About this role
Job SummaryThe Civil Division seeks a few Supervisory Trial Attorneys (Assistant Directors) to serve on the Torts Branch, Constitutional and Specialized Torts Litigation section, Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) team. Well-qualified candidates may be eligible for a signing bonus of up to $25,000.
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. Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Preferred qualifications: 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. 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 Civil Division's Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) Program administers claims for benefits filed under RECA as amended by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 42 USC § 2210 note. This unique statute provides partial restitution to individuals who contracted certain illnesses as a result of exposure to radiation while extracting uranium ore for defense related purposes, or as a result of atmospheric nuclear weapons testing during the Cold War. On July 4, 2025, the Act was reauthorized and expanded and now covers more areas of the country and individual workers and adds compensation for injuries presumptively connected to the Manhattan Project. As an Assistant Director you will be responsible for supervising Program attorneys and, when assigned, support personnel, including Claims Analysts, Program Specialists, and other professionals. The incumbent is also responsible for overseeing work carried out by contract employees. The Assistant Director is responsible for ensuring claims are adjudicated consistent with statutory requirements and strict time frames; supervising development of novel workflows to address the high volume of matters under RECA; developing regulatory and sub-regulatory approaches that are consistent with the statute and positions of Department leadership; and collaborating with other Civil Division, Department, and Executive Branch offices to achieve the RECA Program's objectives under the supervision of the Director and Deputy Director. The incumbent is also responsible for personally handling and managing exceptionally complex RECA claims, including claims that may result in district-court litigation. Such matters may include cases in which the Assistant Director must coordinate and lead attorney teams comprised of personnel across multiple Division and Department offices. The Assistant Director is recognized as possessing outstanding administrative, operational, and litigative skills and is regarded as an expert in the assigned program area. Claims and related cases often involve significant legal problems; the facts are complex, voluminous, or very difficult to develop and prove, and may involve precedential cases that touch on legal issues that are often difficult to establish or on novel matters of policy. Generally, significant amounts of money or vital legal precedents are at stake.