The Torts Branch is responsible for the defense of the United States and its employees in tort litigation seeking monetary judgments for damages resulting from negligent or wrongful acts. The Branch also prosecutes a significant number of affirmative tort claims to recover for damages to government property. Other responsibilities include participating in administrative claims procedures mandated by the Federal Tort Claims Act, and administering other federally-mandated compensation programs.

Duties

The Environmental Torts Litigation Section, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice defends the United States in complex, high stakes civil litigation in federal courts nationwide. Its attorneys directly handle all aspects of wrongful death, personal injury, and property damage cases that often involve hundreds, even thousands, of plaintiffs. The cases typically stem from alleged exposure to environmental contaminants, such as biological agents, chemicals, and other substances. They also involve complex issues of causation, novel issues of federal and state law, and numerous expert witnesses. Given its unique expertise, the section has primary litigation responsibility for all suits brought against the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act where the alleged injuries/damages are attributed to some form of an environmental contaminant. Many of the section's cases are litigated as mass torts or multidistrict litigation matters. Mass tort cases being litigated by the section relate to: alleged damage to water systems and personal injury claims due to the military's use of per-fluorinated compounds in firefighting; personal injury claims stemming from EPA's oversight of state and local entities involved in the Flint water crisis; personal injury claims related to a fuel spill at a Navy refueling facility in Hawaii; personal injury claims related to alleged groundwater contamination at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and, damages from alleged contamination and remediation at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Handling complex jurisdictional questions, devising creative case-management solutions, and analyzing overlapping issues of history, law, and science are often the norm. At capacity, the section is comprised of approximately forty-five attorneys and ten members of support staff.

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 possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), 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. You must also be a U.S. citizen. Applicants should also have excellent academic credentials and outstanding advocacy and legal writing skills. Experience arguing motions, handling discovery, developing expert witness testimony, trying cases, and a federal judicial clerkship are highly desirable.

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]