Legal Careers
Trial Attorney
The Fraud Section, comprising approximately 160 federal prosecutors, investigates and prosecutes complex, multi-district and international white-collar criminal cases throughout the country, and implements and coordinates the Department's fraud enforcement policies. Fraud Section cases include health care fraud at both the individual and corporate level, securities and investment fraud; procurement and government program fraud; and foreign bribery (the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act).
The Fraud Section's Health Care Fraud (HCF) Unit is comprised of 65 prosecutors whose core mission is to prosecute health care fraud-related cases involving: (1) patient harm; and/or (2) large financial loss to the public fisc. The HCF Unit has a recognized and successful Strike Force Model for effectively and efficiently prosecuting health care fraud-related cases across the United States, including cases involving the illegal distribution of prescription opioids.
The Strike Forces are modeled on a cross-agency collaborative approach, bringing together the investigative and analytical resources of the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Program Integrity (CPI), and other agencies (e.g., DEA, IRS, DCIS), along with the prosecutorial resources of U.S. Attorney's Offices and state and local law enforcement partners.
The HCF Unit currently works in the following Strike Force locations, in partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Offices, and is accepting applications for all locations. Applicants may be selected to live in the city or travel to the city from Washington DC.
- Appalachian Region (Nashville, TN & Fort Mitchel, KY/Greater Cincinnati)
- Florida (Miami, Tampa, Orlando)
- Texas (Houston, Dallas, McAllen)
- Los Angeles
- Southern Louisiana (New Orleans, Baton Rouge)
- Detroit
- Brooklyn
- Chicago
- Washington, DC (Corporate Strike Force)
- Newark and Philadelphia
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.
The Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, is seeking qualified, experienced attorneys for term positions in the Fraud Section's Health Care Fraud (HCF) Unit's Strike Forces, including for the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force. The incumbent will serve as a Trial Attorney in the HCF Unit and, as such, will independently direct, conduct, and monitor investigations, prepare for and conduct trials, and advise on pleadings and other court filings. Upon accepting an offer of employment, applicants must make a three-year commitment to the Fraud Section.
Generally, as a Trial Attorney in the HCF Unit, the incumbent:
- Handles the development and management of HCF and prescription opioid prosecutions. Engages in all phases of investigation and litigation, including, but not limited to, the use of grand jury, advising federal law enforcement agents, preparing appropriate pleadings, and litigating motions and trials before U.S. District Courts across the country;
- Makes charging decisions and proposes dispositions with regard to assigned cases; and
- In collaboration with unit managers, develops and maintains the Section's program to foster effective national investigation and prosecution of HCF and opioid violations, including advising on strategy and legal complexities, and developing litigation priorities, policy and legislative recommendations.
Required Qualifications: Interested applicants must possess a J.D. 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.
Grade Specific Qualifications:
- To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, applicants must have at least two and a half (2.5) years post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-13 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: performing legal analysis and formulating recommendations to senior managers; composing pleadings, briefs, and other court documents involving legal issues in civil or criminal litigation; and conducting civil or criminal litigation.
- To qualify at the GS-15 grade level, applicants must have at least four (4) years post J.D. legal experience, one of which was specialized experience at, or equivalent to, the GS-14 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: independently performing legal analysis; composing pleadings, briefs and other court documents involving unique and/or difficult legal issues in civil or criminal litigation; conducting highly complex civil or criminal litigation; and leading paralegals and support staff.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience as a criminal prosecutor.
- Knowledge of white collar criminal litigation.
- Experience in supporting, litigating, and supervising federal or state criminal cases.
- Experience in U.S. District Court or state court.
- Experience with the federal judiciary.
- Experience with healthcare fraud, either civil or criminal, and/or experience with narcotics prosecutions.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. A list of eligible candidates will be referred to the hiring managers every two weeks during the open period of the announcement. If you are interested in applying, it is recommended that you do so early, as the vacancy may close prior to the advertised date if selections are made.
Any applicant who has, in the previous 24 months, applied for a Trial Attorney position with the Fraud Section must note the date of any such application and position applied for in the applicant’s cover letter. Please highlight recent relevant experience gained since the time of any previous application.
Applicants must specify in his/her cover letter which of the Strike Forces the applicant is applying for, including whether the applicant is applying for the Corporate Strike Force.
The Application Package must be received by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.
Please submit your application through USAJOBS. The list of required documents can be found in the USAJobs announcement.
- If you do not already have an account, please create a USAjobs account before applying Create an Account. You will be able to upload your resume and supporting documents and complete your profile prior to applying.
- Once you have an account, apply to the USAjobs vacancy: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/531304000.
Applicants should familiarize themselves and comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible conflicts of interest in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify this Office if you currently represent clients or adjudicate matters in which this Office is involved and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflicts of interest or disqualification issues that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
The salary range for this position is $104,821 - $166,500 per annum, which includes locality pay. See OPM's Webpage at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2019/… for additional information.
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 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.
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.
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.
Unless otherwise required by law, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or a federal contractor acting on its behalf from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history record, either in writing or orally, before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement.
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.
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).
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.
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.