[blindlaw] U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division, Educational Opportunities Section, TRIAL ATTORNEY, GS-14/15, ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: 12-ATT-018

[Nightingale, Noel]

Link:
http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/jobs/12-att-018.htm

Text:



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES SECTION
TRIAL ATTORNEY, GS-14/15

ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: 12-ATT-018

________________________________

About the Office: The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights<http://www.justice.gov/crt/index.php> Division is seeking one attorney for the position of Trial Attorney in the Educational Opportunities Section<http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/edu/> (EOS) in Washington, D.C. The Division is primarily responsible for enforcing federal statutes, regulations and executive orders that prohibit, among other things, unlawful discrimination in voting, education, employment, housing, police services, public accommodations and facilities, and federally funded and conducted programs. EOS enforces federal statutes which prohibit public school officials from engaging in discriminatory practices. These statutes include Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and religion in public schools; the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, which, among other things, requires state education agencies and school districts to ensure that appropriate services are provided to limited English proficient students; and Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in public and private educational institutions. In addition, EOS has certain enforcement responsibilities for Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Section may initiate litigation, intervene or serve as amicus in private suits that allege violations of education-related anti-discrimination statutes and the Fourteenth Amendment. EOS works closely with the Department of Education (ED), including representing ED in federal court.

Who May Apply: Applications are being accepted from all qualified candidates.

Number of Opportunities: 1

Application Period: Applications are being accepted from August 13, 2012 through 11:59 PM EST, September 4, 2012.

Responsibilities and Opportunity Offered: Investigating complaints, including making site visits; conducting legal and factual research; preparing legal arguments and memoranda on substantive legal and policy issues; preparing and responding to discovery requests; preparing witnesses and participating in depositions; developing and presenting the government's case in federal court; monitoring judgments and agreements to assure compliance by responding parties; preparing and participating in settlement negotiations and mediation on behalf of the Department; drafting and editing settlement proposals; recommending and reviewing private litigation for amicus participation; reviewing appellate memoranda; analyzing and preparing policy proposals on a variety of legal and policy questions; responding to policy inquiries, letters, memoranda, testimony, and other written materials; making public appearances to educate others about the laws that EOS enforces and providing technical assistance on aspects of compliance with those laws.

Area of Consideration: Applications will be accepted from all qualified candidates.

Required Qualifications: Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the bar in good standing (any jurisdiction), and have a minimum of three years of post-JD experience. Applicants must demonstrate superior oral and written communication skills (including strong advocacy skills), possess excellent academic and professional credentials, and outstanding professional references. Applicants must also demonstrate exceptional interpersonal skills and professional judgment, and be able to excel in a highly demanding environment.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience handling discrimination and harassment cases in the education context is preferred, including: (1) experience litigating discrimination and harassment cases involving educational institutions, including handling discovery, litigation strategy, motion practice, trial preparation, and trial; (2) experience negotiating settlements in discrimination or harassment cases involving school districts; (3) experience investigating allegations of discrimination and harassment in schools, including interviewing witnesses, reviewing documents, and reviewing applicable case law to assess the merits of a case; (4) experience supervising and mentoring attorneys in the development of and preparation for litigation; (5) experience drafting regulations, guidance documents and other policy directives, including experience working with diverse coalitions on legal and/or policy initiatives, and (6) substantive knowledge of and expertise in education discrimination law. In addition, while not required, preferred candidates will have relevant civil rights experience outside of the core competencies of the Section, but within the critical responsibilities of the Division, such that the candidate could play a supporting role in the Division's initiatives.

Salary Information: Years of specialized experience will determine the appropriate salary level within the GS-14/15 range ($105,211 to $155,500 per annum). Final selection for this position will be subject to budgetary funding constraints.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized.

Travel: The position requires extended hours and may require some travel.

Submission Process and Deadline Date: To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter and a writing sample (a brief or comparable analytic legal exposition that is your work product) by one of the two following means:

Diane Turner
Email: mailto:crd.attyvacancies at usdoj.gov<mailto:crd.attyvacancies at usdoj.gov> or Fax: 202-514-6603

No telephone calls please.

Internet Sites: This and other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at http://www.justice.gov/careers/legal/attvacancies.html.
For more information about the Civil Rights Division, visit the Civil Rights Division's web page.

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<http://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 documents). 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).

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The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination are not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.