[blindlaw] One Atorney posting

[Ross Doerr]

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
ACCESS TO JUSTICE INITIATIVE
ATTORNEY ADVISOR, GS-0905-14 - 15 

REIMBURSEABLE DETAIL OPPORTUNITY
ANNOUNCEMENT: ATJ ATY-0112

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Conditions of the detail will be handled on a case by case basis and will
require an agreement between the gaining and losing DOJ components or
Federal agency. This is a reimburseable detail. This assignment is for a
term of six months with the possibility of an extension, contingent on
availability of funding.
About the Office: The U.S. Department of Justice established the Access to
Justice Initiative (ATJ) in March 2010 to address the access-to-justice
crisis in the criminal and civil justice system. ATJ's mission is to help
the justice system efficiently deliver outcomes that are fair and accessible
to all, irrespective of wealth and status. The Initiative's staff works
within the Department of Justice, across federal agencies, and with state,
local, and tribal justice system stakeholders to increase access to counsel
and legal assistance and to improve the justice delivery systems that serve
people who are unable to afford lawyers.
ATJ is guided by three principles:
. Promoting Accessibility - eliminating barriers that prevent people from
understanding and exercising their rights. 
. Ensuring Fairness - delivering fair and just outcomes for all parties,
including those facing financial and other disadvantages.
. Increasing Efficiency - delivering fair and just outcomes effectively,
without waste or duplication.

To translate these principles into action, ATJ pursues strategies to
leverage and better allocate justice resources, and works to:
. Advance new statutory, policy, and practice changes that support
development of quality indigent defense and civil legal aid delivery systems
at the state and federal level; 
. Promote less lawyer-intensive and court-intensive solutions to legal
problems; and 
. Expand research on innovative strategies to close the gap between the need
for, and the availability of, quality legal assistance. 

Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: The attorney will report to the
Deputy Counselor for Access to Justice. She or he will perform varied and
significant legal work related to access to justice. The incumbent will work
closely with top administrative personnel in the Department, other federal
agencies, private industry, state, local, tribal, and/or foreign governments
on legal and policy matters. She or he will provide counsel and advice
regarding the preparation and dissemination of policy to top Department
officials. She or he may deliver presentations and briefings for the agency
and will assist with the identification and promulgation of best practices
in providing assistance in the delivery of legal services to the indigent
and middle class at all levels of the legal system. 

Qualifications: The work of this initiative requires the application of
outstanding analytical, legal research, and writing skills to complex and
significant issues. The initiative carries a heavy workload and places a
premium on the commitment and ability to produce high-quality work under
tight deadlines. Diplomacy, excellent judgment, and a collaborative
orientation are highly valued. Individuals with indigent defense experience
or experience gained as a public defender, are encouraged to apply.

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, and have at least 5 years of
post-J.D. experience. 

Salary Information: Current salary and years of experience determine the
appropriate salary level. The possible pay range for GS-14/15 is $105,211 to
$155,500. Exact amounts of salary within these GS levels vary depending on
the individual's home office. Selectee will maintain current rate of pay. 

Location: Washington, D.C. 

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized for this
position.

Submission Process and Deadline Date: To apply, please submit a resume,
detailed cover letter highlighting relevant background, experience and
interest, along with a writing sample (a brief or comparable analytic legal
exposition that is your work product) to:

U.S. Department of Justice
Access to Justice Initiative (Attn: S. Matthews)
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Room 3340
Washington, D.C. 20530
Applicants are encouraged to email applications to A2J.resume at usdoj.gov
rather than mail them. Please reference announcement ATJ ATY-0112 in your
cover letter. No telephone calls please. This vacancy will remain open until
the closing date unless a selection has been made prior. All applications
must be submitted no later than July 2, 2012, closing date.

Internet Sites: For information about the Access to Justice Initiative,
please visit: http://www.justice.gov/atj/. This and other attorney vacancy
announcements can be found at:
http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/attvacancies.html and
http://dojnet.doj.gov/oarm/attvacancies.php.

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 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 his or her retirement
was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was
transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or
retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).