Trial Attorney

The mission of the Antitrust Division is to promote competition by enforcing the antitrust laws to protect economic freedom and opportunity on behalf of the American people. The Antitrust Division has openings for Trial Attorneys to join its dedicated team and gain invaluable experience working in the public interest to protect the competitive process. Are you ready to contribute to matters of national importance that promote a competitive and productive American economy?

Duties

The United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, is seeking highly qualified attorneys to serve as Trial Attorneys in its Competition Policy and Advocacy (CPA) Section, for its office based in Washington, DC. The CPA Section provides expert internal guidance and external advocacy to further the Division's mission to promote competition. It engages with Division leadership and staff, consumers, business, and lawmakers in the state and federal governments. It plays a key role in developing the Division's guidance documents, such as the Merger Guidelines, and in promoting a whole-of-government competition policy in connection with other federal partners. The section's work on evolving issues of competition policy is typically fast paced and high profile.

The CPA Section serves a valuable range of functions for the Division: analyzing complex antitrust matters; advising on a wide range of civil and criminal antitrust policy issues, including agriculture, technology, healthcare, financial services, technology - including digital platforms and artificial intelligence - labor, intellectual property and standards; developing and supporting the Division's legislative work; analyzing the competitive effects of proposed state and federal laws and regulations; and developing and implementing short- and long-range policy projects and programs of interest to the Assistant Attorney General.

As an attorney in the CPA Section, responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Providing authoritative advice on all policy and legal issues to the Division Front Office;
• Working with and providing policy advice to the Division's litigating sections on investigations and litigations;
• Analyzing the competitive impact of draft federal and state laws and regulations; and
• Working on congressional, interagency, and international matters involving competition.

Work also often involves assignments on other Division matters where investigations and enforcement intersect with ongoing policy projects. The attorneys hired can expect a collegial and stimulating environment working with highly experienced attorneys and economists on cutting-edge matters as well as the satisfaction of serving the public interest.

Please note: Additional selections may be made beyond the total number of vacancies specified using this vacancy announcement. Further selections may also be made for additional organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.

Salary

• $121,785 - $197,200/year

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to be considered for this position.
• You may be required to complete a pre-employment security screening to initiate your background investigation, which includes a drug screening. Continued employment is contingent upon successful completion and adjudication of your investigation.
• You must submit a complete application package by the closing date of this announcement.
• SELECTIVE SERVICE: All male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service (see SSS.gov). If selected for this position, 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.
• This position is ineligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit.
• This is a full-time, non-supervisory appointment in the excepted service, subject to a one-or-two-year trial period in accordance with 5 CFR Part 11.
• The Antitrust Division participates in the E-Verify program.

Qualifications

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the position qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this position, your resume and supporting documentation will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration. To qualify, an applicant must:

1. Be a citizen of the United States;
2. Possess a J.D. or equivalent degree, be an active member of the bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least one and one-half years of post J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-13 level; two and one-half years of post J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-14 level, and/or at least four years of post J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-15 level;
3. Have superior writing, editing, oral communication, interpersonal and organizational skills; and
4. Possess substantial familiarity with competition law and policy.

A background in economics and/or public policy are beneficial.

You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education You must possess a J.D. or equivalent degree to qualify for consideration as a Trial Attorney for the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division. Other Information Additional information about the Antitrust Division can be found at http://www.justice.gov/atr/. Additional information about the Policy and Advocacy Programs can be found at https://www.justice.gov/atr/about-division/other-offices DOJ EEO Statement/Policy OPM Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement Veterans' Information Legal and Regulatory Guidance Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes:

1. A copy of your resume or equivalent - 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 and cover letter. Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences, as represented in their resume, clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position, and the competencies and technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position. A cover letter is optional.

RESUME REQUIREMENTS - ALL APPLICANTS: Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. You must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire. The federal government has very specific resume requirements. If you have not written a federal resume before, you may read through a helpful Resume Writing FAQ on the USAJOBS Help Site to learn what details you should, and should not, include in your resume. A CV (curriculum vitae) may not contain enough information to meet these resume requirements.

• Your resume should list all work experience (paid and unpaid); you must list the full name and address of each employer.
• For all types of work experience, indicate the start and end date (include month and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that you worked.
• Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).

2. A copy of your Law School Transcript(s) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. Applicants must be graduates of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.

3. Writing Sample/Brief (not to exceed 15 pages and reflecting your own work product with minimal editing by others).

4. Performance Appraisal (if a current federal employee) - issued within the last 12 months, or if none exists, a statement to that effect.

5. A copy of your latest SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if a current federal employee).

6. 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 Copy-4), 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.

• 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 under honorable conditions, 2) character of service, 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 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 online or call 1-800-827-1000.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 03/07/2026 to receive consideration.

• To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
• Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Please note: Applications mailed using government postage and/or internal federal government mailing systems are in violation of agency and postal regulations and will not be accepted.

These instructions outline our application process. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, you must contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Karen Jung by email at Karen.Jung@usdoj.gov or by phone at (202) 514-8885 to obtain an alternative application.

If you require a reasonable accommodation for disability during any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Karen Jung by phone at 202-514-8885 or by email at Karen.Jung@usdoj.gov. The Antitrust Division provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. You must contact us by 5:00 p.m. ET on the announcement's closing date to request accommodation. Callers with hearing or speech impairment can access their state's telecommunications relay service (TRS) to make TTY calls by dialing 7-1-1.