Assistant Attorney; Civil

The Department of Justice (DOJ) leads the nation in ensuring the protection of all Americans while preserving their constitutional freedoms. As a Justice employee you'll be a member of a team where you can achieve your career goals and apply your skills and talents to our important mission. Read more about the exciting opportunities available. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

• Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least one year post‑J.D. legal or other relevant experience.
• United States citizenship is required.

• Ideal qualifications include at least 3 or more years of post-J.D. experience litigating cases in federal or state courts, with substantial responsibility for all aspects of discovery and trial in civil matters.
• The ideal candidate also will have substantial experience conducting discovery, legal writing and oral advocacy experience, legal practice in federal court (or a federal court clerkship), and/or experience handling settlement negotiations.
• Applicants should have a strong work ethic, excellent research and writing skills, as well as strong oral advocacy skills to represent the DOJ in a variety of contexts including, but not limited to, court hearings, depositions/interviews, and settlement conferences.
• Applicants will be expected to do their own legal research and writing and will be substantially self‑sufficient in preparing day‑to‑day correspondence and pleadings. Applicants must also demonstrate excellent computer literacy skills to include experience with automated research on the Internet, electronic court filing, and electronic e‑mail and word processing systems.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non‑competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with targeted/severe disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department's Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position.

See list of DPOCs.

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. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non‑citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see https://).

Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee's Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non‑U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non‑U.S. citizens is 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. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates who have lived outside the United States for two or more of the past five years will likely have difficulty being approved for appointments by the Department Security Staff.

The two‑year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement.