Job opening: Trial Attorney
Salary: $94 199 - 172 075 per year
Published at: Sep 19 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
This position is located in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of General Counsel, Office of Program Enforcement.
Duties
The following are the duties of this position at the GS-14. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.
As a/an Trial Attorney, you will:
Represent HUD in affirmative actions before HUD's Office of Hearings and Appeals.
Assist the Department of Justice in litigation in federal courts in civil cases based on the submission of false statements, false claims, or breach of contract; in prosecuting criminal matters concerning HUD programs; and in defending challenges to enforcement actions undertaken by HUD.
Provide legal advice that evaluates and assists in the development of enforcement actions.
Develop necessary facts and documents to support HUD's litigation position.
Draft pleadings, motions, briefs, and memoranda of law to be filed in cases involving HUD.
Conduct discovery, including drafting discovery requests and responses, collecting, and reviewing documentary evidence, and taking and defending depositions.
Apprise supervisors concerning the important aspects of, and development in, pending and proposed litigation and the policy and implications of particular litigation matters for which the incumbent is responsible.
Perform legal research on conventional as well as novel and difficult questions of law, and prepares memoranda based upon this research.
Negotiate settlements determined to be in the best interest of the Government and prepare recommendations and memoranda in support of those settlements.
Monitor compliance with settlement agreements.
Qualifications
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Basic Requirements:
Applicants MUST:
(1) be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LL.B. or J.D.;
(2) be a current member of a bar with a valid license to practice law in a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
(3) meet all specialized experience requirements as described in the vacancy announcement.
AND
Specialized Experience:
For the GS-14: You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
- Litigation experience, including experience drafting complaints or other pleadings, drafting substantive motions (e.g., motion to dismiss, motion for summary judgment, or motion in limine), or conducting and responding to discovery, or taking depositions, or engaging in oral advocacy, or representing a client at a substantive hearing or trial; OR
- Experience providing legal advice to a high-level client on a wide range of complex legal issues; OR
- Experience conducting complex legal research and writing memoranda on novel and complex issues, including discussing facts and legal authority, and providing legal recommendations or conclusions; OR
- Experience obtaining successful outcomes for clients, such as favorable judgments or settlements.
For the GS-14, you must:
Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus four (4) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service.
OR
Have a second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus three (3) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service.
OR
Have a first professional law degree (LL.B., or J.D.), plus superior law student work (academic standing in upper 1/3 of the law school graduating class, high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, winning of a moot court competition with other law schools, significant work or achievement on the school's official law review, significant summer clerkship or other evidence of clearly superior achievement) plus three (3) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-13 level in the Federal service.
For the GS-13: You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
- Litigation experience, such as experience drafting complaints or other pleadings, drafting substantive motions (e.g., motion to dismiss, motion for summary judgment, or motion in limine), or conducting or responding to discovery, engaging in oral advocacy, or representing a client at a substantive hearing or trial; OR
- Experience providing legal advice to a high-level client; OR
- Experience conducting complex legal research and writing memoranda including discussing facts and legal authority, and providing legal recommendations or conclusions
For the GS-13, you must:
Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus three (3) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service.
OR
Have a second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus two (2) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service.
OR
Have a first professional law degree (LL.B., or J.D.), plus superior law student work (academic standing in upper 1/3 of the law school graduating class, high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, winning of a moot court competition with other law schools, significant work or achievement on the school's official law review, significant summer clerkship or other evidence of clearly superior achievement) plus two (2) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-12 level in the Federal service.
For the GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:
- Litigation experience, such as experience drafting complaints or other pleadings, drafting motions, or conducting or responding to discovery; OR
- Experience providing legal advice to clients, supervisors, and team members on various matters; OR
- Legal research and writing skills and experience giving oral presentations on legal matters.
For the GS-12, you must:
Have a professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) plus two (2) years of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-11 level in the Federal service.
OR
Have a second professional law degree (LL.M.) plus one (1) year of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-11 level in the Federal service.
OR
Have a first professional law degree (LL.B., or J.D.), plus superior law student work (academic standing in upper 1/3 of the law school graduating class, high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, winning of a moot court competition with other law schools, significant work or achievement on the school's official law review, significant summer clerkship or other evidence of clearly superior achievement) plus one (1) year of professional legal experience, at least one of which must be specialized experience at a level of difficulty comparable to the GS-11 level in the Federal service.
The experience may have been gained in either the public or private sector. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/date/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.
Education
Attorney positions do have an education requirement.
Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LL.B. or J.D. For positions with an education requirement, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. In addition you must provide proof of bar or your bar number in the vacancy questions.
The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.
Contacts
- Address Office of General Counsel
Administrative Resource Center
Parkersburg, WV 26101
US
- Name: Applicant Call Center
- Phone: 304-480-7300
- Email: [email protected]
Map