Attorneys enforce civil and criminal environmental laws, defend the United States against environmental challenges to government programs and activities, and represent the United States in matters concerning the protection, use and development of the nation’s natural resources and public lands.

Attorneys in the Environment and Natural Resources Division can expect to become intimately and immediately involved in a wide variety of environmental litigation, personally handle settlement negotiations, travel across the country taking depositions and negotiating consent decrees, and assist senior attorneys in major cases.

Training

Specialized programs have been developed to acquaint new employees with the Division and their work in environmental law. These programs include both individual and group orientation sessions, luncheon presentations by senior managers, section retreats, and seminars on a variety of topics, relating both to legal practice generally and to particular substantive areas of the laws we enforce. In addition, the Division regularly sponsors nationwide seminars on environmental and natural resources law topics.

Entry Level Attorneys

The Attorney General’s Honors Program is Justice’s competitive, centralized recruitment program that is the only way for new attorneys (i.e., third-year law students and students who enter judicial clerkships, graduate law programs, or qualifying fellowships within 9 months of law school graduation) to enter Justice in an attorney position.

“After 19 years as an attorney with ENRD, I can say with a great deal of pride that I still love my job! Each of us has the special opportunity to ensure that individuals and companies throughout the country comply with all the laws that have been enacted to protect our nation's environment.”

Daniel Dooher, Attorney Environmental Crimes Section

 

Closing	Job Summary	Agency	Location	Salary
11/5/2012	Deputy Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section The Environmental Enforcement Section (EES) is the largest litigating section in the Environment and Natural Resources Division and one of the largest in the Department of Justice. The Deputy Chief is one of two in EES who oversee a staff of attorneys and legal support who are responsible for bringing civil judicial actions under most federal laws enacted to protect public health and the environment from the adverse effects ...[more] Vacancy Ann. #: ENRD-12-059 EXC Who May Apply: Public Pay Plan: ES-0905-00 Appointment Term: Permanent Job Status: Full-Time Opening Date: 10/5/2012 Salary: $119,554.00 to $179,700.00 / Per Year	Offices, Boards and Divisions	US-DC-Washington	$119,554.00
10/12/2012	Attorney The Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) of the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking an experienced litigator for its Appellate Section for apart-time position in Washington, DC. The attorney selected willl handle cases involving such subject matters as: air, water, and solid waste regulation; hazardous substance cleanups; public land and forest management; water rights; Indian treaty rights and Indian gaming; land condemnation; Fifth Amendment takings; fish and wildlife conservation; and criminal environmental prosecutions. ...[more] Vacancy Ann. #: ENRD-12-040-EXC Who May Apply: Public Pay Plan: GS-13 /15 Appointment Term: Term Job Status: Part-Time Opening Date: 9/28/2012 Salary: $89,033 - $155,500 per annum	Offices, Boards and Divisions	US-DC-Washington	$89,033