Appointment to this position may be filled by permanent appointment or current DOJ employees may be selected through a reimbursable detail (with the potential for conversion to a permanent appointment).
Capital Case Section (CCS) attorneys work with United States Attorneys' Offices in relation to all aspects of capital
prosecutions including acting as co-counsel in federal capital trials, assisting with the preparation of submissions of capitaleligible
cases for Department review, providing guidance on death penalty related aspects of the pre-trial and trial process,
and periodically assisting on direct appeals and collateral review under 18 U.S.C. § 2255. CCS attorneys assist the Attorney
General's Review Committee on Capital Cases in reaching its recommendation to the Attorney General in deciding whether
the death penalty should be sought in each capital-eligible case submitted pursuant to the DOJ death penalty protocol. CCS
also provides training and resource materials to federal prosecutors for handling capital cases; provides advice and staff
support to senior department officials on policy matters related to handling capital cases; drafts and/or reviews proposed
legislation, amendments, regulations, testimony, briefing materials, public statements, and correspondence on capital
punishment issues; and collects and maintains current information and materials for a brief bank and resource center for
capital prosecutors.
Summary
Appointment to this position may be filled by permanent appointment or current DOJ employees may be selected through a reimbursable detail (with the potential for conversion to a permanent appointment).
Capital Case Section (CCS) attorneys work with United States Attorneys' Offices in relation to all aspects of capital
prosecutions including acting as co-counsel in federal capital trials, assisting with the preparation of submissions of capitaleligible
cases for Department review, providing guidance on death penalty related aspects of the pre-trial and trial process,
and periodically assisting on direct appeals and collateral review under 18 U.S.C. § 2255. CCS attorneys assist the Attorney
General's Review Committee on Capital Cases in reaching its recommendation to the Attorney General in deciding whether
the death penalty should be sought in each capital-eligible case submitted pursuant to the DOJ death penalty protocol. CCS
also provides training and resource materials to federal prosecutors for handling capital cases; provides advice and staff
support to senior department officials on policy matters related to handling capital cases; drafts and/or reviews proposed
legislation, amendments, regulations, testimony, briefing materials, public statements, and correspondence on capital
punishment issues; and collects and maintains current information and materials for a brief bank and resource center for
capital prosecutors.
The Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice is seeking qualified, experienced trial attorneys in the Capital Case Section
(CCS) located in Washington, DC.
As a Trial Attorney for the Criminal Division's Capital Case Section (CCS), the incumbent:
Conducts analysis of new cases received from the United States Attorneys' Offices and Department components charging
a crime punishable by death. Section attorneys advise the Attorney General's Capital Case Review Committee in its factual
and legal evaluation of cases submitted to the Department for review regarding whether the death penalty should be
sought in each capital-eligible case;
Litigates all phases of federal capital cases, including pre-trial litigation, guidance in selecting death qualified juries, and
helps construct penalty phase evidentiary presentations. Section attorneys act as co-counsel in federal capital trials,
assisting with the preparation of capital-eligible cases for Department review, providing guidance on death penalty
related aspects of the pre-trial and trial process;
Provides training on the Department's capital case litigation. Section attorneys provide legal, procedural, and policy
guidance to United States Attorneys' Offices and Department components handling capital investigations and
prosecutions;
In collaboration with USAOs, Section attorneys advise in the preparation of legal memoranda, such as proposed
legislation, amendments, regulations, testimony, briefing materials, public statements, and correspondence on capital
punishment issues;
Collects and maintains trial and appellate materials related to federal capital prosecutions. Section attorneys partner with
USAOs in the development and management of current information and materials which act as a resources center for
capital prosecutors; and
Assists in the development of Department policies and procedures related to federal capital prosecutions.
You must be a U.S. Citizen to qualify for this position.
You must undergo a pre-employment security investigation.
You may be required to take a drug test.
Other Requirements:
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
All male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service (see http://www.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.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications: Interested applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an
attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and have at least four (4)
years post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level.
Examples of specialized experience include: independently performing legal analysis; composing pleadings, briefs and other
court documents involving unique and/or difficult legal issues in civil or criminal litigation; conducting highly complex civil
or criminal litigation; and leading paralegals and support staff. Applicants must be an active member of the bar in good
standing.
