Closing Date: 27th May, 2026

Description:

Summary:
The Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch seeks Lead Trial Attorneys to oversee high-impact affirmative litigation that protects public health and safety and ensures nationwide compliance with federal law. The Branch handles cutting-edge matters enforcing consumer protection statutes and challenging laws that undermine federal policy. For attorneys seeking impactful public service, the Branch offers a front-line role in the Department's major civil enforcement initiatives.

Duties:
The Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch safeguards Americans' health, safety, economic security, and data privacy through proactive enforcement and high-impact affirmative litigation. The Branch's mission is to bring affirmative litigation to enforce federal laws and regulations, enjoin actions that conflict with or violate federal law, obtain declaratory judgments regarding the laws of the United States, and seek monetary penalties where appropriate.

The Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch is seeking Lead Trial Attorneys to supervise a broad range of affirmative civil litigation. The Branch is structured into two sections: an Enforcement Section that pursues cases under key consumer protection and public-safety statutes, and an Affirmative Litigation Section that files lawsuits against state, local, or private actors to ensure nationwide compliance with federal law.

The incumbent serves as a Lead Trial Attorney, with an organizational title of Senior Litigation Counsel, Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch, Civil Division, Department of Justice. The incumbent reports to the Assistant Director, supervises Trial Attorneys, and Paralegal Specialists, and serves as lead attorney on more complex or difficult cases. If selected you may, at the discretion of the Director or designee, be assigned work in both the Affirmative and Enforcement Sections, or other areas of the Branch, that involves supervising the work of attorneys in those areas.

The incumbent provides expertise, leadership, and mentoring of Trial Attorneys in accomplishing work involving preparation for and carrying out litigation; assists Trial Attorneys through sharing of knowledge and experience; assigns and reviews work; and apprises the Assistant Director and Deputy Director, Affirmative Litigation Section, of attorneys' progress, performance, training needs, and other issues. The incumbent is accountable for results of the work performed by the assigned attorneys.

The incumbent prepares for and conducts hearings, settlement negotiations, and trials of complex cases; prepares memoranda such as pleadings, motions, briefs, and other documents on the basis of factual and legal research; participates in pretrial and prehearing conferences; conducts trials and presents oral arguments in federal courts, state courts, and administrative proceedings, as appropriate; provides advice to Trial Attorneys; handles appellate litigation, as necessary; reviews and analyzes facts and develops evidence during the preparation of assigned cases. This involves handling difficult and complex cases in which legal principles are not clearly established or where they are novel.

The incumbent also confers with the Assistant Director and Deputy Director of the Section to identify the policy of the Department in related litigation; applies the theory of the government's cases, determines applicable legal principles to a given statement of facts, selects and examines witnesses, and plans trial strategy and appropriate techniques; works closely with U.S. Attorneys' Offices on enforcement and litigation matters; participates in discussions with opposing counsel and in the formulation of settlements often having far-reaching legal consequences; makes recommendations with respect to proposed changes in legislation relating to provisions of law; provides advice concerning legal and policy questions related to statutes administered by the office; advises and consults with the Assistant Director and Deputy Director of the Section to report on the status of cases and matters related to legal issues within the assigned area of litigation; maintains personal contacts and works closely with officials and employees of the Section, Branch, Division, officials and employees of the Department, other government agencies, and the public on litigation and policy-related matters; responds to inquiries from the White House, Congress, federal departments and agencies, state and local authorities, and private individuals on matters within the scope of assigned statutory responsibilities; as requested, performs special legal and administrative projects requiring broad experience and sound judgement; and performs other job-related duties, as assigned.
This is not a remote location position. You will be required to work in person five days a week.

Requirements:
Conditions of Employment:

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
Must complete a Background Investigation to include drug testing
Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable
May require completion of a 2-year trial period. (Please refer to the trial period statement under Qualifications.)
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance with eligibility for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access depending on organizational assignment / duty location.
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.
Financial Disclosure: If selected, you will be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
May require completion of a fourteen month temporary appointment, subject to extension, pending the completion and adjudication of your background check.

Qualifications:
Interested applicants must possess a J.D., or equivalent, degree, be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and be an active member of the bar in good standing. Possessing the minimum post law degree legal experience does not guarantee the applicant will be selected at that grade level.

To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must have minimum 4 years post-JD legal experience

Preferred Qualifications Applicants must have excellent academic credentials and outstanding advocacy and legal writing skills. Experience supervising teams and leading investigations and litigation, drafting and revising dispositive motions, and overseeing discovery are highly desirable. Successful applicants will be highly motived, exhibit sound judgment and creativity, and have several years of active litigation and supervisory experience. Judicial clerkship experience and familiarity with constitutional challenges and the enforcement of federal laws is strongly preferred.

Trial Period Statement As a condition of employment for accepting this position in accordance with section 11.5 of Executive Order 14284, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

your performance and conduct;
the needs and interests of the agency;
whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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 www.ed.gov.

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 Https://www.Ed.Gov/about/initiatives/international-Affairs/recognition-Of-Foreign-Qualifications

All Documentation Must Be in English or Include an English Translation.

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: Http://www.Opm.Gov/policy-Data-Oversight/veterans-Services/vet-Guide/.

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