U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
CRIMINAL DIVISION
OFFICE OF OVERSEAS PROSECUTORIAL DEVELOPMENT,
ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING
EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY / GS-14 to GS-15 (Active Response Corps)
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: 09-CRM-OPDAT-013
The Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) seeks an Experienced Department Trial Attorney or Assistant U.S. Attorney to apply for a position as a Justice Integration Specialist in the Active Response Corps. This position will be filled as a reimbursable detail or by a full-time term appointment.
About the Office: A primary mission of the Department of Justice in support of the U.S. national security strategy is combating international terrorism and other forms of transnational crime (e.g., trafficking in persons, organized crime, public corruption, money laundering, narcotics, cyber crime, and intellectual property violations). To accomplish this mission, the Department must have effective partners abroad.
The fundamental interests of the United States are also served by the promotion of democracy and regional stability, and the establishment of rule of law overseas. To attain these goals, the Justice Department must continue to help develop effective foreign law enforcement and justice sector institutions and partnerships.
The Active Response Corps (ARC) is intended to be the “first responder” capability among the Department’s corps of experts who have stepped forward to be on the cutting edge of justice sector engagements in future stabilization and reconstruction missions.
Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: The Justice Sector Integration Specialist in the Active Response Opportunities Offered: Corps may carry out responsibilities concerning a range of functions relating to the effective integration of the existing institutions, structures, entities and processes involved in the administration of criminal and civil justice in a host country. The Justice Sector Integration Specialist aids in the processes to assess justice systems and practices, including traditional, community, tribal and religious legal practices, and formal and informal civil and common law dispute resolution mechanisms and practices. Having ascertained the desires of the host country and consistent with them, the Justice Sector Integration Specialist assists in rationalizing and optimizing the efforts of those U.S. government and third country donors who are or may be providing support.
Each CRC-A member will have stabilization and reconstruction related assignments and professional development requirements. Each CRC-A member will be called upon to deploy at short notice from a usual assignment location to a designated overseas location when a U.S. government engagement requires a surge of U.S. government civilian expertise. After a period of initial functional and readiness training, each ARC member may be utilized for varying professional development assignments overseas, but should always be prepared for an emergency stabilization and reconstruction deployment for one period of up to180 days during any two year period of service in the CRC-A. CRC-A members will be asked to participate in initial reconstruction and stabilization training provided by the State Department beginning in the Spring of 2009 in order to hone and maintain their skills for deployment service. The operational readiness of the CRC-A is maintained through an integrated training, exercise, and professional development program. In addition to providing all personnel related expenses, the State Department underwrites the training costs and the deployment/TDY costs of the activated CRC-A members. Applicants are advised that each CRC-A member may be utilized for varying professional assignments domestically and overseas.
Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a State, territory, or the District of Columbia. Applicants must be a current Department of Justice trial attorney and must have at least four or five years of post J.D. experience to be qualified at the GS-14 or 15 level. Applicants must have the ability to function effectively in an international, multi-cultural environment; be mature and self-sufficient; communicate effectively orally and in writing; be able to efficiently initiate and manage work projects; and possess extensive prosecutorial experience. Members of the CRC-A must satisfy a State Department Class I medical clearance process and will be required to maintain an appropriate level of physical fitness as CRC-A deployments may be more physically demanding than other duties, domestic or overseas.Preferred Qualifications: Comparative law experience with foreign criminal justice systems and a general professional proficiency in one or more foreign languages are desirable attributes.
Application Process: Interested candidates should, as soon as possible, submit a completed Active Response Corps Applicant Cover Sheet (which can be found at the bottom of this listing), a resume, and a listing of three references to Mr. Carl Alexandre, Director, Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 10th and Pennsylvania Aves, NW, Washington, DC 20530. Faxed submissions are also acceptable. Mr. Alexandre’s fax number is (202) 616-8429.
Deadline Date: Applications will be accepted until filled.
Salary Information: Current salary and years of litigation experience will determine the appropriate salary. The possible salary range is GS-14 ($102,721 -$133,543 per annum) to GS-15 ($120,830 - $153, 200 per annum).
Internet Sites: This and selected other legal position announcements can be found on the Internet at: http://www.usdoj.gov/careers/oarm/
Department Policies: 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 sex, sexual orientation, color, race, religion, national origin, politics, marital status, disability, age, 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.
The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.
Active Response Corps (ARC) Applicant Cover Sheet
1. Name:
2. Home Address:
3. Business Address:
4. Contact Numbers:
5. Email address (work and personal):
6. Grade:
7. Work specialty:
8. Languages (include proficiency level 1 thru 5):
9. Military experience (Y/N; if Y, specify MOS or expertise & deployments):
10. International organization experience:
11. Previous foreign country experience (specify length of assignments/living experience):
12. Reconstruction & Stabilization training courses completed (list course numbers, title and date of completion):
13. Other relevant training/experience/individual skills:
14. Reconstruction & Stabilization Sectoral Skills (list all sectors that apply: Security, Justice and Reconciliation, Humanitarian and Social Well-being, Governance and Participation, Management /Logistics, Technical Support Skills):