Trial Attorney (General)

Washington Headquarters Services; Virginia; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Washington Headquarters Services, Department of War (DoW), Office of the Chief Prosecutor (OCP) seeks a senior prosecutor to handle motions and appeals, providing research, drafting support, and appellate advocacy for ongoing military commissions.

You will advise the Chief Prosecutor and trial teams on appellate issues, coordinate with trial teams, and mentor junior attorneys while serving as a chief advisor on policy matters related to prosecuting complex cases before military commissions.

Qualifications

• Senior attorney with duties in motions & appeals.
• Ability to research and analyze military commissions issues.
• Collaborate under strategic direction with Chief Prosecutor and DoW leadership.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior attorney for the organization and advise on appellate issues.
• Coordinate with trial teams on appeal proceedings.
• Mentor less experienced attorneys and support policy matters for prosecutions before military commissions.

Skills

Senior prosecutor

Appellate issues

Legal research

Policy matters

Job description

Summary

This position is located in the Department of War (DoW), Office of the Chief Prosecutor (OCP) for Military Commissions. The OCP is responsible for recommending and prosecuting cases for trial before military commissions in accordance with the Military Commissions Act of 2009 The OCP is a component of the Office of Military Commissions and is comprised of the Chief Prosecutor, prosecutors, and other persons under the supervision of the Chief Prosecutor.

Duties

Incumbent typical work assignments may include the following:

• Serves as a senior prosecutor in the OCP Motions & Appeals Section, which provides motions research and drafting support, as well
  as appellate assistance and advocacy, in each of OCP's ongoing military commissions.


• Directly advises the Chief Prosecutor, Deputy Chief Prosecutors, Trial Counsel, and others on actual and potential appellate issues.


• Coordinates, as appropriate, with the trial teams that originally prosecuted cases on appeal.


• Serves as a Senior Attorney for the organization and a foremost advisor to the Chief Prosecutor, Deputy Chief Prosecutors, and other
  senior DoW managers and staff about policy matters involving all aspects of prosecuting complex cases before military commissions.


• Mentors and serves as an advisor to less experienced attorneys.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required


• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)


• May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period


• Must be determined suitable for federal employment


• Required to participate in the direct deposit program


• This position is subject to the DoD Priority Placement Program


• The incumbent of this position must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI)


• This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing


• This position may require up to 25% occasional travel away from your normal duty station for official business on military or commercial aircraft


• Position requires active membership in the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia.


• Position requires a current, valid license to practice law in a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS-14 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to:

• Receive assignments with general instructions regarding the legal/policy objectives and potential issues; and


• Research and analyze a wide variety of legal and/or historical materials related to issues in military commissions and/or criminal litigation generally; and


• Collaborate under the strategic direction of Chief Prosecutor when dealing with international laws.

All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume. Your resume may not exceed two (2) pages

For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the duration of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration.

Read more about what should I include in my federal resume at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include

ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: Federal agencies treat active duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, as part of their application package, a \"certification\" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, indicating the service member is otherwise eligible and will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of submission.. A \"certification\" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. This \"certification\" must include your rank, dates of active duty service, type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable), and date any terminal leave will begin. It must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. Active duty members that fail to provide a valid \"certification\" of service with their initial application will be found \"not eligible\". Members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if they are on terminal leave.

Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.

Education

Education cannot be substituted for experience.

Additional information

Probationary Periods: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing an online application, you may request an alternative application. Please send an email to the following address for information on how to obtain an alternative application: [e-mail]
Reemployed Annuitants: Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants (DODI 1400.25, volume 300). http://www.esd.whs.mil/DD/DoD-Issuances/140025/
Nepotism: Under the provisions of 5 USC 3110, an individual may not be appointed into a position if the position is under the supervisory chain of command of a relative.
Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.

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.

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 window Learn more about federal benefits.

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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.