Trial Attorney (T-ASA)

About the role

The Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation Section seeks attorneys to defend the United States, Executive Office of the President, and agencies in cases challenging the legality of policies and actions brought in federal district courts. The branch's work touches on many areas of government.

What you will do

• The Aviation, Space & Admiralty Litigation Section of the Torts Branch handles aviation, space, and maritime cases and claims.
• Client agencies include the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, all military services including the Navy and the Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration, NASA, NSA, and the Departments of State, Interior, Transportation, and Commerce.
• In its aviation practice, the Section defends the United States in wrongful death, serious personal injury, and extensive property damage actions arising from aircraft accidents.
• Federal activities giving rise to these lawsuits include air traffic control, military aviation operations, weather dissemination, charting of obstacles, operation of navigational aids, and certification of aircraft, airports, and air personnel.
• Since its establishment, the Section has litigated all commercial airline accident cases involving the United States, including the current litigation arising out of this year's D.C. midair tragedy.
• The Section is also responsible for litigation arising from space launch or space vehicle incidents; the Section handled litigation and claims arising from the Space Shuttle Columbia and Challenger disasters, for example.
• In its admiralty practice, the Section represents the United States in the government's role as ship-owner, regulator, and protector of the nation's waterways and maritime resources.
• Its admiralty litigation concerns collisions involving U.S. vessels and warships, grounding of vessels while using U.S. government-produced charts, challenges to the boarding of vessels on the high seas during national security and drug interdiction activities, and maritime-based pollution incidents, including oil spills.
• Affirmative admiralty actions seek compensation for damage to maritime infrastructure, damage to natural resources, and the costs associated with maritime pollution cleanups.

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 ***

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 *** All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications. Your application will be evaluated by a reviewing panel. Please Note: The Selecting Official may select additional candidates if more positions become available within 120 days after the closing date of the vacancy.

Documents you must provide

• Cover Letter Resume showing relevant experience (not to exceed 2 pages) Writing Sample (not more than 10 pages in length, and written in the past 3 years) DD-214 and/or veteran documentation, (if applicable)

What to expect next

Once the application package is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. All qualified applications will be sent to the hiring official for review. You will be contacted directly if an interview is desired.

Additional information

Veteran Preference: If you are entitled to or claim veterans' preference (VP), you should indicate the type of veteran preference (5 or 10 points) you are claiming on your resume. In order to determine your eligibility, you can find additional information at: ***

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 Veterans' 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).

DOJ EEO Statement/Policy: *** Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly.

Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Schedule A: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department.

DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to ***, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: ***

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: ***

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: 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.