Civil Rights Division (CRT)
The Civil Rights Division
(Division) of the Department of Justice, created by the enactment of
the Civil Rights Act of 1957, works to uphold the civil and
constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the most
vulnerable members of our society. The Division enforces federal
statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex
(including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity),
disability, religion, familial status, national origin, and citizenship
status.
The Disability Rights Section
works to achieve equal opportunity for people with disabilities in the
United States by implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Through its multi-faceted approach toward achieving compliance with the
ADA, this Section works to make this goal a reality. The Section's
enforcement, certification, regulatory, coordination, and technical
assistance activities, required by the ADA, combined with an innovative
mediation program, provide a cost-effective and dynamic approach for
carrying out the ADA's mandates. The Section also carries out
responsibilities under Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act,
the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act, and Executive
Order 12250.
The
experienced attorneys selected for these positions will be primarily
responsible for all aspects of enforcing the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) and other laws enforced by DRS. investigating alleged
violations of the ADA, negotiating settlements, and, when necessary,
litigating claims under the ADA.
This enforcement work includes, among other duties: developing
investigations and litigation, including planning and conducting
investigations and compliance reviews to assess potential violations of
Titles I, II and III of the ADA; gathering, analyzing, and evaluating
data and evidence, including witness interviews, documents, and other
data; researching and analyzing all legal issues; drafting legal
memoranda with appropriate analysis, including enforcement
recommendations, investigative documents, settlement resolutions,
letters of finding, complaints, briefs, and other investigative and
litigation-related correspondence and pleadings; developing cases for
filing, litigating the cases through trial, and handling post-trial
court litigation; conducting negotiations on a range of issues; and
handling compliance on DRS resolutions.
Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. from an American Bar Association
accredited law school, be an active member of the bar in good standing
(any jurisdiction), and possess the minimum years of post-professional
law degree experience commensurate to the grade level of eligibility, as
shown below. Applicants also must have strong, demonstrated
qualifications in the following areas: academic achievement; substantive
knowledge and expertise in the laws, rules, and regulations applicable
to the work of the Section; written and oral communication skills; the
ability to analyze complex issues; skill and experience working
collaboratively and productively with others; organizational skills;
professional judgment; initiative; and the ability to excel in a
fast-paced, demanding environment. In addition, applicants must have
outstanding professional references.
Preferred Qualifications:
Given the nature and volume of this work, the Section generally seeks
candidates with significant experience in complex litigation and
knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Applicants should have
federal disability discrimination litigation experience and such
experience will be considered both in the selection of applicants and
the GS grade offered. Such experience includes: with one or more of the
following qualifications are preferred: (1) experience investigating
complex allegations of disability discrimination, including interviewing
witnesses, requesting and reviewing documents, working with experts,
and reviewing and applying appropriate case law to assess the merits of a
matter; extensive civil trial experience; (2) extensive experience
litigating disability discrimination cases, including handling
discovery, litigation strategy, motions practice, and trial
preparations; federal civil litigation experience; (3) experience with
complex investigations and negotiating settlements in disability
discrimination cases; (4) substantive knowledge of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008; and other applicable
laws; (5) experience conducting outreach to a broad array of
stakeholders. Experience gained from Judicial clerkships (especially in
federal court), law review, moot court, clinical experience, and skill
and experience working cooperatively and productively with a range of
people, such as charging parties, witnesses, respondents, disadvantaged
or disenfranchised groups, opposing counsel, judicial or administrative
officials, advocacy groups, law enforcement personnel, and the staff of
other federal or state governmental agencies, are also preferred.
Possessing the minimum post law degree legal experience does not guarantee the applicant will be selected at that grade level.
- GS-13 - minimum 1.5 years post-JD legal experience
- GS-14 - minimum 2.5 years post-JD legal experience
- GS-15 - minimum 4 years post-JD legal experience
The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time Zone (ETZ) on Friday April 16, 2021.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:
1. Cover Letter
2. Résumé
3. A complete Occupational Questionnaire
4. Writing sample of no more than ten pages (a brief or comparable analytic legal exposition that is your work product)
5. Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable
6. Sch A documentation, if applicable
To apply for this position, see page at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/596452400
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 conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances.
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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 color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, pregnancy, status as a parent, or any other nonmerit-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 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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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.
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