The Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking experienced litigators for its Wildlife and Marine Resources Section (WMRS) in Washington, DC.
The Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking experienced litigators for its Wildlife and Marine Resources Section (WMRS) in Washington, DC.
WMRS primarily handles civil defensive litigation under federal wildlife laws and laws concerning the protection of marine fish and mammals, including the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Section represents a broad range of federal regulatory and resource management agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Section's cases involve challenges to rulemakings about which species should be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, agency decisions about the way in which protected species are considered when federal agencies carry out their missions, and other litigation related to the balance between species protection and resource development in federal agency decision-making. The work of the Section is varied and often affords attorneys the opportunity to be involved in some of the most complex and important cases currently arising in this area of the law. This is not a criminal prosecution position.
WMRS seeks to hire and cultivate talented trial attorneys and provides its lawyers with regular and meaningful court experience in a variety of jurisdictions on a broad range of issues. Attorneys in the Section are assigned a docket of multiple cases and are given first-chair responsibility for all aspects of their cases including drafting procedural and dispositive motions, handling written and oral discovery when needed, conducting settlement negotiations, defending emergency motions, including examination of witnesses when necessary, and presenting oral argument. Attorneys in the Section also counsel client agencies on their compliance with statutes under the Section's jurisdiction. The cases handled by WMRS require attorneys to achieve intellectual command of complicated facts, scientific principles, and legal issues, often rapidly.
For more information about the Environment and Natural Resources Division, visit the Justice Department's web at: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and be a U.S. citizen or national. Creative thinking and considerable talent in problem-solving - whether in a litigation or settlement context - are indispensable. Applicants should also possess strong legal writing and reasoning abilities and be comfortable with general principles of federal jurisdiction and federal civil procedure.
Successful applicants must have the following:
- 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.
Current salary and years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level. The possible salary range is:
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.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience you report relative to this position. Paid and unpaid experience will be considered.
Veterans: 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).
Applicants must submit a current resume, cover letter highlighting relevant experience, writing sample, transcripts, OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment (https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of0306.pdf), and DD-214 (if applicable) to: ATTYAPPLY-WMRS.ENRD@USDOJ.GOV - Attention: DeShonda Young, subject line: ENRD-19-066-EXC
No telephone calls, please.
You must submit your application so that it will be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.
Internet Sites: For more information about the Environment & Natural Resources Division, visit the Justice Department's web site at: http://www.justice.gov/enrd/about-division.
This and selected other legal position announcements can be found on the Internet at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.html
Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications. We expect to make a selection within 80 days of the closing date of this announcement. You will be notified of the outcome.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
