The United States Trustee Program (USTP) is a litigating component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders, debtors, creditors, and the public. As a national program with 21 regions consisting of 90 field offices, the USTP has broad administrative, regulatory, and enforcement authorities in bankruptcy cases.
Summary
The United States Trustee Program (USTP) is a litigating component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders, debtors, creditors, and the public. As a national program with 21 regions consisting of 90 field offices, the USTP has broad administrative, regulatory, and enforcement authorities in bankruptcy cases.
The Program is seeking experienced attorney applicants for the position of Assistant United States Trustee to lead and manage the Los Angeles, CA field office that oversees bankruptcy cases filed in the Los Angeles Division of the Central District of California.
As the Assistant United States Trustee, the typical duties include the following:
Manage and oversee the administration of the field office, including all bankruptcy cases filed in the judicial district served by the office;
Advise and partner with the Executive Office and the United States Trustee on policy questions, legal issues of national importance arising in cases, and other significant matters to enhance the Program's mission locally, and help develop and implement policies and strategies designed to faithfully execute a uniform application of bankruptcy law;
Supervise and manage a staff of trial attorneys, auditors, paralegals, and support staff, including assigning and monitoring work at the office and regional level in accordance with principles of shared staffing and functional consolidation;
Oversee and assist in difficult, complex, or precedent-setting bankruptcy cases and in developing and implementing civil enforcement and litigation strategies to address fraud and abuse identified in bankruptcy cases;
Carry a caseload of civil enforcement, chapter 11, and trustee oversight matters;
Participate or provide oversight in all appellate matters before the Bankruptcy Court Appellate Panel (if applicable), the United States District Court, and the United States Courts of Appeal;
Appoint and supervise all private trustees who administer bankruptcy cases filed under chapter 7, 13, and 12 of the Bankruptcy Code;
Provide outreach to other interested constituents and those involved in the bankruptcy systems such as the bankruptcy court, the bar, other federal and state agencies, including public speaking and conducting training, as appropriate;
Work with the Program's federal and state law enforcement partners to report criminal activity identified through bankruptcy case oversight; and,
Work on other national projects and priorities as assigned.
Must complete a Background Investigation to include drug testing
Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable
May require completion of one year probationary period
COVID vaccination status may be requested for the purposes of implementing workplace safety protocols.
Periodic travel is required throughout the district, the region, and the country, depending on work assignments and for training.
Qualifications
Applicants must demonstrate excellent academic and professional credentials, superior oral and written communication skills, good judgment, and the ability to function with minimal guidance in a demanding legal environment. Further, an applicant must have a J.D. degree from an accredited law school; be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) in good standing; and, have at least five years post-J.D. professional legal or other relevant experience advocating on behalf of clients, interpreting, or applying provisions of the United States Bankruptcy Code, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, and related laws, rules, and regulations that arise in bankruptcy cases.
Preferred Qualifications: In addition to the required qualifications listed above, the ideal candidate will have:
Three or more years' experience in management and personnel supervision;
A demonstrated record of analyzing complex legal problems, interpreting statutory provisions, developing litigation strategies, and superior trial practice skills;
Have outstanding organizational skills and the ability to address a broad array of issues arising in a large volume of cases;
The ability to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues in a wide variety of cases and projects; The ability to set, manage, and balance diverse, evolving, and challenging projects and priorities; Demonstrated initiative and creativity;
Strong information technology skills, including using data bases and IT systems to manage work; Experience working with, or for, federal agencies; and,
A commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this vacancy announcement.
If selected for this position, you will be required to provide official proof of J.D. Degree and Bar Membership (including certification of good standing) before a firm job offer is extended.
Equal Employment Opportunity: 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, protected genetic information, pregnancy, status as a parent, or any other non-merit-based 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. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.
Reasonable Accommodations: 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. Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department's Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
COVID-19 Vaccination:
1. To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement Safer Federal Workforce Task Force 2 pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
2. Due to COVID-19, if selected, you may be expected to telework for an undefined period under the Department's evacuation authority, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Employees in this status may be notified of a requirement to report in person to the component workplace with an advance notice of not less than 30 days. Prior to a requirement to report to the workplace, employees may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the component's telework policy.
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.
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.
This position is on the AD pay scale, is a full-time and permanent position, and the possible current salary range is $114,300 to $173,700 per annum. Years and type of experience will determine the appropriate salary level.
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).
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.
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.
To apply, interested candidates must submit as one PDF document:
A cover letter that highlights the applicant's interest in the position and addresses in detail how all qualifications are met;
A current resume that details months and years of education and employment, and states the month and year of earliest bar admission;
A short writing sample, or part of a longer writing sample (not to exceed ten pages), which should be exclusively or primarily the applicant's work and should include legal analysis;
DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member 4 copy) (if applicable);
If you are a current or former Federal employee, most recent (non-award) SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action;
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.
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.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses may be authorized to current USTP employees only, based on USTP policy.
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.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply, interested candidates must submit as one PDF document:
A cover letter that highlights the applicant's interest in the position and addresses in detail how all qualifications are met;
A current resume that details months and years of education and employment, and states the month and year of earliest bar admission;
A short writing sample, or part of a longer writing sample (not to exceed ten pages), which should be exclusively or primarily the applicant's work and should include legal analysis;
DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member 4 copy) (if applicable);
If you are a current or former Federal employee, most recent (non-award) SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action;
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.
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.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses may be authorized to current USTP employees only, based on USTP policy.
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.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.