Deputy Branch Chief (Litigation Branch)

About the role

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities. Our highly-skilled, diverse, and innovative workforce creates a strong foundation of safety and security. Through the principles of humanity and normalcy, we develop good neighbors.

What you will do

• The mission of the Litigation Branch is to provide support to attorneys in the Department of Justice (DOJ) components and in the U.S. Attorney's Offices on cases filed in the District of Columbia and cases having a national impact on Bureau programs and policies.
• The litigation covers a wide variety of issues, such as constitutional challenges, tort claims, and injunctive relief.
• The Litigation Branch also works with and advises the Assistant Director/General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, Assistant Directors, Regional Directors, and Wardens, and their management staff on issues related to Bureau litigation.
• The Litigation Branch is responsible for analyzing all adverse decisions against the Bureau to determine if appeal is warranted; this entails working closely with DOJ appellate attorneys and attorneys in the Solicitor General's Office.
• The Litigation Branch reviews cases before the Supreme Court and advises attorneys in the Solicitor General's Office of the Bureau's position.
• Nationwide, the branch reviews and obtains settlement authority for cases and claims above a certain dollar amount.
• The Litigation Branch also oversees claims filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act and recovers funds owed to the agency pursuant to the Federal Claims Collection Act and the Medical Care Recovery Act.
• The Deputy Associate General Counsel of the Litigation Branch assists the Associate General Counsel in the management of the Branch.
• Based on the needs of the Branch, the Deputy Associate General Counsel of the Litigation Branch could, for example, be responsible for supervising other Litigation Branch attorneys and staff, managing the Branch's workflow, and standing in for the Associate General Counsel upon request.
• The incumbent also would likely develop the incumbent's own areas of subject-matter expertise and perform other functions as needed, including, but not limited to, providing direct litigation support to Assistant U.S. Attorney's and DOJ attorneys and handling a caseload.
• Like the Associate General Counsel and other Litigation Branch attorneys, the Deputy Associate General Counsel would be responsive to internal and external stakeholders and might be expected to provide training in a variety of subject areas and settings.
• The Practice areas related to this position are: Correctional Law, Constitutional Law and Administrative Law.

Requirements

• There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.
• Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions.
• Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, *** for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s).
• Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
• Key Requirements: See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
• Selective Service Requirement: *** U.S. Citizenship is Required.

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement.

Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable).

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, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

How you will be evaluated

This position is processed under Direct Hire, veteran's preference and Category Rating procedures do not apply. Applicants will be evaluated utilizing the documentation submitted and considered for the grade level in which the resume and/or educational transcripts supports.

Documents you must provide

• Resume limited to 2 pages showing relevant experience (cover letter optional).
• Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, etc.) To receive credit for experience contained in an application, the experience must be documented: Reflecting start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND Include the number of hours worked per week.
• College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable).
• NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.
• SF-50: for proof of prior LEO coverage, if applicable.
• Cover letter highlighting relevant experience Resume (not to exceed two pages) Law school transcripts Performance Evaluation List of references Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration.

Benefits

The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.

To learn more, please visit the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment.

Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement.

What to expect next

Applicants must submit a cover letter highlighting relevant experience, resume (not to exceed two pages), most recent performance evaluation, and list of references by November 6, 2026, to Renee Fornshill, Branch Chief, Litigation Branch at ***.

Please include in the subject line "Deputy Branch Chief - November 2026."

Additional information

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution. If you are above the maximum entry age and have prior federal law enforcement coverage, you must submit an SF-50 to verify prior coverage.

Qualified Preference Eligible Veterans may be exempt from meeting the maximum age. A prerequisite requirement of this position is the successful completion of 'Introduction to Correctional Techniques, Phase I' locally and, the satisfactory completion of a mandatory course in 'Introduction to Correctional Techniques, Phase II' at the Staff Training Academy.

Special Conditions of Employment Section: 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, ***).

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 must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years.

The three-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.

This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.

All applicants are subject to, and must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements in relation to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check and must pass a review of their income tax filing history.

Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications.

In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.