Description
POSITION TITLE: Trial Attorney
LOCATION:
Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia
Public Advocacy Division
Social Justice Section
400 Sixth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
WORK STATUS: A hybrid remote telework/in-office schedule option is available upon supervisor approval.
COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT: The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG) is committed to providing the highest quality legal and programmatic services to the District and its residents while ensuring the health and safety of employees, customers, clients, volunteers, contractors, and other visitors.
The District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General values the safety of our employees, our residents, and our visitors. In support of these values, OAG employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, except when vaccination is not medically advised or violates sincerely held religious beliefs. The selected candidate must submit proof that you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to your initial HR representative, or you must request an exemption from your representative.
JOB REQUISITION NUMBER: #2023-108
NUMBER OF VACANCIES: One (1)
OPENING DATE: August 23, 2023
CLOSING DATE: September 6, 2023
SALARY RANGE: $128,824-$141,715
This salary range is within the Legal Service salary schedule. The salary range is based on a multitude of factors including applicable rules, regulations and guidelines.
PAY PLAN, SERIES AND GRADE: LS-905-14
TYPE OF APPOINTMENT: Legal Service (LS) – Permanent
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT: This position is in a collective bargaining unit.
AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Open to the public
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES: The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia is seeking an experienced Trial Attorney in the Social Justice Section of the Public Advocacy Division (PAD). The Public Advocacy Division manages the affirmative civil enforcement litigation of OAG to protect the public interest. PAD brings enforcement actions in consumer protection, civil rights, housing, workers’ rights, elder justice, nonprofit, and antitrust.
The Social Justice Section’s Housing Enforcement Unit is responsible for addressing improper and unsafe housing conditions and nuisance properties in District neighborhoods. In particular, the Unit enforces the District’s Tenant Receivership Act and Drug- Firearm- and Prostitution-Related Nuisance Abatement Act. The Social Justice Section’s attorneys also partner with PAD’s Office of Consumer Protection to protect tenants’ rights as consumers, and the Section’s environmental lawyers to address lead- and mold-related and other environmental hazards in and around residential housing. The impact litigation provides tremendous benefit to low-income tenants of the District of Columbia.
Duties of this position will include: identifying areas for investigation, conducting pre-complaint investigations, analyzing factual and legal issues, negotiating settlements, preparing matters for litigation, and litigating cases through trial in D.C. Superior Court.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Incumbent serves as a senior attorney in the Office/Division/Section handling the more complex and difficult matters. Reviews information presented and relevant cases presented and relevant case laws to determine whether a proceeding or filing should be initiated. Review for this purpose includes interviewing agency officials, other potential witnesses, available documents and other sources of information.
Incumbent is responsible for preparing complaints, responses, motions, legal briefs/memoranda as appropriate.
Prepares and conducts litigation including preparation of witnesses and exhibits; collection and organization of evidence; preparation and conduct of preliminary proceedings; identification, procurement and preparation of expert services; examination of witnesses; and oral arguments.
Performs extensive legal research; prepares detailed memoranda of findings to support conclusion of cases in accord with judicial and office policies, procedures and precedents; informs supervisor of findings of facts and resolution of assigned cases.
Negotiates resolution of cases and determines, with the approval of the supervisor, when continued proceedings are no longer in the best interest of the District of Columbia, and prepares documentation and necessary court papers to implement negotiations.
Performs all functions related to case and calendar management, such as pretrial, motion and trial scheduling, preparation of case transfer or close-out reports, case file entry updating, documentation of action taken or orders issued, timely preparation and service of filings, timely issuance of subpoenas, and any other administrative function associated with litigation.
Attends and participates in hearings before committees of the Council of the District of Columbia and the Congress pertaining to proposed laws or legislation, which may affect existing laws of the District of Columbia.
Maintains familiarity with current decisions of local courts and the Supreme Court of the United States, as well as decisions of other jurisdictions concerning areas of specialization.
Incumbent is responsible for keeping abreast of judicial, agency, and other changes in laws and regulations related to the function of programs and the recommendations of appropriate courses of action to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
Incumbent may have to confer with and incorporate concerns District Government officials, members of administrative bodies, and officials outside of the District Government with actions taken during enforcements cases.
Represents OAG in complex hearings and prepares evidence, briefs, motions, and other documents to support cases, as necessary.