Preferred Qualifications: Your qualifications will be further evaluated based upon the following competencies. You are
required to respond to each competency in the occupational questionnaire portion of this announcement. Failure to
respond to these questions may result in your being deemed not highly qualified for the position.
Experience in supporting, litigating, and supervising criminal cases in federal or state courts.
Experience handling violent crime cases.
Experience handling federal criminal prosecutions on behalf of the U. S. Department of Justice.
Experience in preparing and submitting cases pursuant to the U.S. Department of Justice's death penalty protocol.
Experience trying capital cases.
Education
Education:
A J.D. Degree.
Additional information
The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, on the basis of personal favoritism, or any non merit factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department 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 of Justice. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
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.
The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.
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.
The Federal government offers a number of exceptional benefits to its employees. The link above provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees.
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.
BASIS OF RATING: Once the announcement closes, your application will be automatically evaluated and rated by the system and a Human Resources Specialist. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your application and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.
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, 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).
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.
The Federal government offers a number of exceptional benefits to its employees. The link above provides an overview of the benefits currently offered to Federal employees.
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.
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.
Due to the high volume of applicant interest, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. A list of eligible candidates will be referred to the hiring managers every week during the open period of the announcement. The announcement may be closed at any time once all selections are made. If you are interested in applying, it is recommended that you do so early.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes the
Assessment Questionnaire and the Required Documents indicated below. The Application
Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on Monday, April 10, 2017.
A complete application package must include:
Cover Letter (highlighting relevant experience).
Résumé - Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of
knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully
perform the duties of the position.
Assessment Questionnaire (you will be prompted to complete this when you apply online).
Documentation of eligibility for special hiring authorities (if applicable) to prove appointment
eligibility. Examples include: Schedule A disability letter, Peace Corps volunteer letter, military
spouse hiring authority documentation, etc.
Current or Former Political Appointees (if applicable) - please note on your resume and attach an SF-50. The Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you
are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the
Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office.
If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing
character discharge(Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under
Honorable Conditions. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the
National Archives at
www.archives.gov/veterans.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit 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 a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or mother or spouse of a disabled or deceased
veteran, you must submit a completed SF-15 http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf and all
additional proof required by the SF-15, as applicable. If you don't have your Department of
Veterans Affairs letter establishing proof of disability, you may request it at
http://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ or call 1-800-827-1000.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing
USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire.
Please ensure you
click the "Submit My Answers" button at the end of the process.
If you cannot apply online, please contact Human Resources at the phone number or email below for further instructions.
DOJ Criminal Division
1331 F St
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
Next steps
We will notify you of your status as a candidate after each step of the recruitment process (receipt of application, determination of basic qualifications, notice of forward to selecting official, and final selection). 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.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
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.
Due to the high volume of applicant interest, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. A list of eligible candidates will be referred to the hiring managers every week during the open period of the announcement. The announcement may be closed at any time once all selections are made. If you are interested in applying, it is recommended that you do so early.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes the
Assessment Questionnaire and the Required Documents indicated below. The Application
Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on Monday, April 10, 2017.
A complete application package must include:
Cover Letter (highlighting relevant experience).
Résumé - Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of
knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully
perform the duties of the position.
Assessment Questionnaire (you will be prompted to complete this when you apply online).
Documentation of eligibility for special hiring authorities (if applicable) to prove appointment
eligibility. Examples include: Schedule A disability letter, Peace Corps volunteer letter, military
spouse hiring authority documentation, etc.
Current or Former Political Appointees (if applicable) - please note on your resume and attach an SF-50. The Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you
are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the
Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office.
If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing
character discharge(Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under
Honorable Conditions. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the
National Archives at
www.archives.gov/veterans.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit 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 a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or mother or spouse of a disabled or deceased
veteran, you must submit a completed SF-15 http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf and all
additional proof required by the SF-15, as applicable. If you don't have your Department of
Veterans Affairs letter establishing proof of disability, you may request it at
http://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ or call 1-800-827-1000.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing
USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire.
Please ensure you
click the "Submit My Answers" button at the end of the process.
If you cannot apply online, please contact Human Resources at the phone number or email below for further instructions.
DOJ Criminal Division
1331 F St
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
Next steps
We will notify you of your status as a candidate after each step of the recruitment process (receipt of application, determination of basic qualifications, notice of forward to selecting official, and final selection). 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.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
