Trial Attorney (Reimbursable Detail)

The Department of Justice, Civil Division seeks current federally employed attorneys to serve on reimbursable details to Federal Programs Branch, beginning as early as March 23 and through September 30, 2027, with options to extend in increments of up to one year. Candidates are expected to perform the work in person, in accordance with current return to work and telework policies. Selected detailees must obtain their Office's approval and will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding.

Duties

The Federal Programs Branch of the Civil Division, Department of Justice ("FPB") represents virtually the entire Executive Branch in civil litigation. The Branch defends civil actions against the Executive Office of the President, Cabinet, and other government officials, and the approximately 100 federal agencies and departments in actions attacking the legality of government policies and decisions, principally in cases brought in the federal district courts.

Branch litigation is high-profile, fast-paced, and resource-intensive; the cases raise significant issues of national importance to complex nationwide class actions. It requires coordination with involved agencies, the White House, and the Department's leadership offices. Many Branch cases involve challenges to programs that are high priorities for the Executive Branch.

Trial attorneys in the Federal Programs Branch are generalists who participate in significant, often high-profile litigation across a broad range of practice areas. Trial Attorneys are expected to handle all phases of district court litigation, including taking and defending depositions, managing written discovery, conducting legal research and analysis, writing briefs and other documents, attending court conferences, arguing motions, and conducting trials. As part of their work, Trial Attorneys communicate regularly with client agencies, Department of Justice leadership, opposing counsel, and others. Trial Attorneys work on both individual and team cases in support of the Branch's and Department's mission of defending the interests of the United States.

FPB handles issues at the cutting edge of constitutional law, including the scope of the powers of Congress, the President, and the Federal Courts as well as the limitations imposed by the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Fourteenth Amendments. Some examples of our cases involve the decennial census, the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts, classified information and the protection of national security interests, terrorism financing and designation, and large-scale housing, education, health care, and agricultural programs. The Branch also represents the federal government, as the nation's largest employer, in employment litigation, including cases alleging discrimination under the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Rehabilitation Act, and cases alleging a variety of claims under the Civil Service Act and a panoply of labor laws. Although the majority of Branch litigation is defensive, the Branch brings affirmative proceedings to enjoin actions of state and local governments that conflict with the Supremacy Clause and to enforce a variety of agency statutory and regulatory powers.

This is not a remote location position. You will be required to work in person at an agency location on a full-time basis.

Salary

• $121,785 - $197,200/year

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• You will be required to complete a suitability review.
• This position does not require or provide a clearance. The applicant should be able to obtain a Top Secret clearance, if needed.
• It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace
• Must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by closing date
• Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable

Qualifications

Applicants must be a current federal attorney, possess a J.D. degree or equivalent, be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), have at least one year of post-JD legal experience (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience, be a current federal government Attorney and a U.S. citizen.

Applicants with proven advocacy and legal writing skills preferred. Experience drafting and arguing motions, handling discovery, taking, and defending depositions, developing expert witness testimony, and trying cases are highly desirable. You must also be a U.S. citizen.


Under a detail assignment, there is no change to the selectee's base pay. The position will be filled at the employee's current grade level.

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. Other 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 as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). DOJ EEO Statement/Policy: http://www.justice.gov/jmd/eeos/08-eeo-policy.pdf Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Schedule A: DOJ 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. DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: www.benderconsult.com. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov. Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement. Required Documents

ALL required documents must be submitted by the closing date of the job announcement.

• Cover Letter
• Resume showing relevant experience.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/19/2026 to receive consideration.
1. Click "Apply Online" to get started.
2. If you're not logged in to your USAJOBS account, you will need to login. If you don't have an account, please create one.
3. You will be prompted to select one of your stored (or uploaded) resumes, and any supporting documents you have uploaded to USAJOBS. If you have not uploaded these documents, you can do so later before submitting your application.
4. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, you will be asked to submit your demographic information (if you have provided this in your profile). Submission is optional and anonymous.
5. You'll be asked to confirm your choices and certify the accuracy of your information before you're able to continue to the Application Manager system. Until you see the blue border and DOJ logo, you are still on USAJOBS. You'll see a folder animation just before you leave USAJOBS.
6. Once you reach DOJ's Application Manager system, you'll be asked to verify the information you transmitted from USAJOBS. You will then respond to the application assessment questionnaires and indicate your eligibility options.
7. After responding to the questionnaires, you will have the opportunity to attach the documents you brought over from USAJOBS *OR* upload documents directly from your computer or device.
8. If you opt to upload a document directly, click the "Upload" button and select the document on your device, then wait for the upload to finish. Repeat as needed. Documents must be less than 3 MB each and should be in a compatible file format.
9. Once all your documents are uploaded, you must assign the uploads to the appropriate document category. You may attach more than one document to each category. Click the drop-down menu for a document category, and select one of the available options in the menu. The document will be listed under this category. You can click the drop-down again to add other documents, as needed. You can have up to 15 document assignments.
10. Once you've uploaded and assigned all your documents to an appropriate document type, you can proceed to the final verification step, and click Submit.
11. If you have correctly submitted your application, you will receive an automated e-mail notification within 30-60 minutes. Be sure to review the announcement fully to make sure that your application contains everything that is required.

If you need help with the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help Site (for everything on the USAJOBS-side), or the Application Manager Help Site (for everything on the DOJ-side).

Regrettably, the Department of Justice cannot assist you with USAJOBS account issues. If you contact us for assistance and the problem is related to your USAJOBS account, we will have to direct you to USAJOBS to remedy the issue.