The Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Torts Branch is seeking experienced trial attorneys with varying degrees of relevant experience for positions with Constitutional and Specialized Tort Litigation, located in Washington, D.C. Attorneys in this office represent individual federal employees who face personal liability as a result of their on-the-job conduct. The Constitutional Torts Staff also defends claims brought against the government under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Duties

This position offers a unique and challenging experience in public service. It is one of the few positions in which a government attorney's clients include individuals with whom the attorney has a personal attorney­ client relationship. The majority of cases involve claims for damages against individual federal employees who are personally sued for alleged constitutional violations under the authority of Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), but attorneys are responsible for all manner of cases involving individual liability. Constitutional Tort attorneys typically handle cases involving complex legal questions and often litigate cutting-edge questions of constitutional law. Attorneys also play a vital role in the administrative processing of requests for representation from federal employees nationwide; and provide guidance to U.S. Attorneys' Offices on the immunities and individual defenses that are available to federal officials sued personally for job-related acts. The office represents federal employees in the U.S. District Courts nationwide, with a practice which emphasizes complex dispositive motions; however, attorneys are also involved in discovery and taking cases to trial and evaluating appellate issues.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• May require completion of a 14-month temporary appointment, subject to extension, pending the completion and adjudication of your background check.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance with eligibility for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access depending on organizational assignment / duty location.
• Upon conversion to a permanent appointment with the Department, all Department attorneys are subject to a two year trial period.
• 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.
• Financial Disclosure: If selected, you will be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.

Qualifications

Applicants must be a graduate from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Applicants must have at least 1.5 years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-13 level; have at least 2.5 years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-14 level; and four (4) years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-15 level (other factors are taken into consideration as well, such as litigation experience, relevance of experience to our practice area, etc.). You must also be a U.S. citizen. Applicants should be outstanding writers, have strong interpersonal skills, exhibit good judgment, and have an interest in litigation. Experience with federal court motions practice is preferred. The ideal candidate would also be interested in developing expertise in all and have relevant experience in several of the following areas: dealing with individual clients; representing public officials; asserting personal defenses by way of complex dispositive motions; defending a variety of statutory, common law, constitutional or civil rights claims; handling discovery and preparing cases for trial; analyzing appellate issues. Experience handling criminal defense or medical malpractice work is a plus. Applicants should enjoy working independently and as part of a team, feel comfortable in varied federal courtroom settings, and enjoy occasional travel. Applicants must exhibit the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with clients, staff, attorney supervisors, and Department officials.

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.

OR

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Civil Division 1100 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20530 US
• Name: Tracey Moore
• Phone: 202-880-0187
• Email: [email protected]