Trial Attorney

Justice Management Division; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Justice, Appellate Section, seeks a Trial Attorney to defend the integrity and constitutionality of investigations and prosecutions. You will write briefs and argue cases in the courts of appeals; prepare draft briefs and certiorari petitions for the Solicitor General; advise leadership on complex criminal-law issues.

The role requires handling appeals, moot courts, and providing legal analysis to senior officials.

Qualifications

• Required: J.D., active bar in good standing.
• Experience in civil or criminal litigation and appellate practice.
• Ability to provide legal advice to senior management.

Responsibilities

• Handle criminal cases in U.S. Courts of Appeals, including briefing and oral arguments.
• Draft briefs for merits cases before the Supreme Court and for the Solicitor General.
• Write memoranda on whether to seek further review of adverse decisions.
• Advise Department leadership and U.S. Attorneys' Offices on complex legal issues.

Skills

Legal analysis

Legal writing

Oral advocacy

Policy advisory

Leadership

Education

J.D., or equivalent

Job description

Summary

The Appellate Section plays a crucial role in defending the integrity and constitutionality of DOJ's investigations and prosecutions. Appellate Section attorneys write briefs and argue cases in the courts of appeals; prepare draft briefs and certiorari petitions for the Solicitor General (SG); make recommendations to the SG regarding whether further review is warranted when adverse decisions have been rendered; and advise Department leadership and federal prosecutors on criminal‑law issues.

Duties

As a Trial Attorney in the Appellate Section, the incumbent will:

• Handle criminal cases in the U.S. Courts of Appeals, including briefing and oral arguments. Cases include those prosecuted by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and other litigating sections in the Criminal Division.
• Draft briefs in merits cases before the Supreme Court, either as a party or an amicus, for the Solicitor General. This includes attending moot courts and oral arguments with attorneys from the Solicitor General's Office.
• Write memoranda recommending whether to seek further review of adverse decisions in criminal cases.
• Draft briefs for the Solicitor General in opposition to certiorari petitions in the Supreme Court.
• Provide advice to Department leadership and U.S. Attorneys' Offices on a variety of complex substantive issues.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to qualify for this position.
• You must undergo a pre-employment security investigation.
• All male applicants born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the selective service. If selected, 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.
• You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• A two-year trial period may be required.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: Interested applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent, 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 be an active member of the bar in good standing.

Grade Specific Qualifications

• To qualify at the GS‑13 grade level, applicants must have at least one and a half (1.5) years post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS‑12 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: performing basic legal analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers; composing legal memoranda, reports, and position papers on legislative history, laws, regulations, and court opinions in support of civil or criminal litigation.
• To qualify at the GS‑14 grade level, applicants must have at least two and a half (2.5) years post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS‑13 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: performing legal analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers; composing pleadings, briefs, and other court documents involving legal issues in civil or criminal litigation; and conducting civil or criminal litigation.
• To qualify at the GS‑15 grade level, applicants must 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to communicate clearly through well‑organized and accurately written documents.
• Ability to perform cogent and correct legal analysis on a variety of complex substantive issues.
Ability to provide legal advice to others.
• Ability to manage a heavy legal case load.
• Ability to argue persuasively in court.

Education

A J.D., or equivalent, degree.

Applicants who possess an equivalent degree rather than a J.D. may be subject to additional review by the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management.

Additional information

The Criminal Division participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program.

The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non‑merit factor. Additional information on DOJ's EEO policy can be found on our

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.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Human Resources team at

Fair Chance to Compete

The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non‑compliance directly to Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code

• 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R
• 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.

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

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.

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.

Agency contact information

Human Resources

Phone Email

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.