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Trial Attorney

Department of Justice
U.S. Trustee Program
Office of Oversight
This job announcement has closed

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.

Overview

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Job closed
Open & closing dates
09/23/2022 to 10/16/2022
Salary
$148,484 to - $176,300 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
USTP-22-11663985-DE
Control number
679288100

Duties

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As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

The Executive Office for United States Trustees (EOUST), Office of Oversight is seeking an experienced attorney to provide expert legal advice to field-based personnel and to senior managers on a wide range of issues pertaining to trustee supervision and oversight and credit counseling and debtor education. The attorney will report to the Assistant Director for the Office of Oversight.

As a Trial Attorney, duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

  • Serving as a member of a cohesive and collegial team of managers, analysts, and attorneys in the Office of Oversight.
  • Providing legal advice and counsel for developing and implementing policies and strategies in trustee oversight, regulatory (including credit counseling and debtor education), legislative, and bankruptcy matters.
  • Supporting a nationwide program to recruit, develop, audit, maintain and supervise trustees .
  • Developing and interpreting component-level policy with regard to Civil Enforcement and related legal matters.
  • Advising on questions of law involved in the operations of the organization.
  • Organizing, preparing materials, and making presentations for training and conferences.
  • Serving as a legal consultant and expert on issues regarding program operations and interpretation of statute and regulations.
  • Analyzing legal, regulatory and policy issues in assigned matters and identifying program weaknesses, problems, and the need for changes.
  • Reviewing legislative proposals and providing comments and recommendations.
  • Preparing congressional testimony for high level Department of Justice officials.
  • Performing other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
  • 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.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:Applicants must demonstrate excellent academic and professional credentials; superior oral and written communication skills; outstanding legal research, analytical, and legal reasoning skills; outstanding 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 four (4) 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:

  • A demonstrated record of analyzing complex legal or agency problems, interpreting statutory, rule, and regulatory provisions developing litigation strategies, and superior trial practice skills;
  • 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 interpersonal communication skills;
  • Strong information technology skills, including using data bases and IT systems to manage and track work;
  • Experience working with or for federal agencies; and,
  • A commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards.

Education

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

Position is on the GS pay scale, full-time and permanent, FPL of GS-15, and possible current annual salary range is: GS-15 ($148,484-$176,300). Years and type of experience will determine the appropriate salary level.

Travel: Periodic domestic travel related may be required for training purposes or work assignments.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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).

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