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 Criminal Section prosecutes
cases involving the violent interference with liberties and rights
defined in the Constitution or federal law. The rights of both citizens
and non-citizens are protected. In general, it is the use of force,
threats, or intimidation that characterize a federal criminal violation
of an individual's civil rights.
Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit (HTPU) focuses
on investigating and prosecuting novel, complex, multi-jurisdictional,
and international human trafficking cases, including both sex
trafficking and labor trafficking. In addition to its direct
investigative and prosecutorial roles, HTPU leads interagency
anti-trafficking enforcement initiatives, and provides anti-trafficking
subject matter expertise, guidance, and training to enforcement
partners.
The Trial Attorney's investigative and prosecutorial responsibilities include, among other things:
- Reviewing and evaluating case files, evidence, and relevant case law;
- Interviewing witnesses and coordinating law enforcement efforts;
- Developing investigative strategies and guiding criminal investigations, including complex, proactive investigations;
- Drafting written prosecutorial analyses including grand jury initiation memoranda, indictment authorization memoranda, and other prosecutorial memoranda;
- Drafting indictments, pleadings, and other court filings;
- Negotiating plea agreements; and
- Representing the United States in grand jury proceedings, criminal trials, and other public appearances.
Human trafficking cases are often complex, in some instances involving dozens of victim-witnesses, multiple subjects and defendants, and wide-ranging criminal conduct, limiting the number of cases each HTPU Trial Attorney can prosecute simultaneously. Accordingly, in addition to prosecuting cases, HTPU Trial Attorneys also participate extensively in interagency enforcement initiatives, training programs, and strategic engagements with key enforcement partners to facilitate the dissemination of anti-trafficking expertise and strategic guidance to additional districts.
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 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 Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, including the
criminal statutes prohibiting involuntary servitude, slavery, and human
trafficking codified at Title 18, United States Code, Chapter 77,
Sections 1581 through 1597; strong 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.
Possessing the minimum post law degree legal experience does not guarantee the applicant will be selected at that grade level.
- GS-12 - minimum 1 year post-JD legal experience
- 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
Preferred Qualifications:
Given the nature, volume, and complexity of this work, HTPU seeks
candidates with significant criminal litigation experience, including
federal criminal litigation and/or state criminal litigation involving
human trafficking or related crimes. The following qualifications are
preferred, but not required: (1) experience investigating and
prosecuting human trafficking crimes under federal and/or state law; (2)
first-chair criminal prosecution or defense experience; (3) federal
criminal litigation experience, including federal jury trial experience;
(4) experience leading complex investigations, especially in utilizing
investigative grand juries; (5) substantial knowledge of federal human
trafficking statutes, federal criminal procedure, and constitutional
law; (6) judicial clerkship experience; (7) experience working with
crime victims or other vulnerable individuals; and (8) experience
coordinating with law enforcement agencies and task force partners.
Other preferred qualifications include: judicial clerkships (especially
in federal court); law review; moot court; clinical experience;
experience with trafficking-related civil, administrative, or
immigration proceedings; and skill and experience working cooperatively
and productively with a range of people, such as witnesses,
disadvantaged or disenfranchised groups, opposing counsel, judicial or
administrative officials, advocacy groups, law enforcement personnel,
task forces, and other federal or state governmental agencies.
The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time Zone (ETZ) on Thursday, May 20, 2021.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:
- Cover Letter (highlighting relevant experience).
- Resume - Applicants are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show the possession of knowledge of the subject matter pertinent to the position and the technical skills to successfully perform the duties of the position. Additionally, your resume must include the following information for each job listed: month and year, start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008), and full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week).
- Law School Transcripts- Current DOJ Attorneys are not required to submit a copy of their transcripts.
- Writing Sample - A brief or comparable analytic legal exposition that is your work product. (No more than 10 pages)
- Assessment Questionnaire (you will be prompted to complete this when you apply online).
- Schedule A Documentation (if applicable) - Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u). The date of your certification letter must be within three (3) years of the vacancy closing date and must be submitted with your application.
- Current or Former Political Appointees (if applicable) - please note on your resume and attach an SF-50. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office.
- Veterans Preference Documentation (if applicable)
To apply for this position, see page USAJOBS - Job Announcement.
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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