Summary The Environmental Torts Litigation Section is responsible for the defense of the United States in toxic tort litigation seeking monetary judgments for personal injuries and property damages. Other responsibilities of the Section include representing the United States in certain appellate matters, participating in the administrative claims procedures mandated by the FTCA, and conducting training and educational programs for Federal employees. Responsibilities About the Office The Civil Division is the largest litigating component in the Department of Justice (Department), with over 2,000 employees. Each office within the Division handles cases worth millions, sometimes billions, of dollars, as well as cases that involve legal issues of great national importance, including matters of national security, separation of powers, and immigration. The Division also defends against constitutional challenges to Federal statutes, substantive and procedural challenges to agency regulations and Executive Branch initiatives, and tort actions brought against Federal employees and agencies, among many other kinds of defensive litigation. In addition, the Division handles an array of affirmative enforcement matters, including in the areas of civil fraud, government ethics, Federal preemption, and consumer protection. The Torts Branch is the principal guardian of the public fisc at the Department and defends the United States and its employees against tort suits, which cumulatively seek billions of dollars in monetary damages each year. The responsibilities of the Branch are divided between four functional sections: the ETL Section, the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Section, the Constitutional and Specialized Torts Litigation Section, and the Aviation, Space, and Admiralty Section. Duties The Environmental Torts Section, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice is responsible for the defense of matters in complex, high stakes civil litigation in federal courts nationwide. Its attorneys directly handle all aspects of wrongful death, personal injury, and property damage cases that often involve hundreds, even thousands, of plaintiffs. The cases typically stem from alleged exposure to environmental contaminants, such as biological agents, chemicals, and other substances. They also involve complex issues of causation, novel issues of federal and state law, and numerous expert witnesses. Given its unique expertise, the section has primary litigation responsibility for all suits brought against the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act where the alleged injuries/damages are attributed to some form of an environmental contaminant. Many of the section's cases are litigated as mass torts or multidistrict litigation matters. Mass tort cases being litigated by the section relate to: alleged damage to water systems and personal injury claims due to the military's use of per-fluorinated compounds in firefighting; personal injury claims stemming from EPA's oversight of state and local entities involved in the Flint water crisis; damage and personal injury claims related to a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio; damages alleged to be caused by a jet fuel leak from the Navy's underground Red Hill Bulk Storage Facility near Pearl Harbor, HI; and damages from alleged contamination and remediation at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Handling complex jurisdictional questions, devising creative case-management solutions, and analyzing overlapping issues of history, law, and science are often the norm. This is not a remote location position. You will be required to work in person five days a week. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent), be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), be a U.S. citizen, and possess at least 1 year post J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience. The minimum years of post-law degree experience commensurate with the grade level of eligibility is shown below. Possessing the minimum post law degree legal experience does not guarantee the applicant will be selected at that grade level. GS-13 - minimum 1.5 years post-JD legal experience GS-14 - minimum 2.5 years post-JD legal experience GS-15 - minimum 4 years post-JD legal experience Examples of the experience described above 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. Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Preferred qualifications: Applicants should also have excellent academic credentials and outstanding advocacy and legal writing skills. Experience arguing motions, handling discovery, developing expert witness testimony, trying cases, and a federal judicial clerkship are highly desirable.??????? 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 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.
