About this role
Job SummaryThe Environmental Torts Litigation Section seeks attorneys to defend the United States, Executive Office of the President, and agencies in cases challenging the legality of policies and actions brought in federal district courts. Work touches on many areas of government. Well-qualified candidates may be eligible for a signing bonus of up to $25,000, with priority given to applicants in D.C., Raleigh, San Francisco, Dallas, and NYC. Strong applicants from any location are encouraged to apply.
QualificationsInterested 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 possess at least four (4) years of post-J.D. legal experience. This is not a remote position. Well-qualified candidates may be considered for placement at any Department duty location nationwide, subject to management approval and agency needs. This is not a remote position. Well-qualified candidates may be considered for placement at any Department duty location nationwide, subject to management approval and agency needs. Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Preferred qualifications: Applicants should have experience in mass tort or multidistrict litigation, environmental law or toxic tort background negotiation, federal tort claims act knowledge, expert witness management, and complex federal court litigation. 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.
Major DutiesThe 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.