Trial Attorney (Digital Currency)

The incumbent of this position serves as a Trial Attorney for the Digital Currency Initiative in the Special Financial Investigations Unit of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS)

Duties

As a Trial Attorney, and in partnership with other members of the Digital Currency Initiative, the incumbent:

• Serves as a subject matter expert on digital currency and blockchain technologies for the Criminal Division.
• Identifies criminal prosecution, professional money launderers, money transmitters, gatekeepers and financial institutions that utilize digital currency and works with investigators and MLARS' litigating units to pursue these targets.
• Under certain circumstances prosecutes criminal and civil matters of national significance involving offenders who utilize digital currency.
• Coordinates national and international money laundering and forfeiture actions related to digital currency with and through law enforcement agencies and other Department of Justice components.
• Works closely with U.S. Attorney's Offices, Department components, and investigative agencies involved in digital currency investigations to develop a comprehensive, nationwide strategy in which information and evidence is exchanged, investigative actions are coordinated, and the indictments, arrests, forfeiture actions, and prosecutions are planned and coordinated.
• Provides advice and expertise to MLARS' Policy Unit on legislative and regulatory matters and works with the Policy and Program Management Units to propose and develop guidance and policy relating to digital currency prosecutions and forfeitures, as needed.
• Advises and instructs federal agents and prosecutors on complex questions of law related to digital currency to inform litigation decisions and prosecutorial strategies and to maximize asset recovery, including but not limited to reviewing search and seizure warrants, restraining orders, criminal forfeiture allegations, indictments, and other pleadings.
• Develops and maintains relationships with partners at the U.S. Attorney's Offices, other litigating components and offices, and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that investigate and prosecute digital currency cases, as well as with partners at regulatory agencies, the intelligence community, and private industry.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

Salary

• $123,041 - $159,950/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to qualify for this position.
• You must undergo a pre-employment security investigation.
• All male applicants born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the selective service. If selected, the applicant must sign a statement certifying his registration, or the applicant must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
• DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• This position has supervisory/managerial responsibilities. A one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period is required upon selection. This may be waived if you have successfully completed the supervisory/managerial probationary period.
• You will be required to sign a mobility agreement.

Qualifications Required 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. To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must have at least four (4) years post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: independently performing legal analysis; composing pleadings, briefs and other court documents involving unique and/or difficult legal issues in civil or criminal litigation; conducting highly complex civil or criminal litigation; and leading paralegals and support staff.

Preferred Qualifications:
Qualifications will be further evaluated based upon the following:

• Extensive knowledge pertaining to digital currencies and blockchain technology.
• Knowledge of money laundering and asset forfeiture law.
• At least five (5) years' trial experience as a prosecutor or trial attorney handling criminal matters.
• Experience investigating criminal matters involving complex or sensitive law enforcement techniques.

Education A J.D., or equivalent, degree. Applicants who possess an equivalent degree rather than a J.D. may be subject to additional review by the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management. Other Information

Additional selections may be made from this vacancy announcement to fill vacancies that occur subsequent to this announcement.

The Criminal Division participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, on the basis of personal favoritism, or any non merit factor. 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. Additional information on DOJ's EEO policy can be found on our website.

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.

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please reach out to criminal.crmjobs@usdoj.gov or (202) 514-0361 for alternative application procedures.

Required Documents

See "How to Apply"

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes the Assessment Questionnaire, and the Required Documents indicated below. The Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on November 29, 2024.

You are strongly encouraged to convert your resume to an Adobe PDF file prior to submitting your application, especially if you are submitting using a Mac system. Resumes not pre-converted to a PDF file will undergo conversion by the system. This conversion process may cause some formatting changes to your resume, including line and page break errors. To ensure your submitted resume does not display with formatting issues, please submit your resume as a PDF. This error does not affect USAjobs resumes.

A complete application package must include:

1. Cover Letter (highlighting relevant experience).
2. Resume - Applicants will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of experience or related education as reflected in their resume. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position. Resumes of any length will be accepted, however only information contained in the first five (5) pages will be reviewed against the position requirements. Please ensure all information you believe is qualifying for the position is contained in the first five pages, or you may be marked ineligible. Additionally, your resume must include the following information for each job listed: month and year, start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008), and full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week).
3. Assessment Questionnaire (you will be prompted to complete this when you apply online).
4. Documentation of eligibility for special hiring authorities (if applicable) to prove appointment eligibility. Examples include: Schedule A disability letter, Peace Corps volunteer letter, military spouse hiring authority documentation, etc.
5. Current or Former Political Appointees (if applicable) - please note on your resume and attach an SF-50. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office.
6. Schedule A Documentation (if applicable) - The Criminal Division welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and 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. The Criminal Division also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes directly to the Criminal Division disability POC Areli Parada, at Areli.Parada@usdoj.gov.
7. Veterans Preference Documentation (if applicable):

• If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives at www.archives.gov/veterans.
• If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, and 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
• If you are a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or mother or spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit a completed SF-15 http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf and all additional proof required by the SF-15, as applicable. If you don't have your Department of Veterans Affairs letter establishing proof of disability, you may request it at http://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ or call 1-800-827-1000.

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire.

Please ensure you click the "Submit My Answers" button at the end of the process.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits