Trial Attorney

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 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 ENRDs and the Departments 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 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 Sections 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 (NRS) frequently offers its attorneys meaningful court experience in federal and state court in novel and complex civil litigation. The NRS docket is extremely broad covering more than 80 natural resource environmental and cultural resource statutes as well as cases brought pursuant to the Just Compensation Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The sections cases range from stewardship of our national parks and wildlife refuges in federal district court to Fifth Amendment takings litigation in the Court of Federal Claims to original actions in the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve boundary and water allocation disputes in the western United States. On a day-to-day basis our attorneys address case management issues negotiate with opposing counsel write motions and briefs handle discovery take and defend depositions and appear in court for oral arguments and trials.

Wildlife and Marine Resources Section
The Wildlife and Marine Resources Section is responsible for civil cases filed in federal courts arising under the nations 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 Sections 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 ($102415 - $133142)
• GS-13 ($121785 - $158322)
• GS-14 ($143913 - $187093)
• GS-15 ($169279 - $197200)

• GS-12 ($ 99800 - $129742)
• GS-13 ($118675 - $154280)
• GS-14 ($140239 - $182316)
• GS-15 ($164956 -$197200)

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.