Summary
The mission of the Antitrust Division is to promote competition by enforcing the antitrust laws to protect economic freedom and opportunity on behalf of the American people.
The Antitrust Division has openings for Trial Attorneys to join its dedicated team and gain invaluable experience working in the public interest to protect the competitive process.
Are you ready to contribute to matters of national importance that promote a competitive and productive American economy?
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
The Public and U.S. Citizens
Duties
The Antitrust Division's Civil Enforcement Program is seeking qualified attorneys committed to vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws across the American economy. The Division is particularly interested in attorneys experienced with competition issues related to agriculture, technology, healthcare, and finance. Trial attorneys hired through this announcement will be assigned to a section that is based in Washington DC.
Positions across the Civil Enforcement Program may be filled in response to this ad. In particular:
Anti-Monopoly and Collusion Enforcement Section enforces antitrust laws in civil nonmerger matters across a broad range of industries, with recent experience in advertising technology, smartphones, and consumer meat products. ACE focuses on high priority conduct matters to ensure that the statutory timing demands of merger cases do not overtake the Division's ability to move forward with key civil conduct investigations and litigations.
Defense, Industrials, and Aerospace Section enforces antitrust laws in the defense, avionics and aeronautics, industrial equipment, metals and mining, and waste industries.
Financial Services, Financial Technology, and Banking Section enforces antitrust laws in the financial, banking, real estate, ticket distribution, and publishing industries.
Healthcare and Consumer Products Section enforces antitrust laws in healthcare and consumer products, including apparel, appliances, beer, cosmetics, dairy, and paper among others. Protecting competition in healthcare is one of the Division's top priorities. As part of its commitment to enforcement in this crucial industry, the Division seeks attorneys with an interest and/or background in healthcare issues.
Media, Entertainment, and Communications Section enforces antitrust laws in the broadcast media, television and film production and distribution, streaming entertainment services, professional and amateur sports, and telecommunications industries.
Technology and Digital Platforms Section enforces antitrust laws in internet-related businesses, gig economy platforms, and computer hardware and software industries.
Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture Section enforces antitrust laws in the agricultural, aviation, shipping, electricity, oil field services, hotel, restaurant, and travel services industries. Protecting competition in agriculture markets is one of the Division's top priorities.
Trial attorneys in the Division's Civil Enforcement Program are responsible for a wide range of investigative, litigation, and trial work.
- They may review mergers, conduct pre-complaint investigations, engage in post-complaint litigation, and participate in trials.
- Trial attorneys are also frequently responsible for building relationships with other federal, state, and international enforcers and for advocacy to ensure innovative and competitive marketplaces.
- Trial attorneys in the Civil Enforcement Program frequently grapple with challenging cases involving complex technologies, rapidly changing industries, rising barriers to entry, and evolving regulatory landscapes.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to be considered for this position.
- You may be required to complete a pre-employment security screening to initiate your background investigation, which includes a drug screening. Continued employment is contingent upon successful completion and adjudication of your investigation.
- You must meet all qualifications and submit a complete application package by the closing date of this announcement.
- SELECTIVE SERVICE: All male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service (see SSS.gov). If selected for this position, the applicant must sign a statement certifying his registration, or the applicant must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
- DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
- This position is ineligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit.
- This is a full-time, non-supervisory appointment in the excepted service, subject to a one-or-two-year trial period in accordance with 5 CFR Part 11.
- The Antitrust Division participates in the E-Verify program.
Qualifications
Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the position qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this position, your resume and supporting documentation will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration. To qualify, an applicant must:
- Be a citizen of the United States;
- Possess a J.D. or equivalent degree, be an active member of the bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least one year of post J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-12 level; one and one-half years of post J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-13 level; two and one-half years of post J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-14 level, and/or at least four years of post J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-15 level;
- Have experience in the investigation of potential civil antitrust violations, or general federal litigation experience, including civil cases; and
- Demonstrate excellent writing, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
Education
You must possess a J.D. or equivalent degree to qualify for consideration as a Trial Attorney for the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.
Additional information
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the position qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this position, your resume and supporting documentation will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration.
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 are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.
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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
This and selected other legal position announcements can be found at https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes:
1. A copy of your Resume or equivalent - Applicants will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their resume and cover letter. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences, as represented in their resume, clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position, and the competencies and technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position. A cover letter is optional.
RESUME REQUIREMENTS - ALL APPLICANTS: Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. You must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire. The federal government has very specific resume requirements. If you have not written a federal resume before, you may read through a helpful Resume Writing FAQ on the USAJOBS Help Site to learn what details you should, and should not, include in your resume. A CV (curriculum vitae) may not contain enough information to meet these resume requirements.
- Your resume should list all work experience (paid and unpaid); you must list the full name and address of each employer.
- For all types of work experience, you should indicate the start and end date (include month and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that you worked.
- Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
2. A copy of your
Law School Transcript(s) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. Applicants must be graduates of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
3.
Writing Sample/Brief (not to exceed 15 pages and reflecting your own work product with minimal editing by others).
4.
Performance Appraisal (if a current federal employee) - issued within the last 12 months, or if none exists, a statement to that effect.
5. A copy of your latest
SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if a current federal employee).
6.
Veterans Preference Documentation (if applicable) - DD214 (Member Copy 4), Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, or signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, and 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 03/07/2026 to receive consideration.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
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/.
Please note: Applications mailed using government postage and/or internal federal government mailing systems are in violation of agency and postal regulations and will not be accepted.
These instructions outline our application process.
You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday).
If applying online poses a hardship, you must contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Karen Jung by email at Karen.Jung@usdoj.gov or by phone at (202) 514-8885 to obtain an alternative application.
If you require a reasonable accommodation for disability during any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Karen Jung by phone at 202-514-8885 or by email at
Karen.Jung@usdoj.gov. The Antitrust Division provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. You must contact us by 5:00 p.m. ET on the announcement's closing date to request accommodation. Callers with hearing or speech impairment can access their state's telecommunications relay service (TRS) to make TTY calls by dialing 7-1-1. Ms. Jung is not the point of contact for questions about the vacancy announcement.
Next steps
Once your completed application has been received, the Antitrust Division will conduct an evaluation of qualifications and rank the applications in comparison to those received. The most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview.
After extending a tentative job offer and receiving acceptance by the selectee, we will conduct an employment suitability/security background investigation to confirm that the selectee meets all requirements to fill the position. We expect to make a final job offer once all such reviews have been completed.