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USAJOBS · 1 day ago

Trial Attorney (Environmental Torts Litigation)

Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Full-time

Onsite

Mid, Senior Level

$122K/yr - $197K/yr

1+ years exp

USAJOBS is seeking a Trial Attorney for the Environmental Torts Litigation Section within the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. The role involves defending the United States in complex civil litigation regarding toxic torts, including personal injury and property damage cases related to environmental contaminants.

ConsultingGovernmentHuman ResourcesInformation TechnologyInternetStaffing Agency

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

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

Qualification

J.D. DegreeActive Bar MembershipLegal AnalysisCivil LitigationLegal WritingAdvocacy SkillsDiscovery HandlingExpert Witness DevelopmentTrial Experience

Required

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National

Must complete a Background Investigation

Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable

May require completion of a 2-year trial period

Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance with eligibility for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access depending on organizational assignment / duty location

Must pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment

Financial Disclosure: If selected, you will be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines

Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree (or equivalent)

Be an active member in good standing of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction)

Possess at least 1 year post J.D. (or equivalent) legal or other relevant experience

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

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

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

All documentation must be in English or include an English translation