ATTORNEY VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION WILDLIFE AND MARINE RESOURCES SECTION GS-12/15 OPEN: AUGUST 27, 2008 CLOSE: SEPTEMBER 19, 2008 VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: ENRD-08-073-EXC

ATTORNEY VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION
WILDLIFE AND MARINE RESOURCES SECTION
GS-12/15
OPEN: August 27, 2008
CLOSE: September 19, 2008
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER:
ENRD-08-073-EXC

About the Office: The Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking experienced litigators for its Wildlife and Marine Resources Section ("WMRS" or "Section") in Washington, DC.

The Wildlife and Marine Resources Section The Wildlife and Marine Resources Section litigates complex civil cases under federal wildlife laws and laws concerning the protection of marine fish and mammals, including the Endangered Species Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Section’s clients include a broad range of federal regulatory and resource management agencies, including the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Army Corps of Engineers. For more information about the Environment & Natural Resources Division, visit the Justice Department's web site at: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/.

Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: The Wildlife and Marine Resources Section primarily handles civil defensive litigation involving challenges to rulemakings and decisions by agencies charged with implementing the various wildlife statutes and to decisions or actions of federal agencies taken to comply with such statutes. Attorneys in the Section are assigned a docket of multiple cases and appear regularly in Federal District Courts throughout the country. Experienced litigators in the Section are given first-chair responsibility for all aspects of their cases including drafting procedural and dispositive motions, handling written and oral discovery when needed, conducting settlement negotiations, defending emergency motions, including examination of witnesses when necessary, and presenting oral argument. Attorneys in the Section also counsel client agencies on their compliance with statutes under the Section’s jurisdiction. The work of the Section is varied and often affords attorneys the opportunity to be involved in some of the most complex and important cases currently arising in this area of the law. Applicants should possess strong legal writing and reasoning abilities and be comfortable with general principles of federal jurisdiction and federal civil procedure.

Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree; be an active member of the bar (any jurisdiction), and have at least three years of post-J.D. legal experience. Experience in litigation and/or environmental law is highly desirable.

Travel: Some travel is required.

Salary Information: Current salary and years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level. The possible salary range is GS-12 ($69,764 – $90,698), GS-13 ($82,961-$107,854), GS-14 ($98,033-$127,442) and GS-15($115,317 - $149,000) per annum.

Location: Washington, DC

Terms of Appointment: Permanent. Selected attorneys are eligible for employment benefits such as health and life insurance, the FERS retirement program, paid vacation and sick leave, and a public transportation subsidy.

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Submission Process and Deadline Date: Applications must be received by Friday, September 19, 2008. Applicants must submit a current resume or an OF-612 (Optional Application for Federal Employment) a cover letter highlighting relevant experience and a writing sample to:

U.S. Department of Justice, ENRD
Wildlife and Marine Resources Section
P.O. Box 7369
Ben Franklin Station
Washington, D.C. 20044-7369
Attn: Wanda Davis

Applications will also be received by FAX at (202) 305-0275 OR applications may be sent via overnight delivery to:

U.S. Department of Justice, ENRD
Wildlife and Marine Resources Section
601 D Street, N.W.
Room 3905
Washington, D.C. 20004
Attn: Wanda Davis

No telephone calls, please.

Internet Sites: For more information about the Environment & Natural Resources Division, visit the Justice Department's web site at: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/.
This and other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.html

Department Policies: Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed. See 28 U.S.C. § 545 for district-specific information.

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.