Keeps abreast of judicial, agency and other changes in laws and regulations related to the function of programs and recommends appropriate courses of action to the Chief, Deputy Attorney General and the Attorney General.
Ensures staff is trained in laws, rules, regulations, adjudicative process, and in gathering information and documentation to provide supporting evidence pursuant to enforcement of corrective actions.
Compiles monthly statistical and status reports on cases assigned.
Performs other related duties, as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS: The candidate must have a least six (6) years of relevant specialized experience, 1 year of which must have been equivalent to LS-13, or its non-District equivalent gained from either the public or private sector. The candidate should have civil litigation experience, as well as excellent analytical, writing, and litigation skills.
Experience with complex litigation, commitment to social justice and affordable housing preservation, experience with interdisciplinary practice, and strong written and oral advocacy skills preferred.
LICENSURE/CERTIFICATIONS: The incumbent must be sworn into the District of Columbia Bar within 360 days of his/her initial appointment with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.
ELIGIBILITY: The successful candidate must have a law degree and be an active member in good standing of the bar of any jurisdiction. If not a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the candidate must be sworn into the District of Columbia Bar within 360 days of his/her initial appointment with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: A substitution of education for required experience is not allowed per defined in OPM’s Qualification Standards.
TIME-IN-GRADE RESTRICTIONS: Time-in-grade restrictions must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement.
HOW TO APPLY: Interested candidates must apply online by 11:59 pm of the closing date. All applications must be filled in its entirety, along with a cover letter, resume, a legal writing sample and a list of three professional references including supervisors. Please ensure that all required documents are included prior to submitting the application.
OTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTS
GENERAL SUITABILITY SCREENING: The selected candidate will be subject to a general background investigation, including reference checks.
PRIORITY CONSIDERATION: Displaced Employee Priority Placement: Candidates who are eligible for the District of Columbia’s Displaced Employee Program (DEP) and Agency Reemployment Priority Placement Program (ARPP) will be given priority consideration for this position if found qualified.
EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS: Selectee will be eligible for health and life insurance, annual (vacation), and sick leave and will be covered under the District of Columbia government’s retirement plan. However, if the selectee was previously employed in the District of Columbia’s government under an appointment for which he/she was eligible for Civil Service Retirement (CSR), contributions to CSR will resume upon re-employment.
RESIDENCY PREFERENCE: A person applying for a position in the Career Service, Education Service, Management Supervisory Service, an attorney position in the Legal Service (series 905) other than in the Senior Executive Attorney Service (SEAS), or an attorney in the Excepted Service (series 905) who is a bona fide District resident AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION for the position, maybe awarded a 10-point residency preference over non-District residents’ applications unless the person declines the preference points. If selected, the person shall be required to present proofs of bona fide District residency and maintain such residency for 7 consecutive years from the effective date of the appointment. Failure to maintain bona fide District residency for the 7-year period will result in forfeiture of employment.
VETERANS’ PREFERENCE: Applicants claiming veterans’ preference must submit official proof at the time of application.
DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE: Pursuant to the requirements of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1998, the individual selected to fill this position will, as a condition of employment, be required to notify his/her immediate supervisor, in writing, not later than five (5) days after the conviction of or a plea of guilty to a violation of any criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, physical disability, matriculation, genetic information, credit information, or status as a victim or family member of a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense, or stalking.
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION: In accordance with the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977, as amended, D.C. Official Code, Section 2-1401.01 et. seq., (Act) the District of Columbia does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived Race, Color, Religion, National Origin, Sex, Age, Marital Status, Personal Appearance, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, Family Responsibilities, Political Affiliation, Disability, Matriculation, Familial Status, Source of Income, Genetic Information, Place of Residence or Business, Status as a Victim of an Intrafamily Offense, Credit Information, or Status as a Victim or Family Member of a Victim of Domestic Violence, a Sexual Offense, or Stalking. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that is also prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above-protected categories is prohibited by the Act. Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated. Violators will be subject to disciplinary action.
OFFICIAL JOB OFFERS ARE TO BE MADE ONLY BY THE HUMAN RESOURCES SECTION OF THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
Important: Your COMPLETE application is important to OAG hiring process. Please ensure that you have read through the requisition in its entirety. Any REQUIRED document/s i.e. Resume, Cover Letter, DC2000RP, and/or KSAs as applicable, are included BEFORE you SUBMIT the application. You will NOT be able to re-submit. Thank you.