Legal Careers
CIVIL TRIAL ATTORNEY (GS-905-13/14/15)
The Antitrust Division’s Civil Enforcement Program is seeking qualified attorneys committed to vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws across the American economy. The Division is particularly interested in attorneys experienced with competition issues related to, agriculture, technology, healthcare, and finance. Trial attorneys hired through this announcement will be assigned to a section that is based in Chicago, San Francisco, or Washington DC, but may be authorized for fulltime remote work (or work from an alternative Antitrust Division office) in appropriate circumstances.
Many positions across the Civil Enforcement Program may be filled in response to this ad. In particular:
Chicago Office: The Division has now established a formal presence for the Civil Enforcement Program in Chicago. The Division seeks multiple attorneys interested in civil enforcement of the antitrust laws and related statutes to protect competition in the agricultural supply chain, including prosecuting civil antitrust enforcement actions against anticompetitive mergers and conduct, and enforcing related statutes such as the Packers and Stockyards Act. Attorneys hired through this ad assigned to the Civil Enforcement Program’s Chicago team may initially work primarily virtually and may work on civil antitrust enforcement in other industries, as needed.
San Francisco Office: The Division continues to expand the Civil Enforcement Program’s presence in San Francisco and seeks multiple attorneys who are interested in civil antitrust investigations and enforcement actions across different industries, particularly focusing on developing technology. While the San Francisco Office has both a civil and a criminal enforcement portfolio, this hiring announcement seeks candidates who will work on the office’s civil enforcement efforts.
Healthcare: Protecting competition in healthcare is one of the Division’s top priorities. As part of its commitment to enforcement in this crucial industry, the Division seeks multiple attorneys with an interest and background in healthcare issues to work with the Healthcare and Consumer Products Section. Attorneys with expertise in healthcare hired through this announcement will also have the chance to work with the Division’s Task Force on Health Care Monopolies and Collusion.
Financial Services, Financial Technology, and Banking: Traditional financial institutions—credit and debit cards, and banks—and new financial technology firms play significant roles in the American economy and the lives of individual consumers. Robust competition in these areas is crucial to ensuring the best environment possible for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and consumers. The Division continues to work to protect competition across these industries, and in products and services such as real estate, book and e-book publishing, concert ticketing and venues, and advertising. The Division seeks multiple attorneys with interests and backgrounds in these areas to work with the Financial Services, Fintech, and Banking Section.
Civil Conduct Task Force: The Division’s Civil Conduct Task Force has been at the forefront of investigating and prosecuting civil nonmerger matters across a broad range of industries, with particular focus on technology, agriculture, and labor. For example, in recent years the Civil Conduct Task Force has challenged salary caps, monopolies in digital markets, and agreements to share competitively sensitive information. The Division seeks multiple attorneys with interests and background in investigating and litigating civil conduct cases to work with the Civil Conduct Task Force.
While hiring through this ad will focus on the areas described above, the Division welcomes applications from attorneys interested in civil antitrust enforcement related to any area of the economy. Other units that may make selections from this advertisement include the Defense, Industrials, and Aerospace Section, which enforces the civil antitrust laws in the defense, avionics and aeronautics, industrial equipment, metals and mining, and waste industries; the Media, Entertainment, and Communications Section, which enforces the civil antitrust laws in the broadcast media, television and film production, streaming services, professional and amateur sports, and telecommunications industries; the Technology and Digital Platforms Section, which enforces the civil antitrust laws in internet-related businesses and computer hardware and software industries; and the Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture Section, which enforces the antitrust laws in the aviation, shipping, hotel, restaurant, travel services, electricity, oil field services, and agricultural industries. Also, in addition to enforcing the antitrust laws in healthcare, the Healthcare and Consumer Products Section enforces antitrust laws in consumer products, including apparel, appliances, beer, cosmetics, dairy, and paper among others, and welcomes applicants with an interest and background in these industries.
Additional information about the Antitrust Division can be found at http://www.justice.gov/atr/. Additional information about the Civil Enforcement Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/atr/civil-enforcement.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
Trial attorneys in the Division’s Civil Enforcement Program are responsible for a wide range of investigative, litigation, and trial work. They may review mergers, conduct pre-complaint investigations, engage in post-complaint litigation, and participate in trials. Trial attorneys are also frequently responsible for building relationships with other federal, state, and international enforcers and for advocacy for policies that ensure innovative and competitive marketplaces. Trial attorneys in the Civil Enforcement Program frequently grapple with challenging cases involving complex technologies, rapidly changing industries, rising barriers to entry, and evolving regulatory landscapes.
Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the position qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are minimally qualified for this position, your resume and supporting documentation will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration. To qualify, an applicant must:
- Be a citizen of the United States;
- Possess a J.D. or equivalent degree, be an active member of the bar in good standing (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least one and one-half years of post J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-13 level; two and one-half years of post J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-14 level, and/or at least four years of post J.D. legal experience to qualify at the GS-15 level;
- Have experience in the investigation of potential civil antitrust violations, or general federal litigation experience, including civil cases; and
- Demonstrate excellent writing, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
Applications will be accepted until July 26, 2024. To receive consideration, please submit your application through USAJOBS (www.usajobs.gov).
- If you do not already have a USAJOBS account, please create one before applying via the “Create an Account” link. You will be able to complete your profile and upload your resume and supporting documents prior to applying.
- Once an account has been created, apply to the USAJOBS vacancy: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/798111300
Candidates are being solicited up to the GS-15 level, with salaries up to $191,900 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2024/general-schedule
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Department Policies
Equal Employment Opportunity: 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 race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based 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. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.
Reasonable Accommodations: 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.
Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
Suitability and Citizenship: 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. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is 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. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.
Veterans: 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 Veteran 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). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
USAO Residency Requirement: Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
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This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.