EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY, DOJ ENRD-12-007-EXC

As Special Counsel on Diversity Recruitment and Outreach for the United States Department of Justice, I would like to share with you and ask you to disseminate the following vacancy announcement for an experienced attorney position in the Law and Policy Section of the Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Justice seeks to attract, retain, and promote individuals of exceptional ability and talent from all walks of life. The work environment and atmosphere is open, diverse, collegial, and inclusive. There are active affinity groups for African-American; Asian-American; Hispanic; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT); and Native American employees, which are open to all DOJ employees regardless of background. Justice fosters a work environment where people of all backgrounds and experiences may reach their full potential.

Thank you for your help in disseminating this vacancy announcement. This and other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/attvacancies.html.

ATTORNEY VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION
EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY, LAW AND POLICY SECTION
GS-14/15
OPEN: FEBRUARY 3, 2012
CLOSE: FEBRUARY 27, 2012
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: ENRD-12-007-EXC

About the Office:

The Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice handles environmental and natural resources litigation on behalf of the United States in courts across the Nation. The Division has been named as the number one best federal agency subcomponent to work for in "The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government" rankings for the past two years. We place a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspective and encourage applications from attorneys from all ethnic groups, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Our headquarters office is located in Washington, DC, with several branch offices located across the country. This vacancy is located in Washington, DC.

The Law and Policy Section advises and assists the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division on legal and policy questions, particularly those that affect multiple sections in the Division. It handles the Division's response to legislative proposals and Congressional requests, the Division's comments on federal agency rulemakings, amicus participation in cases of importance to the United States, as well as other special litigation and projects on behalf of Division leadership. Other LPS attorney duties include serving as the Division's ethics officer and counselor, alternative dispute resolution counselor, and liaison with state and local governments. Attorneys in the Section also coordinate the Division's involvement in international legal matters, as well as the Division's FOIA and Privacy Act work.

For more information about the Environment & Natural Resources Division, visit: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/.

Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered:

The Division is seeking an experienced attorney for its Law and Policy Section ("LPS" or "Section"). The Section's work encompasses the full range of environmental, natural resources, public lands, and Indian-related issues handled by the Division, as well as issues of constitutional, administrative, and ethics law. The Section's work often involves complex, novel, and cross-cutting issues which require close coordination with all of the Division's other sections and interaction with other DOJ components. We expect that the attorney chosen for this position would maintain a portfolio that includes a broad mix of work in areas including legislative and proposed rulemaking analysis, litigation, and special projects that involve the analysis of cross-cutting legal and policy issues relating to litigation, such as environmental justice work. An important job function will be to provide ethics and professional responsibility advice to attorneys and managers throughout the Division, including the Division's senior leadership. We also anticipate that the attorney chosen would have opportunities to handle projects involving issues of international law.

This Section's docket requires the application of superior research, analytical and writing skills. The docket is also a demanding one and places a premium on the commitment and ability to balance a diverse and constantly evolving workload.

Required Qualifications:

Applicants must possess a J.D. degree; be duly licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of a State, territory, or the District of Columbia, have at least 4 years of post-J.D. legal experience, and be a U.S. citizen. Position is available immediately, subject to approvals and security checks. Attorneys must undergo and pass a full background investigation before entering on duty.

Preferred Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have:
• a background in environmental, natural resources, Indian, and/or administrative law;
• experience working with or for federal agencies, experience in criminal law, and/or experience with government ethics and/or professional responsibility rules;
• experience in developing and influencing policy development in complex fields with competing interests;
• incisive analytical ability and the facility to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues in a wide variety of cases and projects;
• an established record of strong initiative;
• the demonstrated ability to balance a diverse and constantly evolving and challenging workload and set of priorities;
• excellent judgment and the ability to handle highly charged issues;
• a demonstrated record of analysis of complex legal problems;
• a demonstrated record of initiative and creativity;
• outstanding oral and written communication skills, strong organizational skills, and
• Superior research abilities; and
• a commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards.

Travel:

Occasional travel is required.

Salary Information:

Current salary and years of experience will determine the appropriate salary level. The possible salary range is GS-14 ($105,211- $136,771) and GS-15 ($123,758 - $155,500) per annum.

Location:

Washington, DC. The city boasts an ideal blend of commerce, culture (e.g., theater and museums), leisure and outdoor activities, and education opportunities. Our downtown office is an easy commute from most outlying residential areas.
To learn more about the area and what Washington, DC has to offer, please visit the city's official tourism site: http://washington.org/.

Terms of Appointment:

Relocation Expenses:

Relocation expenses will not be authorized.

Application Process and Deadline Date:

To apply, interested candidates should:
• submit their resume;
• a cover letter that highlights the applicant’s interest in the position, and addresses in detail how they meet the qualifications; and
• a short writing sample or part of a longer writing sample (not to exceed ten pages), which should be exclusively or primarily the applicant’s work and should include legal analysis.
via e-mail to Rhodora.Woolner@usdoj.gov. If an applicant does not have access to email, their materials may be sent via fax to 202-514-4231 or mail addressed to:

U.S. Department of Justice
Environment and Natural Resources Division
Law and Policy Section
P.O. Box 7415
Ben Franklin Station
Washington, DC 20044-7415
Attn: Rhodora Woolner
(ENRD-12-007-EXC)

Deadline: Applications must be received by 5:00 pm EST on Monday, February 27, 2012. Persons applying by email are responsible for ensuring that email and any attachments are received no later than 5:00 pm EST on Monday, February 27, 2012.

Internet Sites:

For more information about the Environment & Natural Resources Division, visit the Justice Department's web site at: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/.
This and other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/attvacancies.html

Department Policies:

The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a parent, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, on the basis of personal favoritism, or any non merit factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department 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 of Justice. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the United States Attorneys’ Offices. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, non-U.S. citizens may apply for employment with other organizations, but should be advised that appointments of non-U.S. citizens are extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

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 are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions.

Richard L. Parker
Special Counsel on
Diversity Recruitment and Outreach
United States Department of Justice
450 Fifth Street, NW, Suite 10200
Washington, DC 20530
Phone: (202) 514-8912
Fax: (202) 514-0713
Email: Richard.L.Parker2@usdoj.gov