Clarification from the agency

U.S. citizens or nationals

Below is a description of each Section.

Appellate Section
The Appellate Section represents the federal government in federal and state appellate courts in cases arising under the more than 200 statutes for which the Division has litigation responsibility. The Section handles appeals in all cases handled by an ENRD Section in the trial courts. In addition, the Appellate Section has responsibility for certain petitions for review filed directly in the courts of appeals that seek review of decisions of agencies such as the Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Surface Transportation Board. The Appellate Section works closely with the Office of the Solicitor General in determining whether to appeal adverse district court decisions, to seek further review of adverse court of appeals decisions, and to participate as amicus curiae in appellate courts and the Supreme Court. The Section provides the Office of the Solicitor General with initial drafts of briefs filed in the Supreme Court in Division cases handled by the Appellate Section.

Environmental Defense Section
The Environmental Defense Section (EDS) offers one of ENRD's and the Department's most varied dockets. It is one of the only DOJ components whose attorneys routinely handle cases in the federal courts of appeals and district courts. EDS defends petitions for review brought in the courts of appeals pursuant to special statutory judicial review provisions of the environmental statutes, as well as claims for judicial review brought in district courts pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act. The substance of these cases ranges, for example, from high-profile, multi-party challenges to national EPA rules (such as major Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act rules) to more targeted challenges to site-specific agency decisions. EDS also handles complex claims of liability against federal agencies under pollution control laws, such as for costs of response actions at Superfund sites, federally owned facilities, and private sites. The Section also brings certain Clean Water Act and Rivers and Harbors Act civil enforcement actions in district courts. In addition to EPA, EDS routinely represents the Department of War (and its component military branches) and the Department of Energy.

Land Acquisition Section
The Land Acquisition Section (LAS) represents virtually every federal agency, in federal district court across the United States and its territories, tackling novel and complex civil litigation arising under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. LAS litigates condemnation cases to acquire real property for the United States for public uses including taking land into trust for tribes, expanding military installations, rebuilding federal courthouses, establishing national monuments, and constructing border and immigration security infrastructure and land ports of entry. The Section's work is designed to ensure the protection of the Fifth Amendment so that the amount of compensation for condemned property is fair to both property owners and taxpayers. LAS also is responsible for ensuring the sufficiency of title for all real property that federal agencies acquire by direct purchase.

Natural Resources Section
The Natural Resources Section represents virtually every major federal agency in federal district court, the Court of Federal Claims, and State courts in novel and complex litigation arising under more than 80 natural resource, environmental, and cultural resource statutes, various treaties and international agreements, interstate compacts, and congressional referrals. Among other statutes, our cases arise under the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Forest Management Act, the National Park Service Organic Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the National Trails System Act, and more. Large portions of our docket involve challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act and under the Just Compensation Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Wildlife and Marine Resources Section
The Wildlife and Marine Resources Section is responsible for civil cases filed in federal courts arising under the nation's wildlife laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Section attorneys primarily handle complex civil defensive litigation involving challenges to agency decisions over energy production, public lands management, and national defense. They also enforce the Animal Welfare Act and pursue civil forfeitures, including through emergency proceedings. The Section's docket is varied and fast paced, often addressing matters of national significance.

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.
• J.D. degree required, must be an active member of the bar, any jurisdiction.

Qualifications

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and be a U.S. citizen or national. Applicants must have at least 1 year of post J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience and the years of post J.D. (or equivalent) legal experience for the specific grade level requirements listed below:

• At least 2 years of post J.D. litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-12 grade level.
• At least 3 years of post J.D. litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-13 grade level.
• At least 4 years of post J.D. litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-14 grade level.
• At least 5 years of post J.D. litigation and/or judicial experience to qualify for the GS-15 grade level.

Applicants should have a strong interest in federal litigation, trial work and/or appellate work, and an exceptional academic background. Judicial clerkship experience and familiarity with defensive civil litigation is highly desirable. Applicants must demonstrate superior research, analytical, and writing abilities.

Years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level. The possible salary range is:

Washington DC:

• GS-12 ($102,415 - $133,142)
• GS-13 ($121,785 - $158,322)
• GS-14 ($143,913 - $187,093)
• GS-15 ($169,279 - $197,200)

Denver, CO:

• GS-12 ($ 99,800 - $129,742)
• GS-13 ($118,675 - $154,280)
• GS-14 ($140,239 - $182,316)
• GS-15 ($164,956 -$197,200)

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 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veteran preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veteran preference must include that information in their 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).

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes the following:

• Resumé (not to exceed two pages) demonstrating relevant experience and month/year the experience was obtained
• Cover letter with brief statement of interest. Indicate which Section(s) you're applying to and, if more than one, rank them in order of preference.
• Writing sample
• Copy of J.D. degree transcripts
• 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), part time hours worked, and description of duties. If you have Federal employment, you must include the grade of the position(s).

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