Legal Careers
Trial Attorney-eDiscovery
The Consumer Protection Branch is seeking trial attorneys to conduct and supervise e-discovery reviews with primary focus on the Branch’s large civil investigation and litigation matters. The Branch pursues both criminal and civil enforcement actions related to consumer fraud schemes, prescription drug diversion, hazardous and misbranded products, deceptive trade practices, and data privacy.
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 Consumer Protection Branch is seeking qualified attorneys for permanent positions as Trial Attorneys in the Branch Support Unit.
Trial Attorneys specializing in e-discovery will:
- Conduct and supervise e-discovery document reviews, including large-scale electronic document review projects for the Branch’s civil and criminal matters;
- Conduct and supervise privilege reviews and privilege logging processes, including waiver and claw back implementation;
- Develop electronic document review instructions, ESI protocols, and related trainings for e-discovery review teams;
- Manage the document production process for Branch case teams, including interfacing with litigation support contractors and internal staff on both sending and ingesting productions;
- Understand and implement technology assisted review methodologies;
- Prepare for depositions, discovery motions practice, brief writing and trial by identifying and analyzing relevant factual issues;
- Maintain and improve e-discovery review databases and other systems for Branch case teams;
- Take proactive measures to identify and address the e-discovery needs of Branch litigation teams;
- Litigate issues related to discovery and privilege protocols before federal courts, handling briefing and argument;
- Keep abreast of electronic discovery developments and assisting Branch attorneys in understanding those developments;
- Participate in Division-wide, Department-wide, or interagency working groups related to electronic discovery;
- Advise prosecutors and supervisors throughout the Branch on strategic approaches to identifying and handling issues related to e-discovery at all stages of investigations and litigation; and
- Working closely with other DOJ e-discovery attorneys and litigation support specialists, as well as U.S Attorney’s Offices and other federal agencies to address e-discovery issues that arise in Branch matters.
Trial Attorneys also will have the ability to engage with Department leadership and to participate in training offerings and events.
- Applicants must have a J.D. degree earned through graduation from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
- Applicants must have at least four years of post J.D. experience to qualify at the GS-15 level. Applicants must also be a U.S. citizen.
- Applicants must have excellent writing and advocacy skills, as well as superior negotiation and interpersonal skills. Successful applicants will be highly motivated, exhibit sound judgment and creativity, and have several years of electronic discovery, and particularly discovery review, experience.
Highly Desirable Experience:
- Experience with legal privilege, including the Attorney-Client Privilege, Work Product Doctrine, Spousal Privilege, and all exceptions to such privileges;
- Experience with executive privilege and other government privileges, including exceptions to those privileges;
- Experience supervising support staff engaged in the review of potentially privileged materials;
- Experience working with and managing e-discovery vendors and contractors.
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. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov
OR
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. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
All documentation must be in English or include an English translation https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
To apply for this position, you must submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample (not more than 10 pages in length). If you are claiming veterans’ preference, you must also submit your DD-214 (Member 4 Copy), and/or other documentation that you may have.
Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials by email to: Consumer.Protection@usdoj.gov.
On the subject line, please put CPB – eDiscovery Attorney Application.
The suggested submission format is to email a single .pdf file of the following required documents, in order:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Writing sample (not more than 10 pages in length)
- (Optional) Veterans’ preference DD-214 (Member 4 Copy)/other documentation
Emailed applications with multiple files attached will also be accepted. Applications submitted by email must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on the closing date listed in this announcement.
Applicants may also send their materials by commercial courier service (FedEx or UPS) to:
Ms. Lory Alexander
U.S. Department of Justice
Consumer Protection Branch
450 5th St., NW, Ste. 6400
Washington, D.C. 20530
$163,964.00 - $191,900.00
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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.