U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION
TRIAL ATTORNEYS / GS-12 to GS-15
The Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, is seeking experienced attorneys to serve in various sections, located in Washington, D.C.
The Division is primarily responsible for enforcing federal statutes and executive orders that prohibit unlawful discrimination. Since the Division was established in 1957, it has played an important and exciting role in the passage and enforcement of our nation’s civil rights laws. The enforcement of these laws is carried out by various sections within the Division. The laws differ and prohibit discrimination on various bases, including race, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, citizenship, and disability. Discrimination on some of these bases is prohibited in voting, education, employment, credit, housing, police services, public accommodations and facilities, and federally funded and conducted programs. These laws also prohibit conduct by law enforcement agencies, as well as conditions in public residential institutions, such as health care and correctional facilities, that violate the constitution.
Additionally, the Division is charged with the enforcement of federal criminal statutes which prohibit the violation of individuals’ civil rights and interference with the exercise of other federally protected activities. The Division also enforces the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of national origin and citizenship status.
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar in good standing (any jurisdiction), and have at least one year post-JD legal experience.
Applicants must submit a resume, brief writing sample, and a current performance appraisal by one of the two following means:
∙ Fax – (202) 305-9667
Attention: 08-ATT-008
∙ E-mail – mailto:crd.attyvacancies@usdoj.gov
Subject line: 08-ATT-008
[DOJ employees who wish to e-mail their application may select
‘attyvacancies, CRD’ in the e-mail user listing]
In addition, applicants must rank the top three sections in the Division that they would like to work. These sections can be found on the Civil Rights Division website.
No telephone calls please. These positions are open until filled, through December 31, 2008. Faxes or e-mails received by the last day of each month will be considered for current vacancies. Although applications will be circulated monthly, they will be kept on file for six months. Current salary and years of specialized experience will determine the appropriate salary level within the GS-12 to GS-15 range ($69,764 through $149,000 per annum).
The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination based on color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, status as a parent, membership or nonmembership in an employee organization, or personal favoritism. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department 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 of Justice. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
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. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys’ Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. citizens are 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.
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 are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD-214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.
This and selected other legal position announcements can be found on the Internet at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.html.