Summary

The Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking an individual to serve as Chief Litigation Counsel, which is a Senior Level Attorney position in its Torts Branch - Aviation, Space, & Admiralty Section.

Duties

Help

The Aviation, Space, and Admiralty Section of the Torts Branch, Civil Division, Department of Justice, seeks an exceptional attorney for its Chief Litigation Counsel position.

The Branch's substantive work is organized into three subject-matter areas: (1) ASA handles a variety of litigation that falls under admiralty jurisdiction, including maritime tort, maritime contract, and vessel pollution cases including environmental actions such as those arising from vessel oil spills; (2) ASA handles a variety of aviation litigation, including litigation that arises from the government's varied activities in the regulation of air commerce, the operation of the nation's air traffic control system, and the government's operation of its own civil and military aircraft; (3) ASA handles a variety of litigation arising from space launch or space vehicle incidents.

As Chief Litigation Counsel, you will serve as a lead expert on some of the Department's most complex and high-visibility litigation arising from one or more of these core subject-matter areas, in an extremely fast-paced environment. Though you may work across these areas as is necessary, you will lead and mentor attorneys and case teams and work closely with the most senior officials within the Branch and the Division. General duties may include:

• Litigating complex, high-visibility cases brought against the United States, including sensitive cases of substantial public and congressional interest; providing advice and making formal recommendations to the most senior officials in the Division and across the Department of Justice on district court, appellate, and other matters of interest; and developing key litigation strategies in complex and precedent-setting Torts cases;
• Acting as team lead on complex legal matters; providing counsel to the Director on issues of strategy for ASA; and providing advice to the Director on necessary training for attorneys and support staff;
• Analyzing and reviewing proposed and pending legislation that may be relevant to the work of the Torts Branch;
• Preparing appellate briefs and conducting arguments in the Court of Appeals, coordinating with the Appellate Staff of the Civil Division and the Office of the Solicitor General within the Department of Justice.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

You must meet all minimum qualifications to be deemed eligible. Only experience obtained by closing date of this announcement will be considered.

1. This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) upon entry, and annually thereafter in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
2. You will be required to obtain and maintain a final Top Secret. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in withdrawal of the job offer or removal.
3. It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and you may be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment.
4. Upon conversion to a permanent appointment with the Department, all Department attorneys are subject to a two-year trial period.
5. Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file. You must be a United States Citizen or National.
6. Who may apply: This position is open to attorneys currently employed by the Department of Justice.

Qualifications

Candidates must possess at least 4 years of post J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience. Candidates must also demonstrate technical expertise in the following subject-matter areas on their two-page resume and in an interview. The incumbent is expected to be highly knowledgeable in the following areas.

1. Demonstrated expertise and experience in personally handling exceptionally challenging and precedential cases that fall under aviation and/or admiralty jurisdiction.

Demonstrated ability to review and ensure the highest quality of work product of attorneys in sensitive, controversial, and/or high visibility aviation, space, and/or admiralty litigation under short timeframes.

Qualifications

Candidates must possess at least 4 years of post J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience. Candidates must also demonstrate technical expertise in the following subject-matter areas on their two-page resume and in an interview. The incumbent is expected to be highly knowledgeable in the following areas.

1. Demonstrated expertise and experience in personally handling exceptionally challenging and precedential cases that fall under aviation and/or admiralty jurisdiction.

Demonstrated ability to review and ensure the highest quality of work product of attorneys in sensitive, controversial, and/or high visibility aviation, space, and/or admiralty litigation under short timeframes.

Education

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, have at least 5 years of relevant post-J.D. experience, and be an active member of the bar in good standing a state, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. IMPORTANT: Applicants are responsible for citing J.D. and bar membership information (institution name, state(s) for bar, and dates) on their respective resumes.

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. OR 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

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.

Benefits

Help

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.