical, and writing abilities, good judgment, and be able to balance a diverse and constantly evolving workload. Ability to work and communicate effectively with a diverse group of individuals, both orally and in writing, is essential. Substantial litigation experience (trial and appellate court) and judicial clerkship experience is highly desired. Expertise in one or more of the Division's substantive areas of responsibility (environmental, natural resources, public lands, and Indian law) and/or other constitutional, ethics or administrative law topics is preferred.

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree; be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a State, territory, or the District of Columbia; and be a U.S. citizen or national.

Specific grade level requirements:

  • GS-14: At least 4 years of post-J.D. experience
  • GS-15: At least 5 years of post-J.D. experience

Years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level. The possible annual salary ranges are:

  • GS-14 ($139,395- $181,216)
  • GS-15 ($163,964 - $191,900)

YOUR RESUMÉ MUST provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience as described in the vacancy announcement if you are using experience to meet all or part of the qualification requirements. Please ensure that your resume includes the month and year that you began and ended each position held or that position will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating.

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

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.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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 the position as evidenced by the experience you report relative to this position. An in-person (in Washington, D.C.) or video interview may be required for this position prior to final selection.

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 Member Copy 4, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. To determine your eligibility for veterans' preference or for additional information, see: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide/.

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).

Required Documents

  • Resumé demonstrating relevant experience and dates the experience was obtained
  • Brief Statement of Interest
  • Copy of transcripts for J.D. or higher degree
  • Writing Sample
  • DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation, if applicable.
Your resumé MUST include full employment information such as periods of employment with month/year started and ended, title of position(s), PT hours worked, and description of duties. If you have Federal employment, you must include the grade of the position(s).

How to Apply

You must APPLY ONLINE through USAJOBS. Follow the prompts to login or register, answer a few questions, and submit all required documents by 11:59 PM (EST) by the closing date to receive consideration.

Applicants must submit a current resumé, brief statement of interest, writing sample, law school transcripts, and DD-214, if applicable.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). All of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

If you are unable to apply online, please contact Carment Browne at Carmen.Browne@usdoj.gov.

Agency contact information

Carmen Browne
Address
Law and Policy Section
950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20530
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. You will be notified of the outcome.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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